Agente vs. A Gente: An Agent or ‘We’ in Portuguese?
A gente means ‘we’ and takes a singular verb; agente is a noun for a person who represents or assists others.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
A gente is two words: the article a plus gente. In conversational Brazilian Portuguese, it commonly means ‘we’ and takes a singular verb form: a gente vai, a gente quer, a gente estava. It is a natural everyday alternative to nós.
Use a gente to say ‘we’ in everyday Brazilian Portuguese
Although it refers to more than one person, do not use the plural verb ending with a gente. Compare nós vamos with a gente vai. In formal writing, nós may be preferred depending on the genre and style.
A gente vai chegar às sete.
We’re going to arrive at seven.
A gente gosta de caminhar no parque.
We like walking in the park.
Nós precisamos confirmar a reserva.
We need to confirm the reservation.
Use agente for a person or professional role
Agente is one word and names a person who acts, represents, or provides a service. The job or context supplies the type: agente de viagens (travel agent), agente de saúde (health agent), or agente policial (police officer). It is a noun, not the informal pronoun ‘we.’
To choose, check what the following verb needs. If the sentence means ‘we,’ write a gente and use a singular verb. If it names a person or role, write agente.
O agente de viagens encontrou outra opção.
The travel agent found another option.
A agente explicou os documentos necessários.
The agent explained the required documents.
A gente encontrou outra opção.
We found another option.
Put it into practice
A gente means ‘we’ and takes a singular verb. Agente is a noun for a person who acts or represents others.
Quick practice
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