What does pra mean in Portuguese?

I bet you have already bumped into one of these words when reading in Portuguese: pra, pro, pras, or even pros. But what does that mean? According to the context, you must have figured it out that the preposition para should have been used instead... And you're right. That’s just an informal and quicker way of saying "para" (for/to) by shortening the preposition and, sometimes, contracting it with the following article. That's what happens when native speakers want to be quick in their speech, just like in English, when they say gonna instead of going to.

So, para can become pra... What about the other forms (pro, pros, pras)? Well, in a nutshell, these four structures can be either:

A) the preposition para contracted (in this case, only pra applies), or;

B) preposition + definite article (para + a / para + o), where "a" is the definite article used for feminine nouns, e.g., "a casa" (house), "a menina" (girl), "a lua" (moon), etc.; and "o" is the definite article used for masculine nouns, e.g., "o amor" (love), "o computador" (computer), "o menino" (boy), etc.

Check it out:

A) pra as a preposition only, with no article following it (fixed form):

Eu trabalho pra pagar minhas contas.

I work to pay my bills.

Tenho uma surpresa pra você!

I've got a surprise for you!

B) pra(s) / pro(s) as a preposition + definite article (para + a(s) / o(s) - it changes according to gender and number):

Estamos indo pra (para a) casa da minha mãe.

We are going to my mother's house.

Comprei cordas novas pro (para o) meu violão.

I have bought new strings for my guitar.

Mandei os convites ontem pros (para os) convidados.

I sent the invitations yesterday to the guests.

Esses doces são pras (para as) minhas irmãs.

These sweets are for my sisters.

💡Please remember: You don’t need to use these contracted forms at all times; in fact, I suggest not to use them in written language, except for casual occasions, such as texting a friend.

Note: with indefinite articles—um/uns (masculine) & uma/umas (feminine)—such contractions are not so common, and we never use them when writing (I’ve never seen it, personally). However, sometimes you can hear:

Singular form: prum (para + um) or pruma (para + uma);

Plural form: pruns (para + uns) or prumas (para + umas).

But this is more about how the words may sound when spoken fast.

Feel free to contact me for any questions or suggest new topics! 😉

Have you ever gotten scared when seeing this word in Portuguese?

Well, that’s not as complicated as it may seem. 😄

Nayara Mello

Tradutora de Português <> Inglês

Professora de Português para Estrangeiros

UX Designer

Vamos conversar!


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