There are terms that, no matter how hard you try, do not change their form, even when they refer to more than one
Have you ever stopped to think that some words in Portuguese simply don’t have a plural?
So it is! It may seem strange, but it’s true.
There are terms that, no matter how hard you try, do not change their form, even when they refer to more than one.
This happens for several reasons, such as specific grammatical rules or characteristics of the meaning itself.
12 words in Portuguese that don’t have a plural and a lot of people had no idea
The Portuguese language is full of interesting facts, and one of them is that not all words have a plural!
That’s right: some words simply don’t change, regardless of whether they are in the singular or plural, and this detail goes unnoticed by many people.
Want to know what they are? Check out the list:
1. Pencil
No matter how many you have, “pencil” remains the same in the singular and plural. This word comes from Latin lapisand its plural form is already implicit in its structure. So, there is no need to add the “s” at the end.
2. Bus
This is a classic! “Bus” comes from Latin omnibuswhich means “for everyone”. As the plural is already present in the word itself, it does not change when we refer to more than one.
3. Vacation
Yes, “vacation” is another word that cannot be pluralized. We use “vacation” both to talk about a single rest period and several, which makes the plural implicit in the context.
4. Tennis
You may have several pairs of sneakers, but the word doesn’t change. It already has a form that serves both the singular and the plural, and this is a peculiar characteristic of the Portuguese language.
5. Glasses
Although you can wear more than one pair of glasses, the word “glasses” remains in the same format, not receiving the “s” for the plural. This is a rule that is also maintained by grammatical tradition.
6. Viruses
Just like “glasses”, “virus” is also a word that does not change in the plural. It comes from Latin virus and, therefore, maintains the same shape for both a single virus and several.
7. Chest
This word originates from the Greek thorax and refers to part of the body, without the need for plural. Even when we talk about several chests, the word does not change.
8. BĂceps
Although many people think that “biceps” has a plural, in fact it is already a pluralized term. Comes from Latin bicepsand therefore the plural is not necessary.
9. Atlas
The “atlas” is a collection of maps and maintains the same form, even when talking about several. It comes from the name of the Greek titan Atlas, and as it represents a single set, the word does not change to the plural.
10. Pires
The word “saucer”, despite being plural in meaning, does not undergo grammatical inflection to indicate more than one. We use “saucers” for both one and many.
11. Congratulations
When you say “congratulations” to someone, it is in the plural, but interestingly, the word is always used that way, regardless of the number of congratulations. There is no singular form of “congratulations”.
12. Nuptials
Finally, “nuptials” is a word that indicates an event (usually marriage), but, interestingly, it is only used in the plural, even if it refers to the act of getting married by a single person.
And you may even be wondering why these words don’t have a plural version.
It turns out that each of them has linguistic reasons that involve both the language itself and the grammar of Portuguese.
Now that you’ve discovered these 12 words in Portuguese that don’t have a plural, it’s easier to understand the particularities that make our language even richer and more interesting.
These details are great for improving your command of the language and avoiding those small mistakes that are common in everyday life.
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