A Gente vs. Nós: How to Say ‘We’ in Brazilian Portuguese
Both a gente and nós mean ‘we,’ but a gente takes a singular verb: a gente vai; nós vamos.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
A gente is one of the most common ways to say ‘we’ in everyday Brazilian Portuguese. Although it refers to a group that includes the speaker, grammatically it takes the same verb form as ele or ela: a gente fala, a gente foi, a gente vai. Think of a gente as a single expression, not as the plural noun pessoas.
Match a gente with a singular verb
The pronoun often appears without an article when it means ‘we’: a gente chega às oito. It can also mean ‘people’ or ‘folks’ in other contexts, so use the verb and surrounding sentence to identify its role.
A gente mora perto do metrô.
We live near the subway.
A gente terminou o trabalho ontem.
We finished the work yesterday.
A gente vai pedir a conta.
We’re going to ask for the check.
Use nós with a plural verb
Nós also means ‘we,’ and it takes a first-person plural verb: nós falamos, nós fomos, nós vamos. It can make the group explicit or add emphasis, and it is common in both speech and writing. A gente is especially frequent in conversation, but the choice varies by speaker and situation rather than following a strict casual-versus-formal rule.
Keep the pronoun and verb paired. Brazilians may omit a pronoun when the verb already makes the subject clear, but beginners can say a gente or nós while they learn the endings.
Nós trabalhamos no mesmo prédio.
We work in the same building.
Nós fomos de ônibus e voltamos a pé.
We went by bus and came back on foot.
A gente está pronto. / Nós estamos prontos.
We’re ready. / We’re ready.
Put it into practice
Use a gente + a third-person singular verb (a gente vai) or nós + a first-person plural verb (nós vamos). Both are natural ways to say ‘we.’
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “We work in the same building”?
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