-ema/-oma

Masculine Noun Endings

Level 2

In Portuguese, most nouns ending in -a are feminine. However, a specific group of words—mostly ending in -ma and derived from Greek—are actually masculine.

How It Works

While the general rule is that -a indicates a feminine noun, Portuguese inherited many words from Greek (often via Latin) that were originally neuter. In Portuguese, these became masculine.

The most common sub-patterns include:

  • -ema: o problema (the problem), o sistema (the system), o tema (the theme).
  • -oma: o idioma (the language), o sintoma (the symptom), o diploma (the diploma).
  • -ama: o programa (the program), o drama (the drama).
  • -grama: o grama (the gram - weight), o telegrama (the telegram), o cronograma (the schedule).

It is vital to remember that these words trigger masculine agreement: o problema novo (the new problem), not a problema nova.

Note: Not every word ending in -ma is masculine. Words of non-Greek origin like a cama (the bed) or a lama (the mud) remain feminine. Additionally, even some Greek-derived words like a rima (the rhyme) are feminine. Words like o pijama (the pajamas) are masculine and end in -a, but they follow this pattern by analogy rather than Greek origin (pijama comes from Persian/Hindi).

Examples (5)

  1. O meu maior problema é o tempo.

    My biggest problem is time.

    Word by Word: The my biggest problem is the time.

    Notice the masculine article 'o' and possessive 'meu' used with 'problema'.

  2. Ele fala um idioma muito difícil.

    He speaks a very difficult language.

    Word by Word: He speaks a language very difficult.

    Even though 'idioma' ends in -a, it uses the masculine indefinite article 'um'.

  3. Eu preciso de quinhentos gramas de queijo.

    I need five hundred grams of cheese.

    Word by Word: I need of five-hundred grams of cheese.

    When referring to weight, 'grama' is masculine, so the number 'quinhentos' must also be masculine.

  4. O sistema está funcionando bem.

    The system is working well.

    Word by Word: The system is working well.

    'Sistema' is a classic Greek-origin masculine noun ending in -ema.

  5. Este é o tema principal da aula.

    This is the main theme of the class.

    Word by Word: This is the theme main of-the class.

    'Tema' is masculine, requiring the masculine article 'o' and demonstrative 'este'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using feminine articles or adjectives with these nouns.

    A problema é difícil.
    O problema é difícil.

    Learners often see the -a and assume the word is feminine. Always use 'o' with 'problema'.

  • Confusing 'o grama' (weight) with 'a grama' (grass).

    Eu quero duzentas gramas de presunto.
    Eu quero duzentos gramas de presunto.

    If you are at a deli, use the masculine 'duzentos gramas'. 'Duzentas gramas' would literally mean 200 blades of grass!

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-ema/-omaLevel 2Masculine Noun Endings

Learn This First

To understand the -ema/-oma masculine endings, a learner must first be familiar with the standard Portuguese gender rules where -a usually indicates a feminine noun. They also need to know how to use masculine articles and adjectives to correctly modify these exceptional nouns.