Kilo Lingo

Ch 1 · Lesson 16

Sou estudante: where the article drops

Brazil usually says with no article, and a job after drops um: , . Add an adjective and um comes back.

The short version

, not

.

I am a student.
Why?

Portuguese usually drops the indefinite article for a bare profession, nationality, marital status or religion after : , . is not wrong, just less natural unless you are stressing it. Add um or back the moment an adjective describes the noun.

Meu carro or o meu carro: the article beside a possessive

Here the two varieties part company, and both are correct:

VarietyPortugueseEnglish
Brazilian .My car is new.
European (EP) .My car is new.

Brazilians do use the article sometimes, and nobody in either country hears the other habit as a mistake. Pick your variety's habit and keep to it. The possessives page has the detail.

Where the indefinite article disappears

English says I am a student. Portuguese says I am student. After , and drop in four situations, as long as no adjective describes the noun. After , plain possession usually drops it too, though is also fine:

SituationPortugueseEnglish
nationality .I am English.
profession .He is a doctor.
marital status .She is married.
religion católico.He is a Catholic.
possession () .She has a car.
Four people in their work clothes: a woman doctor with long hair and a bow, in a white coat with a stethoscope; a man teacher with glasses, a moustache and a tie, pointing at a board and holding a book; a man cook with a moustache, in a chef's hat and apron, holding a frying pan with an egg; a man police officer with a moustache, in a blue uniform and cap.
  1. .
  2. .
  3. .
  4. .

A bare job after ser: no um or uma in front of it. (EP says polícia for a police officer.)

The moment an adjective describes the noun, the article comes straight back. Now the sentence is picking out one example, not stating a category:

Bare nounWith an adjectiveEnglish
. .I'm a very serious student
. .She has a very fast car
. .He's a very good doctor

Going further: The whole system on one screen and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.

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Lesson 16 of 40 in this chapter

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