Colours and characteristics

On this page: Description, Exercises

Description

• Colours and descriptions (Cores e descrições)
• Helpful verb
• Grammar Point: "be" = ser/estar

Colours and descriptions (Cores e descrições)

English	Images	Portuguese	IPA	Write (r = response; f = first letter)
red		vermelho	/vɨɾ.ˈmɐ.ʎu/	?
green		verde	/ˈveɾ.dɨ/	?
black		preto	/pɾe.tu/	?
white		branco	/ˈbɾɐ̃.ku/	?
blue		azul	/ɐ.ˈzuɫ/	?
yellow		amarelo	/ɐ.mɐ.ˈɾe.ɫu/	?
brown		castanho	/kɐʃ.ˈtɐ.ɲu/	?
gray		cinzento	/sĩ.ˈzẽ.tu/	?
purple		roxo	/ˈʁo.ʃu/	?
big		grande	/ˈgɾɐ̃.dɨ/	?
small		pequeno	/pɨ.ˈke.nu/	?
good		bom	/bõ/	?
bad		mau	/ˈmaw/	?
nice, kind		agradável	/ɐ.gɾɐ.ˈda.vɛɫ/	?
happy		feliz	/fɨ.ˈɫiʃ/	?
sad		triste	/ˈtɾiʃ.tɨ/	?
slow		lento	/ˈɫẽ.tu/	?
fast		rápido	ˈ/ʁa.pi.du/	?

More information about colours and other adjectives can be found here.

Helpful verb

ser ("be", permanent characteristics) and estar ("be", temporary characteristics), e.g.:

ser

O livro é vermelho = "The book is red"

Eu sou alto = "I am tall"

estar

Estou doente = "I am sick"

Está ocupada = "She is busy"

For a full description of the difference between ser and estar, see here.

You can use the PortugueseChecker Grammar Guide to test your knowledge on a wide variety of verbs and adjectives.

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Grammar Point: "be" = ser/estar

Portuguese uses the verbs ser and estar to mean "be". The verb ser tends to be used to describe permanent characteristics, e.g.: A Maria é minha filha ("Maria is my daughter") and estar to indicate less permanent ones Ela está zangada ("My friend is angry").

The verb estar tends to be used before the preposition no/na, e.g.: O Paulo está na cozinha ("Paulo is in the kitchen"); ser tends to be used before the preposition do, e.g.: Eu sou do Canadá ("I am from Canada"). You can learn more about ser and estar here.

Exercises

Give the English equivalent:

Give the Portuguese equivalent:

Translate the following, then verify your grammar with PortugueseChecker.com:

1. Laura is a nice woman.

2. The walls of my bedroom are yellow.

3. I am happy because I found my red toy.

4. I live in a white house that has a black roof.

After producing your own grammatically correct translation on SpanishChecker.com, you can check your answer by typing R below:

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