If you’re learning Portuguese, understanding Portuguese sentences structure is one of the first steps toward fluency. Just like in English, a basic sentence in Portuguese usually follows the Subject–Verb–Object (SVO) order. However, there are important differences that you should know to sound natural and accurate.
In this article, we’ll explore the basics of Portuguese sentence structure, compare it to English, and provide clear examples to help you practice.
1. What Is Sentence Structure?
Sentence structure refers to the way words are arranged to form a sentence. In both English and Portuguese, the basic sentence pattern is:
Subject + Verb + Object
Let’s break that down:
- Subject: who or what is doing the action
- Verb: the action itself
- Object: who or what receives the action
2. Basic Sentence Structure in English vs. Portuguese
English Example:
She (subject) reads (verb) a book (object).
→ She reads a book.
Portuguese Equivalent:
Ela (sujeito) lê (verbo) um livro (objeto).
→ Ela lê um livro.
As you can see, the structure is very similar!
3. Subject Pronouns in Portuguese sentences
Here are the subject pronouns in Portuguese:
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| Eu | I |
| Tu | You (informal, singular) |
| Ele / Ela | He / She |
| Nós | We |
| Vocês | You (plural) |
| Eles / Elas | They |
🔍 Note: In Brazil, “você” is commonly used instead of “tu” for “you”.
4. More Examples with Subject, Verb, and Object
Examples:
Nós (subject) comemos (verb) arroz (object).
→ We eat rice.
Eles estudam português.
→ They study Portuguese.
Eu gosto de música brasileira.
→ I like Brazilian music.
Notice that in Portuguese, prepositions (like de) are sometimes required before the object, depending on the verb.
5. Omitted Subjects in Portuguese
In Portuguese, the subject is often implied by the verb conjugation, especially in informal or spoken language.
Example:
(Eu) falo inglês. → I speak English.
The subject “eu” can be dropped because the verb “falo” already shows who is speaking.
6. Inverted Order: When Portuguese Changes
Portuguese sometimes allows for flexibility in word order for emphasis or stylistic reasons.
Example:
Um livro, ela lê todos os dias.
→ A book, she reads every day.
This is not the standard form, but it’s grammatically correct and often used in writing or speech to add emphasis.
7. Practice Time! Try These Sentences
Match the parts of the sentence:
- Eu / como / pizza. → I eat pizza.
- Maria / escreve / cartas. → Maria writes letters.
- Eles / assistem / o filme. → They watch the movie.
Try creating your own simple sentences using the SVO structure!
Conclusion
Understanding the Subject–Verb–Object structure is key to building correct and natural sentences in Portuguese. While the basic structure is similar to English, keep in mind that pronouns can be dropped, and word order can change for emphasis.
If you’re interested in diving deeper into Portuguese grammar, we recommend reading our articles on “Classes de Palavras” (Parts of Speech) and “Análise Sintática” (Syntactic Analysis). These topics will help you better understand how words function in a sentence and how they relate to one another—crucial knowledge for anyone aiming to master Portuguese sentence structure.
Keep practicing, and soon you’ll start thinking in Portuguese without even realizing it!