Chapter IV: Adjectives

(See Exercise XII, page 132)

=39.= The adjectives have gender, number, and degree of comparison.

_a._ They agree in gender and number with their nouns; =mulher sensata=, _a sensible woman_, =homens velhos=, _old men_.

_b._ When =mesmo= and =proprio= are used in connection with a pronoun they must agree with the noun so represented. =Eu mesmo= or =eu mesma= according as the speaker is masculine or feminine.

_c._ When there is more than one noun, the adjective usually agrees with the last one: =desejos e virtudes puras=, _pure aims and_ (_pure_) _virtues_.

_d._ When the nouns have different numbers the adjective is generally plural: =os soldados e o seu chefe cheios de coragem=, _the soldiers and their leader, full of courage_.

_e._ There may be a plural noun with singular adjectives expressing parts as, =as grammaticas portugueza, franceza e ingleza=.

PLURAL

=40.= Adjectives form their plurals like nouns: =bonito=, _handsome_ (f. =bonita=), pl. =bonitos= (f. =bonitas=); =facil=, _easy_, pl. =faceis=. (For the various plural endings see § 20.)

FEMININE

=41.= Adjectives have the feminine in =a=, or remain unchanged according to the following rules:

_a._ Adjectives with the masculine ending in =o= change that vowel to =a=: =bello=, _fine_, f. =bella=.

_b._ Adjectives ending in =ão= either drop the =o=: as =são=, f. =sã=, or change the =ão= to =ona= as =chorão=, =chorona=; =sabichão=, =sabichona=; =valentão=, =valentona=.

_c._ Adjectives ending in =r= (except =particular=, =singular=, and comparatives which are unchanged) add =a=: =encantador=, _charming_, f. =encantadora=.

_d._ Proper adjectives ending in =z= and =l= add =a=: =francez=, f. =franceza=, _French_; =hespanhol=, f. =hespanhola=, _Spanish_.

_e._ Those ending in =eu= change to =ea=: =hebreu=, f. =hebrea=, _Hebrew_ (but =judeu= becomes =judia= and =sandeu= becomes =sandia=). Those ending in =u= add =a=: =cru=, f. =crua=; =nu=, f. =nua=.

_f._ Other adjectives have the same form in both genders: =facil=, m. f., _easy_; =feliz=, m. f., _happy_; =azul=, m. f., _blue_; =melhor=, m. f., _better_; =cortez=, m. f., _courteous_; =prudente=, m. f., _prudent_; =ruim=, m. f., _bad_.

_g._ The following, however, are _irregular_:

MASCULINE FEMININE MEANING
=bom= =boa= good
=mau= =má= bad

COMPARISON

(See Exercise XIII, page 133)

=42.= The regular comparative adjectives are formed by placing =mais=, _more_, or =menos=, _less_, before the positive: =escuro=, _dark_, =mais escuro=, _darker_, or =menos escuro=, _less dark_.

=43.= =The relative superlative= is formed by placing the definite article before the comparative form: =o mais escuro=, _the darkest_.

=44.= =The absolute superlative= is derived directly from the Latin and has the termination =imo=. The precise formation varies according to the termination of the positive from which it is derived:

I. When the positive ends in =al=, =il=, =r=, or =u=, add =issimo=: =natural=, =naturalissimo=; =habil=, =habilissimo=; =singular=, =singularissimo=; =cru=, =cruissimo=.

II. When the positive ends in =vel=, that ending becomes =bilissimo=: =notavel=, =notabilissimo=.

III. When the positive ends in =om= or =um=, the =m= is changed to =n= before the final =issimo=: =bom=, =bonissimo=; =commum=, =communissimo=.

IV. When the positive ends in =ão=, that termination becomes =anissimo=: =são=, =sanissimo=; but =christão=, =christianissimo=.

V. When the positive ends in =az=, =iz=, =oz=, the final =z= is changed to =c= before the =issimo=: =audaz=, =audacissimo=; =feliz=, =felicissimo=; =veloz=, =velocissimo=.

VI. When the positive ends in =e= or =o= these terminations change to =issimo=: =excellente=, =excellentissimo=; =alto=, =altissimo=.

_a._ Positives ending in =co= and =go= change those letters to =qu= and =gu= before =issimo= in order to retain the hard sounds: =rico=, =riquissimo=; =vago=, =vaguissimo=.

_b._ The following are exceptional absolute superlative forms derived from Latin roots:

=acre= =acerrimo= =amigo= =amicissimo= =aspero= =asperrimo= =celebre= =celeberrimo= =christão= =christianissimo= =cruel= =crudelissimo= =difficil= =difficillimo= =doce= =dulcissimo= =facil= =facillimo= =fiel= =fidelissimo= =frio= =frigidissimo= =livre= =liberrimo= =misero= =miserrimo= =nobre= =nobilissimo= =pobre= =pauperrimo= (_coll._ =pobrissimo=) =sabio= =sapientissimo= =sagrado= =sacratissimo= =salubre= =saluberrimo= =similhante= =simillimo=

+Table of Comparison+

POSITIVE =alto=, high =grande=, great =secco=, dry

COMPARATIVE =mais alto=,[25] higher =mais grande=[26] =mais secco=

ABSOLUTE SUPERLATIVE =altissimo=, highest =grandissimo= =sequissimo=

RELATIVE SUPERLATIVE =o mais alto=, the highest =o mais grande= =o mais secco=

_c._ In colloquial Portuguese certain superlative forms are used to strengthen an expression or statement, as =mesmissima cousa=, _precisely the same thing_. (See § 93.) One even hears such expressions as =coisissima nenhuma=, _not the slightest thing_, though, strictly speaking, a noun does not admit of such comparison. =Portuguesissimo= is sometimes used to mean _very thoroughly Portuguese_.[27]

_d._ The absolute superlative may also be expressed by the use of various adverbs, =mui= or =muito=, _very_, =bastante=, _quite_, or =summamente=, _exceedingly_.

