Hello, dear students!
Today you’re going to learn everything you need to know about the preposition DE (from/of) and its variations: DA, DO, DAS, and DOS.
Watch the video below to learn more about the pronunciation of “DE”.
To really learn this topic, you need to practice a lot. That’s why this lesson includes a free PDF with exercises so you can practice using the preposition DE. Click here to download your worksheet.
When do we use the preposition DE?
The little word DE is usually translated into English as “from” or “of,” but it can have other translations depending on the context.
This preposition can be used in many different contexts. In this lesson, we’re going to cover the two most common uses: origin and possession.
DE is used to indicate origin
We use the preposition DE to say where we’re from.
Here are some examples in sentences:
Eu sou de Teresina. (I’m from Teresina.)
Meu marido é de Joinville. (My husband is from Joinville.)
DE, DA or DO?
Prepositions in Portuguese are neutral terms, meaning they have no gender.
However, before feminine or masculine nouns, we contract the preposition DE with the articles A and O, creating the terms DA and DO, or DAS and DOS in the plural.
DE + A = DA
DE + O = DO
DE + AS = DAS
DE + OS = DOS
Here are some examples in sentences:
Eu sou do Brasil.( I’m from Brazil.)
Anna é da Inglaterra. (Anna is from England.)
John é dos Estados Unidos. (John is from the United States.)
Lila é das Filipinas. (Lila is from the Philippines.)
The contraction of the preposition DE with the definite articles is mandatory. We can’t say “Sou de o Brasil.” We have to say “Sou do Brasil.”
How do you know the gender of a word? I’m going to give you some tips.
Country names ending in the letter A are usually feminine, and pretty much all the others are masculine.
On the other hand, city names are usually neutral. Of course, there are exceptions.
Here are some more examples in sentences:
Kiyoshi é do Japão. (Kiyoshi is from Japan.)
Julia é da Espanha. (Julia is from Spain.)
Kiyoshi é de Tóquio. (Kiyoshi is from Tokyo.)
Julia é de Madri. (Julia is from Madrid.)
Now, let’s look at some exceptions:
Starting with city names, we have Rio de Janeiro and Mexico City.
Fernanda é do Rio de Janeiro. (Fernanda is from Rio de Janeiro.)
Rosa é da Cidade do México. (Rosa is from Mexico City.)
Many country names also break the rule and are treated as neutral terms, like Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, among others.
Nuno é de Portugal. (Nuno is from Portugal.)
Maria é de Angola. (Maria is from Angola.)
And what about Canada? “Canadá”, even though it’s a word that ends in the letter A, is a masculine term. Notice that nouns ending in the letter Á (with an acute accent) are masculine terms in Portuguese.
So, we should say:
Alice é do Canadá. (Alice is from Canada.)
And what about the names of states? There isn’t a simple rule regarding the gender of state names, so you’ll have to learn them case by case.
I have a tip:
If you don’t know the gender of a name, of a city, state, or country, don’t worry about it. Just use the neutral preposition DE, and everyone will understand what you’re saying.
DE is used to indicate possession
Now let’s talk about how to use the preposition DE to indicate possession.
For example:
Este livro é de Maria. (This book is Maria’s.)
In other words, this book belongs to Maria.
Did you know that in Portuguese, we don’t use apostrophe S (’s) to show possession? Instead of apostrophe S, we use the preposition DE and switch the word order.
So, for example, if you want to say:
This is Maria’s book.
In Portuguese, you have to switch the word order and add the preposition DE.
Este é o livro de Maria. (This is Maria’s book.)
In this case, you can say “de Maria” or “da Maria.”
Using articles before proper names is optional, so both forms are correct.
How would you say this sentence in Portuguese?
John’s car is broken.
Let’s switch the word order and add the preposition DE:
O carro de John está quebrado. (John’s car is broken.)
O carro do John está quebrado. (John’s car is broken.)
Both forms are correct.
Free PDF!
To really assimilate what we studied today, you need to keep practicing. That’s why I prepared a free PDF with a summary of this lesson and exercises for you to practice.
Click here to download your worksheet.
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