The Use of “Muito” in Brazilian Portuguese
“Muito” can function as both an adverb and an adjective. Its form and agreement with gender and number depend on its role in the sentence.
As an Adverb
When “muito” is used as an adverb, it does not change for gender or number. It remains the same regardless of the noun it modifies. It is often used to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, meaning “very,” “much,” or “a lot.”
Examples:
- Ele fala muito. (He speaks a lot.)
- Ela é muito inteligente. (She is very intelligent.)
- Estamos muito felizes. (We are very happy.)
In these examples, “muito” remains unchanged because it is modifying a verb (“fala”), an adjective (“inteligente”), and another adjective (“felizes”), respectively.
As an Adjective
When “muito” is used as an adjective, it must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. This means it will change its form to match masculine or feminine, singular or plural nouns. In this context, “muito” usually means “many” or “a lot of.”
Forms of “muito” as an adjective:
- Masculine singular: muito
- Feminine singular: muita
- Masculine plural: muitos
- Feminine plural: muitas
Examples:
- Ele tem muito dinheiro. (He has a lot of money.) [Masculine singular]
- Ela tem muita paciência. (She has a lot of patience.) [Feminine singular]
- Eles têm muitos amigos. (They have many friends.) [Masculine plural]
- Elas têm muitas ideias. (They have many ideas.) [Feminine plural]
In these examples, “muito” changes to “muito,” “muita,” “muitos,” or “muitas” to match the gender and number of the nouns “dinheiro,” “paciência,” “amigos,” and “ideias.”
Summary
- Adverb: “Muito” remains unchanged (muito).
- Modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
- Examples: muito rápido (very fast), muito feliz (very happy).
- Adjective: “Muito” changes to agree with the noun.
- Modifies nouns.
- Forms: muito (masculine singular), muita (feminine singular), muitos (masculine plural), muitas (feminine plural).
- Examples: muito trabalho (a lot of work), muita água (a lot of water), muitos livros (many books), muitas casas (many houses).