a minha família
/a ˈmĩ.ɲɐ faˈmi.ljɐ/word by word
The English phrase "my family" is translated into Portuguese as a minha família.
a minha família refers to the group of people related to the speaker by blood or marriage.
Which one should you use?
In English, speakers often omit the article before the possessive, but in Portuguese, it is typical to include the definite article a when referring to a minha família.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Portuguese, it is common and often grammatically preferred to include the definite article a before possessive adjectives like minha. Because família is a feminine noun, you must use the feminine possessive minha to agree with it.
How do you pronounce it?
/a ˈmĩ.ɲɐ faˈmi.ljɐ/. It has 5 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use the masculine form meu família because família is a feminine noun. You must use the feminine possessive minha.
Did you know?
- There is a cultural distinction where a minha família refers to the nuclear family, while os meus parentes is used for the broader extended family.
- In Brazil, a minha família often extends to include 'godparents' and extremely close friends, who are viewed as kinship rather than just acquaintances.
- The word família shares an ancient root with the Latin 'famulus', meaning 'servant', linking the concept of family to the early Roman household structure.
Examples in context
- É para a minha família.It's for my family.This sentence shows how to express that something is intended for a minha família.Tatoeba #1311614 by alexmarcelo, translation #42375 by CK
- Esta é a minha família.This is my family.This sentence is used to introduce a minha família.Tatoeba #2651557 by alexmarcelo, translation #2648419 by CK
- A minha família é rica.My family is wealthy.This sentence is used to describe a characteristic of a minha família.Tatoeba #5222424 by bill, translation #3403265 by CK
- A minha família é muito unida.My family is very close-knit.
- Tenho muito orgulho da minha família.I am very proud of my family.
- Vou reunir a minha galera no fim de semana.I'm gathering my folks this weekend.
- Traga a comida, a minha gente adora comer.Bring the food, my folks love to eat.
- A minha gente sempre me apoia em todas as decisões.My people always support me in all my decisions.
- 56 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Beatriz are talking about their weekend plans.
- LucasEu vou visitar a minha família no sábado.I am going to visit my family on Saturday.
- BeatrizQue bom! Eles moram perto daqui?That's great! Do they live near here?
- LucasNão, a minha família mora em outra cidade.No, my family lives in another city.
- BeatrizEntão você vai ter que viajar.Then you will have to travel.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (a, minha, família) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
