Personal Pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese

Personal Pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese

(Pronomes pessoais em português brasileiro)

The Use of “Tu”

In Brazilian Portuguese, the use of “tu” varies significantly from region to region. In some areas, such as Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and parts of the Northeast, “tu” is widely used in everyday speech and follows correct pronominal conjugation (tu falas, tu comes). However, in other regions, “tu” is often used with the conjugation of “você” (tu fala, tu come), which shows a merging of pronominal forms. This reflects a trend towards simplification and informality in Brazilian Portuguese, where the form “você” predominates in much of the country.

The Archaic “Vós”

The pronoun “vós” is a curious case in Brazilian Portuguese. Currently, it is considered archaic and is rarely used in everyday speech. “Vós” appears in very specific contexts, such as in religious liturgies or old literary texts. In terms of conjugation, “vós” requires a different verb form (vós falais, vós comeis), which has practically fallen out of use in contemporary Brazilian Portuguese.

A GENTE

A notable feature of Brazilian Portuguese is the use of the pronoun “a gente.” This pronoun is an informal alternative to “nós” and is extremely common in colloquial speech. For example:

• • Nós vamos ao cinema. (Formal)

• • A gente vai ao cinema. (Informal)

Interestingly, although “a gente” is an expression that should agree with the verb in the third person singular (a gente vai), it carries the meaning of the first person plural (nós). This usage makes the language more fluid and accessible, reflecting the relaxed and informal nature of communication in Brazil.