Quantifiers are words like cada meaning each or puoco meaning few that accompany or replace a noun and are used to provide information related to its quantity. Most of the quantifiers in Brazilian Portuguese agree with the noun they modify or replace in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular and plural), as in: todas as pessoas meaning all people, but some quantifiers are invariable, like cada meaning each, or agree in gender only or number only.
Quantifiers in Brazilian Portuguese can describe quantity in different ways. Some describe 100% or 0% of a group, some describe a vague or general quantity, some give an exact quantity, and so on. If you want to know more about quantifiers and how to use them, keep reading this post!
What are the types of quantifiers in Brazilian Portuguese?
In Brazilian Portuguese, there are five types of quantifiers: universal, existential, numeral, interrogative, and relative. Quantifiers can have two different functions, as adjectives or as pronouns. Some quantifiers can perform both functions, others only one. For example:
- quantifying adjectivenounTodos os convidados compareceram à reunião.Translation: All guests attended the meeting.If it comes before a noun, it’s an adjective.
- quantifying pronounTodos compareceram à reunião.Translation: All attended the meeting.If it is used in place of a noun, it’s a pronoun.
Each type is used to express a specific notion of quantity. Let’s take a look below at each.
What are universal quantifiers?
Universal quantifiers are used to refer to all, every, each, or the absence of something (100% or 0%). As you can see in the table below, some universal quantifiers can be used as pronouns or adjectives, while others can only be used as adjectives. Also pay attention to the differences in agreement patterns between the various words:
| Used as... | Masculine singular | Masculine plural | Feminine singular | Feminine plural | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronoun and adjective | todo | todos | toda | todas | all |
nenhum | nenhuns* | nenhuma | nenhumas* | none | |
ambos | ambas | both | |||
| Adjective | qualquer | quaisquer | qualquer | quaisquer | any |
cada | cada | each |
Let’s go through them one-by-one to see some examples:
Todo meaning all can function as an adjective or as a pronoun, and in both uses its gender and number depend on the noun it refers to or modifies:
- Todos os convidados compareceram à reunião.Translation: All guests attended the meeting.
- Todos compareceram à reunião.Translation: All attended the meeting.
Nenhum meaning none can also function as an adjective or a pronoun and varies according to the gender and number of the noun it refers to or modifies.
Speaker A:Você conhece algum mecânico na cidade?Translation: Do you know any mechanic in town?Speaker B:Não conheço nenhum mecânico. / Não conheço nenhum.Translation: I don’t know any mechanic. / I don’t know any.Ambos/ambas meaning both can also function as adjectives or pronouns, but ambos/ambas only exists in the plural.
- Ambos os alunos foram premiados.Translation: Both students were awarded.
- Speaker A:Você conhece a Maria e o Miguel?Translation: Do you know Maria and Miguel?Speaker B:Sim, ambos são meus amigos.Translation: Yes, both are my friends.
Qualquer meaning any, whatever only functions as an adjective, preceding a noun, and it only has one singular and one plural form. It does not change with the gender of the noun.
- Você pode usar qualquer um desses instrumentos.Translation: You can use any of these instruments.
- Você pode usar quaisquer instrumentos que quiser.Translation: You can use whatever instruments you like.
Cada meaning each, every is invariable. It only exists in the singular form and does not vary in gender. It always accompanies a noun and functions as an adjective.
Cada dia aprendo algo novo no trabalho.Translation: Each day I learn something new at work.
What are existential quantifiers?
Existential quantifiers don’t describe the exact amount of something, but describe the quantity in imprecise terms, and can therefore give you some information about how much/many are under discussion. Most of them can be either adjectives or pronouns. As you can see in the table below, existential quantifiers also follow slightly varying agreement rules.
| Used as... | Masculine singular | Masculine plural | Feminine singular | Feminine plural | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronoun and adjective | muito | muitos | muita | todas | many, a lot of |
pouco | poucos | pouca | poucas | few, a little | |
algum | alguns | alguma | algumas | some, any | |
vários | várias | many, several | |||
bastante | bastantes | enough, many | |||
tanto | tantos | tanta | tantas | so much, many |
Let’s go through them one at a time:
Both muito meaning many, a lot and pouco meaning few, a little can function as a pronoun or an adjective, either preceding or substituting a noun. Muito and pouco vary in gender and number with the noun they replace or modify.
