nosso/nossa/vosso/vossa

Possessive Adjectives (Plural Owner)

Level 1

Nosso (our) and vosso (your, plural) are possessive adjectives used when the owners are a group. They change form to match the thing owned, not the people owning it.

How It Works

Possessive adjectives for plural owners follow the rule of agreement with the possessed object.

1. Gender and Number Agreement
The ending of the word changes based on the noun that follows:
• O nosso carro (Our car - masculine singular)
• A nossa casa (Our house - feminine singular)
• Os nossos livros (Our books - masculine plural)
• As nossas chaves (Our keys - feminine plural)

2. Regional Differences (BP vs. EP)
• Nosso is used everywhere.
• Vosso is very common in European Portuguese (EP) to mean 'your' when talking to a group (vocês).
• In Brazilian Portuguese (BP), vosso is rarely used in conversation. Brazilians usually prefer seu/sua or the phrase de vocês. However, vosso is still found in religious contexts (like the 'Our Father' prayer) and very formal legal settings.

3. Use of Articles
In Portugal, it is standard to use a definite article before the possessive (o nosso pai). In Brazil, this article is optional and often dropped (nosso pai).

Examples (5)

  1. O nosso carro é azul.

    Our car is blue.

    Word by Word: The our car is blue.

    'Nosso' is masculine singular to match 'carro'.

  2. Onde estão as vossas chaves?

    Where are your (plural) keys?

    Word by Word: Where are the your keys?

    'Vossas' is feminine plural to match 'chaves'. This is standard in European Portuguese.

  3. Nossa casa é muito antiga.

    Our house is very old.

    Word by Word: Our house is very old.

    'Nossa' is feminine singular to match 'casa'. Note the absence of the article 'A', common in Brazil.

  4. Pai Nosso, que estais no céu, santificado seja o vosso nome.

    Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy (your) name.

    Word by Word: Father Our, who are in heaven, hallowed be the your name.

    An example of 'vosso' used in a religious context, common in both Brazil and Portugal.

  5. Os nossos filhos estudam aqui.

    Our children study here.

    Word by Word: The our children study here.

    'Nossos' is masculine plural to match 'filhos'.

Common Mistakes

  • Matching the possessive to the owner's gender instead of the object.

    Nossa carro é novo.
    Nosso carro é novo.

    Even if the owners are women, 'carro' is a masculine noun, so you must use 'nosso'.

  • Forgetting to pluralize the possessive when the object is plural.

    Nosso livros estão na mesa.
    Nossos livros estão na mesa.

    If the noun (livros) is plural, the possessive (nossos) must also be plural.

  • Using 'vosso' in casual Brazilian conversation.

    Oi amigos, cadê o vosso carro?
    Oi amigos, cadê o carro de vocês?

    While grammatically correct, 'vosso' sounds extremely stiff or religious to Brazilians; 'de vocês' is the natural choice there.

How It Connects

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

nosso/nossa/vosso/vossaLevel 1Possessive Adjectives (Plural Owner)

Learn This First

To use plural possessive adjectives, you must understand how Portuguese nouns use gendered endings (-o/-a) for agreement, the concept of plural subjects (we/you all), and the basic mechanics of possessive adjectives established in the singular forms.

Words in This Pattern

nossovosso