Parent note

Practice a bola

Practice the word with its article: a bola, ball. In European Portuguese, the article 'a' helps show that bola is feminine singular.

English
ball
Say together
a bola
Gender cue
'a' = feminine singular
Plural
as bolas

Portuguese nouns have grammatical gender. The article is included here so children learn the sound of the word and its gender pattern together, instead of treating the article as an extra grammar detail later.

There are useful patterns, but gender is not perfectly predictable from spelling and there are edge cases. The dictionary links below are there for adults who want to check the full entry, grammar details, or pronunciation notes.

Sources

More from Learn Portugal

Keep practicing away from the screen

Use the pronunciation pages alongside printable books and activities built for regular, screen-free practice.

Structured practice Workbook series Step-by-step vocabulary, tracing, matching, and review pages that pair naturally with the pronunciation pages. See the workbooks Words in context Storybook Simple stories help learners hear familiar vocabulary inside phrases, scenes, and routines. See the storybook Quiet screen-free practice Coloring book Portuguese vocabulary meets calm coloring time, with friendly visuals that help the words stick. See the coloring book