Learn some common noun suffixes in Portuguese
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Intro |
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| Michael: What are some noun suffixes in Portuguese? |
| Ana Clara: And why are they useful to know? |
| Michael: At PortuguesePod101.com, we hear these questions often. Imagine the following situation: Sasha Lee is walking downtown with her friend, Giovana Gomes, when she comes across an unfamiliar word. She asks her friend, |
| "What does 'padaria' mean?" |
| Sasha Lee: O que significa padaria? |
| Dialogue |
| Sasha Lee: O que significa padaria? |
| Giovana Gomes: Significa "bakery." |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| Sasha Lee: O que significa padaria? |
| Michael: "What does 'padaria' mean?" |
| Giovana Gomes: Significa "bakery." |
| Michael: "It means 'bakery.'" |
Lesson focus |
| Michael: A suffix is an affix that we place after the radical of a word; it changes the meaning of the word and can alter its part of speech. A new word created by adding a suffix is called a derivative, or |
| Ana Clara: palavra derivada, |
| Michael: which literally means "derived word." The word that gives rise to the derivative is called a primitive. For example, by adding the suffix |
| Ana Clara: -ista |
| Michael: to the radical |
| Ana Clara: dent- |
| Michael: of the primitive |
| Ana Clara: dente, |
| Michael: meaning "tooth," we obtain the derivative |
| Ana Clara: dentista, |
| Michael: meaning "dentist." |
| Since primitives and derivatives fall into the same spectrum of meaning, getting to know more about derivatives and how they are formed may help you determine the meaning of new and unfamiliar words. |
| As you may know, adding a suffix can form nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs from other parts of speech. In this lesson, however, we'll focus only on cases related to nouns. Let's look at some more examples: Take the word |
| Ana Clara: laranjeira, |
| Michael: meaning "orange tree." This word is formed by adding the suffix |
| Ana Clara: -eira |
| Michael: to the radical |
| Ana Clara: laranj- |
| Michael: of the primitive |
| Ana Clara: laranja, |
| Michael: meaning "orange." |
| In this case, both the primitive and the derivative are nouns. However, the meaning changes from "orange," the fruit, to "orange tree," the tree on which oranges grow. |
| Now, let's consider an example in which the part of speech also changes: The word |
| Ana Clara: amplitude |
| Michael: is a noun that carries "vastness" as one of its meanings. |
| This word is formed by adding the suffix "-itude" to the radical of the primitive |
| Ana Clara: amplo, |
| Michael: which is an adjective meaning "wide." |
| In this case, the part of speech changes from an adjective, "wide," to a noun, "vastness." |
| [Recall 1] |
| Michael: Let's now recall the word |
| Ana Clara: padaria |
| Michael: which was used in the dialogue. This is a singular feminine noun meaning "bakery." |
| It is formed by adding the suffix |
| Ana Clara: -aria |
| Michael: to the radical |
| Ana Clara: pad- |
| Michael: of the primitive |
| Ana Clara: pada, |
| Michael: which means "small bread." Note that this word is used in Portugal, but it is not normally used in Brazil. |
| [Summary] |
| Michael: In this lesson, you've learned that a suffix is an affix that we place after the radical of a word, known as the primitive. The suffix changes a word's meaning and can even result in changing the part of speech. The new word that is formed with the addition of the suffix is called a derivative. |
| Here are some full example sentences: |
| Ana Clara: Preciso comprar um chuveiro novo. |
| Michael: "I need to buy a new shower head." |
| Here, the noun |
| Ana Clara: chuveiro, |
| Michael: meaning "shower," is formed by adding the suffix |
| Ana Clara: -eiro |
| Michael: to the radical of the word |
| Ana Clara: chuva, |
| Michael: which is a noun meaning "rain." Thus, we see here that the meaning of the original word was changed. |
| Michael: As another example, take the sentence |
| Ana Clara: A lealdade é uma grande virtude. |
| Michael: "Loyalty is a great virtue." |
| In this example, the noun |
| Ana Clara: lealdade, |
| Michael: meaning "loyalty," is a derivative formed by adding the suffix "-dade" to the primitive |
| Ana Clara: leal, |
| Michael: which is an adjective meaning "loyal." In this example, we see a change in the part of speech, as "loyalty" is a noun and "loyal" is an adjective. |
| Expansion/Contrast |
| Michael: Diminutives and augmentatives are also formed by adding suffixes. Here are some examples: |
| Ana Clara: Acho que vou tirar uma soneca. |
| Michael: "I think I'm going to take a nap." |
| Here, the noun |
| Ana Clara: soneca, |
| Michael: meaning "nap," was formed by adding the suffix |
| Ana Clara: -eca |
| Michael: to the radical of the word |
| Ana Clara: sono, |
| Michael: meaning "sleep." Since "nap" conveys the idea of a "short sleep," we can see that the addition of the suffix formed a diminutive. |
| Now consider the word |
| Ana Clara: paredão, |
| Michael: meaning "a big or a high wall." This noun is formed by adding the suffix |
| Ana Clara: -ão |
| Michael: to the radical of the primitive |
| Ana Clara: parede, |
| Michael: meaning "wall." Thus, in this case, we see that by adding the suffix we formed an augmentative. |
| Practice Section |
| Michael: Let's review the sample conversation: Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud, and then listen carefully as Ana Clara models the correct answer. Repeat after her, with the focus on your pronunciation. Are you ready? |
| How do you say, "What does 'padaria' mean?" |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Ana Clara: O que significa padaria? |
| Michael: Did you get it right? Listen again and repeat. Remember to focus on your pronunciation. |
| Ana Clara: O que significa padaria? |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Ana Clara: O que significa padaria? |
| Michael: Let's move on to the second sentence. How do you say, "It means 'bakery.'" |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Ana Clara: Significa "bakery." |
| Michael: Did you get it right this time? Listen again and repeat. |
| Ana Clara: Significa "bakery." |
| [Beep. Pause 5 seconds.] |
| Ana Clara: Significa "bakery." |
| Cultural Insight/Expansion (Optional) |
| Michael: Different suffixes convey different meanings when added to a word. For example, derivatives with the suffix |
| Ana Clara: -dor |
| Michael: can be related to a profession or a class of jobs: |
| Ana Clara: vendedor, contador, lavrador. |
| Michael: These are nouns in the singular masculine form meaning "salesman," "accountant," and "farmer," respectively. |
| The suffix |
| Ana Clara: -dor |
| Michael: can also be found, for example, in derivatives related to instruments or tools, such as |
| Ana Clara: pregador and regador, |
| Michael: which are nouns meaning "fastener" and "watering can." |
| Lastly, let's look at some derivatives using the suffix |
| Ana Clara: -ácia. |
| Michael: For example, |
| Ana Clara: perspicácia, audácia. |
| Michael: These are nouns meaning "insight" and "audacity." The suffix |
| Ana Clara: -ácia |
| Michael: found in these derivatives is used for qualities or properties. |
Outro |
| Michael: Do you have any more questions? We're here to answer them! |
| Ana Clara: Até a próxima! |
| Michael: See you soon! |
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