vosso/vossa/vossos/vossas
Possessive Second Person Plural
Vosso/vossa/vossos/vossas means 'your' when addressing a group of people. It is standard in European Portuguese but formal/archaic in Brazil.
How It Works
In Portuguese, possessives like vosso are used to indicate that something belongs to 'you all' (the second person plural).
1. Regional Differences:
- European Portuguese (EP): It is the standard way to say 'your' (plural). It is the primary way to distinguish 'your (plural)' from 'his/her', as seu/sua is often reserved for the third person. While the subject pronoun vós is rare in Lisbon and the South, it remains actively used in Northern regions like Minho and Trás-os-Montes. In most of Portugal, vosso is used naturally with the pronoun vocês.
- Brazilian Portuguese (BP): It is considered archaic or very formal. Brazilians usually prefer seu/sua or the phrase 'de vocês' to avoid ambiguity.
2. Agreement Rules:
The ending changes based on the noun that follows:
- O vosso carro (Masculine Singular)
- A vossa casa (Feminine Singular)
- Os vossos livros (Masculine Plural)
- As vossas chaves (Feminine Plural)
3. Usage with Articles:
In European Portuguese, it is almost always preceded by a definite article (e.g., 'o vosso' instead of just 'vosso'). However, the article is typically dropped in two cases: in formal titles like Vossa Excelência, or when the possessive follows the verb ser to indicate ownership (e.g., 'O carro é vosso').
Examples (4)
- Vocês trouxeram os vossos documentos?
Did you [all] bring your documents?
Word by Word: You brought the your documents?
In European Portuguese, 'vossos' agrees with the masculine plural noun 'documentos'.
- A vossa casa é muito bonita.
Your [plural] house is very beautiful.
Word by Word: The your house is very beautiful.
Here, 'vossa' is feminine singular to match 'casa'.
- Este dinheiro não é vosso.
This money is not yours [plural].
Word by Word: This money not is yours.
In this case, 'vosso' acts as a possessive pronoun.
- Pai Nosso, seja feita a vossa vontade.
Our Father, your will be done.
Word by Word: Father Our, be done the your will.
A classic example of the formal/religious register used in both Brazil and Portugal.
Common Mistakes
Using 'vosso' to address a single person formally.
Senhor Silva, o vosso casaco está aqui.Senhor Silva, o seu casaco está aqui.'Vosso' is strictly plural. To address one person formally, use 'seu/sua' or 'do senhor/da senhora'.
Matching the gender to the owners instead of the object.
Meninas, onde está o vossa livro?Meninas, onde está o vosso livro?Even if the owners are female ('meninas'), the possessive must be masculine ('vosso') because 'livro' is masculine.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn 'vosso/vossa', you need to understand the subject pronoun 'vós' it relates to, the rule that possessives must agree with the noun they modify (gender and number), and the standard practice of using definite articles before possessive adjectives.
- vósVós (Archaic Plural You)
The possessive forms vosso/vossa correspond directly to the subject pronoun vós (second person plural).
Level 2 - Possessive Agreement Rule
Understanding that possessives in Portuguese agree in gender and number with the object owned, rather than the owner, is essential for using the four variations correctly.
Level 1 - Article with Possessive
In European Portuguese, where these forms are most common, possessives are typically preceded by definite articles (e.g., 'o vosso carro').
Level 2
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
Practice vosso/vossa/vossos/vossas in Bubblegum
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