Portuguese · Greetings & Essentials

"She" in Portuguese: ela

ela

Say it: EH-lahpronoun/ˈe.la/

She in Portuguese is ela. Verbs often drop the pronoun: (Ela) chegou. Keep ela for clarity or contrast: Ela decide; eu espero.

Team roles

Ela apresenta; eu controlo os slides.
She presents; I control the slides.
Practice Portuguese out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce ela

Say it

EH-lah

/ˈe.la/

EH-lah

"She" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
elashe

Subject pronoun.

ela mesmashe herself

Emphasis.

e ela?and her / and she?

Follow-up.

para elafor her

Prepositional.

How to use ela in real life

  1. 1Team roles

    Ela apresenta; eu controlo os slides.

    She presents; I control the slides.

    Contrast.

  2. 2Friend update

    Ela chegou no aeroporto.

    She’s already arrived at the airport.

    News.

  3. 3Gift idea

    Comprei flores para ela.

    I bought flowers for her.

    Object of prep.

Mistakes English speakers make with ela

Incorrect: She é minha chefe.

Correct: Ela é minha chefe.

Use ela, not English she.

Incorrect: La chegou cedo. (as subject)

Correct: Ela chegou cedo.

Subject is ela; a/la are object forms.

Good to know

Like ele, ela is often dropped when the verb is clear. Bring ela back for contrast in stories. After prepositions: com ela, para ela.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Waiting for a friend

  1. ChatPal

    Ela respondeu a mensagem?

    Has she answered the message yet?

  2. You

    Ela respondeu: está no elevador.

    She answered: she’s in the elevator.

  3. ChatPal

    Ótimo. Então ela sobe agora.

    Great. Then she’s coming up now.

  4. You

    Eu abro a porta.

    I’ll open the door.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

Practice this conversation in ChatPal

"She" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "She" in Portuguese

She?

Ela.

Must I say ela?

Often optional if the verb shows person.

For her?

Para ela / pra ela.

She herself?

Ela mesma.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

Keep reading

Ready to say it out loud?

ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in Portuguese. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.

Start with 7 days free.