_e._ The relative superlative takes =de=, _of_: =o mais valente de todos=, _the bravest of all_.

_f._ Comparatives of superiority or inferiority take =que=, =de que= and =do que=, _than_: =mais bello do que a rosa=, _more beautiful than the rose_. Certain other comparatives take =de=: =ha mais de vinte annos=, =menos de uma legua=, _more than twenty years ago_, _less than a league_.

_g._ The forms =maior=, _greater_, =menor=, _smaller_, =peior=, _worse_, =melhor=, _better_, are followed by =que=: =maior que a serra=, _bigger than the mountain_; but the forms =superior=, =inferior=, =interior=, and =exterior= take =a=, _to_, instead of =que=: =elle é inferior a seu irmão=, _he is inferior to his brother_.

IRREGULAR COMPARISONS

=45.= Several irregular adjectives derive their comparative and their absolute superlative forms directly from the Latin, but the relative superlative is formed in the usual way by placing =o=, _the_, before the comparative.

POSITIVE COMPARATIVE ABSOLUTE RELATIVE SUPERLATIVE SUPERLATIVE =bom=, good =melhor=[28] =optimo= =o melhor= =mau=, bad =peior=[28] =pessimo= =o peior= =grande=, great =maior=[29] =maximo= =o maior= =alto=, high =superior= =supremo= =o superior= =baixo=, low =inferior= =infimo= =o inferior= =muito=, much =mais= =o mais= =pequeno=, small =menor=[29] =minimo= =o menor= =pouco=, little =menos= =o menos=

AUGMENTATIVE AND DIMINUTIVE ADJECTIVES

=46.= Augmentative and diminutive adjectives are formed like augmentative and diminutive nouns: =novo=, _new_, =novinho=, _quite new_. (For rules, _see_ § 35, 36.) The adjectives, like the nouns, are often used as terms of endearment. =Bonitinho= from =bonito=, _pretty_, is often used to mean _quite pretty_, _very pretty_, or _pretty little dear_.

SYNTAX OF NOUNS AND ADJECTIVES

=47.= In general the noun precedes the adjective: =homem trabalhador=, _a working man_.

=48.= This order may be inverted: =mau signal= or =signal mau=, _a bad sign_. This inversion, however, is not arbitrary, but is determined by emphasis, the rule for which cannot be fully stated but must be acquired by observation and practise.

=49.= In general the adjective precedes when it denotes a quality which necessarily belongs to the noun, and when the adjective and noun might almost be regarded as a compound word.

=50.= The adjective follows when it denotes a quality to which especial attention is directed; but when the attention is to be directed to the noun, and the adjective is of minor importance, the adjective precedes the noun.

=51.= The following cases illustrate the difference in meaning due to the position of the adjective:

=boa noite=, good night =noite boa=, a fine night =certo dia=, a certain day =dia certo=, a fixed day =certo relogio=, a certain clock =relogio certo=, a clock that keeps good time =pobre homem=, poor man! =homem pobre=, a man who is poor =bom anno=, a prosperous year =anno bom=, New Year =santa casa=, a hospital =casa santa=, a sacred house =nosso padre=, our priest =padre nosso=, the Lord’s prayer =simples homem=, a mere man =homem simples=, a plain man =grande homem=, an eminent man =homem grande=, a large man

_a._ In the cases cited the expressions are readily translatable, but in many instances the distinctions do not admit of such brief definitions. In the following cases the English translation given is inadequate and explanations are required that cannot be given briefly:

=altos ceos= and =ceos altos=, high heavens; =santos padres= and =padres santos=, holy fathers; =primeira causa= and =causa primeira=, first cause; =longos dias= and =dias longos=, long days.

=52.= In certain cases inversions are not allowed. In the following instances, for example, the words must be in the order given as if they were compounds:

=Deus padre=, God the father; =estrella fixa=, a fixed star; =mão direita=, the right hand; =deputado federal=, federal deputy (_congressman_); =Illustrissimo Senhor=, Most illustrious Mr. ----; =codigo civíl=, the civil code.

=53.= The words =pouco=, _little_, and =muito=, _many_, _much_, when used as adjectives usually precede their nouns: =poucas cousas=, _a few things_; =ha poucos dias=, _a few days ago_; =muito barulho=, _much noise_.

=54.= The adjectives _hungry_, _thirsty_, _sleepy_, and _cold_, are expressed by the use of =estar com= and the nouns meaning _hunger_, etc.: =estou com fome=, =sede=, =somno=, =frio=, _I am hungry_, _thirsty_, _sleepy_, _cold_.

FOOTNOTES:

[25] =Alto= has also an irregular comparative =superior=.

[26] =Grande= has an irregular comparative =maior=.

[27] A. R. Gonçalvez Viana, _Ortografia Nacional_, page 167.

[28] The comparatives =mais bom= and =mais mau= are sometimes used, but they are falling into disuse.

[29] The expressions =o mais pequeno=, _the smallest_, and =o mais alto=, _the highest_, are also used; =mais grande= and =mais pequeno= are comparatives often used colloquially instead of =maior= and =menor=, but they are not good Portuguese.