Grammar

Portuguese Prepositions: De, Da, and Do Explained

One little preposition, three forms, and constant confusion. Here is how de contracts with o and a to become do and da — with real Brazilian examples and a plain-English summary you can actually remember.

July 7, 2026 7 min read

If de, da, and do keep tripping you up, you are in good company — it is the single most common grammar question from beginners in Brazilian Portuguese. The rule itself is short: de means "of" or "from", and it must contract with the definite articles o (masculine) and a (feminine). That gives you do and da. What makes it feel hard is knowing when a noun takes an article in the first place.

English summary for learners

de = "of" or "from". Use it alone before proper names, materials, and generic nouns without an article: copo de água (glass of water).
do = de + o. Use before masculine nouns that take "the": a capital do Brasil.
da = de + a. Use before feminine nouns that take "the": a chave da porta.
Plural: dos (masc.) and das (fem.) — a casa dos meus pais, o cheiro das flores.
Possession in Portuguese uses this structure too — there is no apostrophe-s. "Bruno's car" = o carro do Bruno.

Cheat sheet: every form of de

Form	Meaning	Example (PT)	English
de	of / from (no article)	Sou de Portugal.	I'm from Portugal.
do	de + o (masculine)	A capital do Brasil.	The capital of Brazil.
da	de + a (feminine)	A praia da Bahia.	Bahia's beach.
dos	de + os (masc. plural)	A casa dos meus pais.	My parents' house.
das	de + as (fem. plural)	O cheiro das flores.	The smell of the flowers.
dele / dela	de + ele/ela	O carro dele.	His car.
deste / desta	de + este/esta	Gosto deste livro.	I like this book.
daquele / daquela	de + aquele/aquela	Perto daquela loja.	Near that store.

What do de, da, and do mean in Portuguese?

De is a preposition that usually translates as 'of' or 'from'. Da is the contraction of de + a (feminine 'the'), and do is the contraction of de + o (masculine 'the'). So 'do' literally means 'of the' (masculine) and 'da' means 'of the' (feminine). Brazilians never say 'de o' or 'de a' — the contracted forms are mandatory.

When do I use de by itself?

Use de alone when there is no definite article after it. This happens with proper nouns (people, most cities), materials, origin, and generic uncountable things. Examples: 'Eu sou de São Paulo' (I'm from São Paulo), 'uma mesa de madeira' (a wooden table — literally 'a table of wood'), 'copo de água' (glass of water), 'o carro de Bruno' (Bruno's car).

When do I use do?

Use do (de + o) before masculine singular nouns that take the definite article 'o'. Examples: 'a capital do Brasil' (the capital of Brazil — Brasil is masculine and takes 'o'), 'o cachorro do meu vizinho' (my neighbor's dog), 'gosto do café brasileiro' (I like Brazilian coffee), 'perto do mercado' (near the market).

When do I use da?

Use da (de + a) before feminine singular nouns that take the definite article 'a'. Examples: 'a praia da Bahia' (Bahia's beach), 'a chave da porta' (the key to the door), 'a cor da parede' (the color of the wall), 'longe da cidade' (far from the city), 'o nome da minha irmã' (my sister's name).

What about dos and das (plural)?

Same rule, plural. Dos = de + os (masculine plural), das = de + as (feminine plural). Examples: 'a casa dos meus pais' (my parents' house), 'o cheiro das flores' (the smell of the flowers), 'um dos melhores restaurantes' (one of the best restaurants), 'a maioria das pessoas' (most people).

Why do Brazilians say 'sou do Rio' but 'sou de São Paulo'?

Because 'Rio' (short for Rio de Janeiro) takes the article 'o' in Brazilian usage — Brazilians say 'o Rio' — so 'de + o Rio' contracts to 'do Rio'. Most cities do not take an article, so you say 'de São Paulo', 'de Salvador', 'de Fortaleza'. Country and state names mostly do take articles: 'do Brasil', 'da Argentina', 'do Ceará', 'da Bahia'. Learn the article with the place name and the preposition follows automatically.

How do I show possession with de, da, and do?

Portuguese has no apostrophe-s. To say 'Ana's book' you say 'o livro da Ana' (Brazilians commonly put 'a' or 'o' before people's names). 'Bruno's car' is 'o carro do Bruno'. 'The teacher's phone' is 'o telefone da professora' or 'o telefone do professor', depending on gender. The structure is always [thing] + de/da/do + [owner].

Are there other useful contractions with de?

Yes. De also contracts with demonstratives: de + este/esta = deste/desta ('of this'), de + esse/essa = desse/dessa ('of that'), de + aquele/aquela = daquele/daquela ('of that over there'). And de + ele/ela = dele/dela is how Brazilians say 'his/hers' — 'o carro dele' (his car), 'a casa dela' (her house).

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