Introduction
Understanding possessive adjectives is essential for speaking Portuguese naturally. This article explains the difference between nosso and nossa, the rules for agreement with gender and number, and how to use them in everyday Brazilian Portuguese sentences. Clear examples and cultural notes will help beginners and intermediate learners avoid common mistakes.
- What are nosso and nossa?
- Agreement rules: gender and number
- Examples with masculine nouns
- Examples with feminine nouns
- Agreement with implied nouns and context
- Using nosso/nossa with plural subjects
- When the possessor is feminine or masculine
- Placement of nosso/nossa in a sentence
- Use with definite articles and omission options
- Short forms and contractions
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Additional examples in everyday Brazilian Portuguese
- Cultural and usage notes
- Quick reference chart
- Conclusion
What are nosso and nossa?
Nosso and nossa are possessive adjectives that mean our or ours in English. They indicate that something belongs to the speaker and at least one other person. Like other Portuguese adjectives, they change form to agree with the gender and number of the noun they modify.
Basic forms and their meanings
There are four main forms:
nosso — masculine singular (our, before a masculine singular noun)
nossa — feminine singular (our, before a feminine singular noun)
nossos — masculine plural (our, before a masculine plural noun)
nossas — feminine plural (our, before a feminine plural noun)
Agreement rules: gender and number
The agreement rules are straightforward: the possessive must match the grammatical gender and number of the noun it modifies, not the gender or number of the possessor. In Portuguese, nouns are either masculine or feminine, and singular or plural.
Step-by-step explanation
1. Identify the noun that is being possessed.
2. Determine the gender (masculine or feminine) of that noun.
3. Determine whether the noun is singular or plural.
4. Use the corresponding form of nosso/nossa to match that gender and number.
Examples with masculine nouns
When the noun is masculine singular, use nosso.
Example:
Nós vendemos o nosso carro.
Translation: We sold our car.
For masculine plural nouns, use nossos.
Example:
Nós compramos nossos livros.
Translation: We bought our books.
Examples with feminine nouns
When the noun is feminine singular, use nossa.
Example:
Eles ligaram para a nossa professora.
Translation: They called our teacher.
For feminine plural nouns, use nossas.
Example:
Hoje vamos às nossas reuniões.
Translation: Today we are going to our meetings.
Agreement with implied nouns and context
Sometimes the noun is not explicitly stated because it is understood from context. The possessive still must agree with the implied noun.
Example with an implied masculine noun
Eu trouxe o nosso.
Here the implied noun could be something masculine like caderno or computador, depending on context.
Example with an implied feminine noun
Ela encontrou a nossa.
The implied noun might be bolsa or chave, which are feminine in Portuguese.
Using nosso/nossa with plural subjects
In English, our can refer to a single person and me, or many people including me. In Portuguese the possessive still agrees with the object. Whether the possessor is singular or plural does not change the form beyond agreeing with the noun.
Example:
O aluno e eu trouxemos o nosso projeto.
Here the possessor is multiple people (o aluno e eu), and the possessive matches projeto, which is masculine singular.
Example:
Minha mãe e eu convidamos a nossa tia.
Even though the possessor group includes one person and another, the possessive agrees with tia, which is feminine singular.
When the possessor is feminine or masculine
Some learners mistakenly think the possessive must match the gender of the person who owns the object. This is not correct. The possessive aligns with the noun possessed. Look at these examples.
Example:
Maria e João trouxeram nosso cachorro.
Even though Maria is female and João is male, cachorro is masculine, so nosso is used.
Example:
Mariana e Paula organizaram nossas pastas.
Both possessors are female, but the determining factor is that pastas is feminine plural, so nossas is correct.
Placement of nosso/nossa in a sentence
Possessives usually go before the noun in Portuguese, similar to English. However, they can also follow the noun for emphasis or in certain stylistic contexts.
Normal placement:
Nosso amigo chegou cedo.
Our friend arrived early.
Post-nominal placement for emphasis (less common in everyday speech):
O amigo nosso chegou cedo.
This structure can be used for emphasis or in poetic contexts, but is not the default in conversational Brazilian Portuguese.
Use with definite articles and omission options
Portuguese often uses definite articles with possessives, more than English does. In Brazilian Portuguese, speakers commonly say the book with our instead of our book directly. Both forms are correct, but the inclusion or omission of the article can change tone and nuance.
With article (common):
A nossa casa é grande.
The our-house phrasing with article is natural and common.
Without article (possible in some contexts):
Nossa casa é grande.
This is also correct and widely used in Brazilian Portuguese, especially in informal speech.
Short forms and contractions
Unlike some Romance languages, Portuguese typically does not contract nosso/nossa with the definite article. You will not see forms analogous to French notre or Italian nostro combined with an article in the same way. Use the full forms and place the article before the possessive if you need one.
Example:
O nosso time venceu.
A nossa equipe venceu.
Both sentences are correct; choose the noun and article combination that fits what you mean.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Mistake 1: Making the possessive agree with the possessor gender.
Wrong: Maria trouxe o nossa livro.
Right: Maria trouxe o nosso livro.
Mistake 2: Using masculine form for feminine nouns or vice versa.
Wrong: Nós vendemos a nosso casa.
Right: Nós vendemos a nossa casa.
Mistake 3: Forgetting plural agreement.
Wrong: Trouxemos o nosso livros.
Right: Trouxemos os nossos livros.
Additional examples in everyday Brazilian Portuguese
Family and home:
Vamos visitar a nossa avó amanhã.
A nossa cozinha é pequena, mas funcional.
Work and school:
Entregamos o nosso relatório ontem.
Os nossos alunos estão satisfeitos.
Friends and relationships:
Ele é o nosso amigo de infância.
As nossas
Possessions:
Peguei o nosso
Deixei as chaves nas nossas
Cultural and usage notes
In Brazilian Portuguese, possessives like nosso and nossa are used frequently in casual speech. Omitting the article is common in informal contexts, so you will often hear Nossa casa, Nosso carro, Nossos amigos. In formal writing, you might find the article used more consistently: A nossa casa, O nosso carro, Os nossos amigos.
Another note: in colloquial Brazilian Portuguese, there is also a set of possessive pronouns using seu, sua and others that can create ambiguity when the possessor is third person. Using nosso/nossa is clear because it explicitly refers to the speaker and others.
Quick reference chart
Match the possessive to the noun:
Masculine singular — nosso
Feminine singular — nossa
Masculine plural — nossos
Feminine plural — nossas
Conclusion
Mastering nosso and nossa is a small but essential step to sounding natural in Brazilian Portuguese. Remember to match the possessive with the gender and number of the noun, not the possessor, and be aware of optional definite articles in everyday speech. With the examples and notes here, you should feel confident using nosso, nossa, nossos, and nossas in real conversations.
