ela
/ˈɛ.lɐ/
The Portuguese word for her is ela.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word ela functions as both the subject she and the object her in many contexts, such as after a preposition. If you are referring to a group of females, the plural form is elas, which means them (feminine).
How do you pronounce it?
ela is pronounced as /ˈɛ.lɐ/. The stress is on the first of the two syllables.
Did you know?
- Because ela can mean both 'she' and 'her', Portuguese speakers often omit the word entirely if the context of the sentence makes the subject clear.
- The Portuguese word ela shares the exact same Latin ancestor, illa, as the Spanish word ella.
- In very informal Brazilian Portuguese, you might hear people use 'ela' where a textbook would strictly require 'a' for an object, such as 'vi ela' instead of 'a vi'.
Examples in context
- Só dê a ela.Just give it to her.Tatoeba #10790732 by DavidDias, translation #3907269 by CH
- O que ela tem?What's wrong with her?Tatoeba #1052878 by brauliobezerra, translation #1654046 by Spamster
- Ela ama o pai.She loves her dad.Tatoeba #2814832 by alexmarcelo, translation #2807602 by Hybrid
- Gostaria de falar com ela.I would like to speak with her.
- Ela mostrou sua habilidade no trabalho.She showed her ability at work.
- Todos elogiaram a beleza dela.Everyone praised her beauty.
- Eu acho ela muito inteligente.I think she is very intelligent.
- O professor elogiou a aluna pelo trabalho.The teacher praised the student for her work.
- Gosto dela.I like her.
- Eu cuido dela todos os dias.I take care of her every day.
- 2469 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rodrigo and Camila are talking about a woman who won a prize.
- RodrigoEu vi ela no palco.I saw her on the stage.
- CamilaEla estava muito feliz.She was very happy.
- RodrigoVocê deu o prêmio para ela?Did you give the prize to her?
- CamilaSim, eu dei para ela.Yes, I gave it to her.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ela, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ela, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
