-ais/-eis/-óis/-uis

Plural of -l Nouns

Level 2

Words ending in -l don't just add -s. Instead, the -l is dropped and replaced by -is (for most words) or -eis (for words stressed on the second-to-last syllable).

How It Works

To form the plural of words ending in -l, follow these specific rules:

1. The General Rule (-is):
For words ending in -al, -el, -ol, and -ul, replace the -l with -is.
Note: If the word ends in -el or -ol and is stressed on that last syllable (oxytone), you must add an acute accent to keep the vowel sound open.

  • animal → animais
  • papel → papéis
  • anzol → anzóis
  • azul → azuis

2. The -il Rule (Stress Matters):

  • Oxytones (Stressed on the last syllable): Replace -il with -is. These words usually have no written accent in the singular.
    Example: barril → barris
  • Paroxytones (Stressed on the second-to-last syllable): Replace -il with -eis. These words always have a written accent in the singular.
    Example: fácil → fáceis

3. Exceptions:
A few common words do not follow this pattern and add -es instead:

  • mal (evil/badly) → males
  • cônsul (consul) → cônsules
  • mel (honey) → meles or méis

Examples (5)

  1. Os animais do pantanal são lindos.

    The animals of the wetlands are beautiful.

    Word by Word: The animals of-the pantanal are beautiful.

    The singular 'animal' ends in -al, so the plural becomes 'animais'.

  2. Eu comprei dois papéis coloridos.

    I bought two colored papers.

    Word by Word: I bought two papers colored.

    The singular 'papel' becomes 'papéis'. Note the mandatory acute accent to maintain the open 'e' sound.

  3. Estas perguntas são muito fáceis.

    These questions are very easy.

    Word by Word: These questions are very easy.

    Because 'fácil' is a paroxytone (stressed on the first syllable), the -il changes to -eis.

  4. Os barris de vinho estão na adega.

    The wine barrels are in the cellar.

    Word by Word: The barrels of wine are in-the cellar.

    Because 'barril' is an oxytone (stressed on the last syllable), the -il simply changes to -is.

  5. Os faróis do carro estão acesos.

    The car headlights are on.

    Word by Word: The headlights of-the car are lit.

    The singular 'farol' becomes 'faróis' in the plural.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding -s directly to the -l (English interference).

    Os animals são grandes.
    Os animais são grandes.

    In Portuguese, you must drop the -l before adding the plural ending -is.

  • Forgetting the accent on -éis and -óis.

    Eu li os papeis.
    Eu li os papéis.

    When -el or -ol plurals are stressed on the last syllable, an acute accent is required to indicate the open vowel sound.

  • Using -is for paroxytone -il words.

    Os exercícios são facis.
    Os exercícios são fáceis.

    If the singular word has a written accent (like fácil or difícil), the plural must end in -eis, not -is.

How It Connects

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

-ais/-eis/-óis/-uisLevel 2Plural of -l Nouns

Learn This First

To learn the pluralization of nouns ending in -l, you first need to understand the basic plural marker '-s' and how nouns are generally structured in Portuguese. This pattern builds on those foundations by introducing specific vowel changes that occur when the final '-l' is replaced.