Ao, À, Aos, and Às: Portuguese Contractions for Places and Destinations
Build common destination phrases and understand why Portuguese writes ao, à, aos, and às as contractions.
Real Life Portuguese · 8 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
The preposition a combines with the masculine definite articles: a + o becomes ao, and a + os becomes aos. You will see ao in phrases such as vou ao mercado (I’m going to the market) and aos in plural phrases such as vou aos mercados (I’m going to the markets). Learn the contraction with the destination noun.
Combine a with the masculine articles o and os
These forms commonly appear with verbs of movement, including ir and chegar in some expressions. Whether a place takes a, em, or another preposition can depend on the place name and local usage, so learn common destination phrases as complete chunks.
Vou ao banco depois do almoço.
I’m going to the bank after lunch.
Chegamos ao hotel de manhã.
We arrived at the hotel in the morning.
Eles vão aos restaurantes da praça.
They’re going to the restaurants in the square.
Combine a with the feminine articles a and as
With feminine articles, a + a is written à, and a + as is written às. The grave accent marks this contraction: vou à praia (I’m going to the beach), chegamos à estação (we arrived at the station), and às lojas (to the stores). The accent is part of the standard spelling.
The feminine noun helps you choose the form, but the preposition still depends on the expression. Practice familiar combinations with a destination phrase rather than attaching à to every feminine place name without checking.
Vamos à praia no sábado.
We’re going to the beach on Saturday.
A que horas você chega à estação?
What time do you arrive at the station?
Depois da reunião, fui às lojas do centro.
After the meeting, I went to the downtown shops.
Tell the contraction apart from a plain article
Compare a praia (the beach, feminine article a + noun) with à praia (to the beach, preposition a + article a + noun). The grave accent shows the contraction in writing. In speech, the phrase flows naturally, so learners often find the written distinction harder at first.
A useful check is to ask whether the sentence needs a preposition such as “to” or “at” before the noun. If the verb or expression calls for a, the feminine article can contract to à. This is a spelling and grammar clue, not a universal translation rule.
A estação fica perto do hotel.
The station is near the hotel.
Vou à estação encontrar minha amiga.
I’m going to the station to meet my friend.
As lojas abrem cedo, mas só cheguei às dez.
The shops open early, but I only arrived at ten.
Practice the contractions with real destinations
Choose four places you visit often and label each noun with its article. Make one destination phrase with ao or à and one plural phrase with aos or às. Then compare the written form with an audio recording so the accent mark does not distract you from the spoken rhythm.
Connect this lesson to Real Life Portuguese guides on de/da/do and em/no/na. Together, they show how Portuguese prepositions combine with articles. I Speak Portuguese teacher sessions can help you practice which preposition sounds natural with a particular place name.
Amanhã vou ao parque e depois à biblioteca.
Tomorrow I’m going to the park and then to the library.
A família foi aos museus e às exposições.
The family went to the museums and the exhibitions.
Você vai à academia hoje?
Are you going to the gym today?
Put it into practice
Remember the contractions: a + o = ao, a + os = aos, a + a = à, and a + as = às. Learn each with a destination phrase.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “I’m going to the bank after lunch”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.