- A empresa vendeu muitos produtos este ano.Translation: The company sold a lot of products this year.
- Speaker A:Você leu muitos ou poucos livros sobre publicidade?Translation: Have you read many or few books about advertising?Speaker B:Li muitos.Translation: I read a lot.
When tanto meaning so much/many is a quantifier, it mostly functions as an adjective, varying in gender and number with the noun it accompanies, however it can also be an indefinite pronoun in Brazilian Portuguese. It has a similar meaning to muito(s) or muita(s) but is more intense.
- Marcelo tem tanta experiência na área.Translation: Marcelo has so much experience in the area.
- Vieram tantas pessoas para o curso que fiquei surpresa.Translation: So many people came to the course that I was surprised.
Algum meaning some, any works as a pronoun or an adjective, replacing or preceding a noun. It varies in both gender and number.
- Algumas pessoas te procuraram ontem.Translation: Some people looked for you yesterday.
- Speaker A:Você tem livros sobre ecologia?Translation: Do you have any books on ecology?Speaker B:Tenho alguns.Translation: I have some.
Vários várias meaning many, several only have a masculine plural and a feminine plural form. These two forms can work as a pronoun or an adjective, replacing or preceding a noun.
- Tentei várias vezes te ligar, mas você não me atendeu.Translation: I tried several times to call you, but you didn’t answer.
- Speaker A:Quantos salgados você comprou pra festa?Translation: How many snacks did you buy for the party?Speaker B:Comprei vários.Translation: I bought many.
Bastante meaning enough, many functions as an adjective or pronoun and only varies in number. It is used to express big, but indeterminate quantities.
- Já conversei com bastantes pessoas.Translation: I already talked to many people.
- Ontem, na feira, comprei bastantes (frutas).Translation: Yesterday, at the fair, I bought many (fruits).
What are numeral quantifiers?
Numeral quantifiers are also known as numbers! They express an exact quantity instead of an imprecise one. They can be variable or invariable, and function as nouns or adjectives.
- Comprei dois livros ontem na feira.Translation: I bought two books yesterday at the fair.
- Hoje vieram o dobro de alunos.Translation: Today twice as many students came.
Check out our post on using cardinal, ordinal, multiplicative, or fractional numbers in Brazilian Portuguese to learn more!
What are interrogative quantifiers?
Interrogative quantifiers are question words in Brazilian Portuguese that are used to ask about quantity. The most common interrogative quantifier is quanto, which is variable and can function as an adjective.
| Masculine singular | Masculine plural | Feminine singular | Feminine plural | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
quanto | quantos | quanta | quantas | how much |
What are relative quantifiers?
Some relative pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese can also function as quantifiers. In this case, they express a quantification of the noun they modify, agreeing with it in gender and number.
| Masculine singular | Masculine plural | Feminine singular | Feminine plural | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
quanto | quantos | quanta | quantas | as... as |
Quanto meaning as... as indicates an indeterminate quantity.
Vou ler quantos livros puder nestas férias.Translation: I’m going to read as many books as I can this vacation.
Summary
In this post, we talked about quantifiers in Brazilian Portuguese. We saw that there are four types of quantifiers.
Universal quantifiers, such as todo meaning all, are used to refer to the globality of the elements in a group.
Existential quantifiers, such as muito meaning many, give the notion of existence and quantity, without referring to a totality.
Numeral quantifiers, such as dobro meaning double, two times, express the precise quantity of something (cardinal numbers), the multiple of a quantity (multiplicative numeral), or a precise fraction of a quantity (fractional numeral).
Interrogative quantifiers, such as quanto meaning how many, introduce a question related to the quantity of the noun they accompany.
Relative quantifiers, such as quanto meaning as... as, express the idea of total quantity in relation to the noun it precedes.
We also saw that the quantifiers above can be variable in gender and number with the noun they modify/replace (pouco meaning a few), while others may only vary in one quality (bastante(s) meaning enough, many) or may not vary at all (cada meaning each).
To review what you’ve read in this article, check out our Brazilian Portuguese quantifier study sheet. Or, why don’t you practice your new knowledge of quantifiers in Brazilian Portuguese with some activities?
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