Plural Family Nouns and Mixed-Gender Groups in Portuguese

In Portuguese grammar, there is an important rule regarding gender and plurals: the masculine plural is used to refer both to mixed-gender groups and to groups consisting exclusively of males. Conversely, the feminine plural refers strictly to groups consisting entirely of females.

This rule is particularly common and important when dealing with family relationship terms. The default masculine plural will encompass both sexes. Here are some common examples:

• filhos (children / sons and daughters)
• irmãos (siblings / brothers and sisters)
• netos (grandchildren)
• pais (parents)
• primos (cousins)
• sogros (in-laws)
• tios (uncles and aunts)

For example, if you want to ask someone if they have siblings, you would use the masculine plural:

• Você tem irmãos? (Do you have any brothers and sisters? / Do you have siblings?)

Specifying "Males Only"

Because the masculine plural usually defaults to a mixed-gender meaning for family terms, you must add the word homens (men) if you want to clarify that you are talking exclusively about males.

• Você tem irmãos homens? (Do you have any brothers?)
• Ela tem dois filhos homens. (She has two sons.)

The Special Case of Grandparents

There is a unique exception to this rule regarding the words for grandfather (avô) and grandmother (avó). The plurals work a bit differently here:

• avôs (grandfathers — refers exclusively to males)
• avós (grandparents — functions as the gender-inclusive term for both, OR strictly as the feminine plural for grandmothers)

Example:

• Meus avós moram no Brasil. (My grandparents live in Brazil.)