Intensifiers: MUITO/POUCO

These words play two different roles. Sometimes they are adverbs. Sometimes they are adjectives. Don't let the technical terms scare you! Think of it this way: are you describing an action or a quality? Or are you talking about a quantity of things? If you are describing how you feel (muito feliz) or how you run (muito rápido), the word never changes. It is a rock. It stays as muito or pouco no matter what. However, if you are talking about "stuff" you can count or measure, like books (muitos livros) or water (muita água), the word changes its outfit to match the noun. It's like dressing for the weather. You wouldn't wear a parka to the beach, right? The word must match the gender (masculine or feminine) and the number (singular or plural) of the noun it is hugging. Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes when they are talking too fast, so don't sweat it too much!

1. 1To get this right every time, follow these steps:
2. 2Identify the target word. What are you trying to intensify? Is it a noun (a thing), an adjective (a description), or a verb (an action)?
3. 3Check for nouns. If the target is a noun, you must use the variable form. You have four choices for muito: muito (masc. sing.), muita (fem. sing.), muitos (masc. plur.), or muitas (fem. plur.). The same applies to pouco: pouco, pouca, poucos, poucas.
4. 4Check for adjectives or verbs. If you are modifying an adjective or a verb, use the fixed form. This is always muito or pouco. It does not matter if the subject is a man, a woman, or a group of people. The adverb is a neutral observer.
5. 5Place the word correctly. Usually, these intensifiers come before the adjective or noun, but they come after the verb. For example: Trabalho muito (I work a lot).

You will use these intensifiers in almost every conversation. Here are some real-world scenarios:

• Ordering food: If the food is too salty, you might say Tem muito sal. If you aren't very hungry, you'd say Tenho pouca fome.
• At a job interview: You want to show off! You might say Tenho muita experiência (I have a lot of experience) or Falo muito bem (I speak very well).
• Asking directions: If someone tells you the museum is muito longe (very far), you might want to take a taxi. If it is pouco longe (not very far), you can walk.
• Socializing: When meeting new people, you can say Estou muito contente (I am very happy) to meet them. It makes you sound enthusiastic and friendly!

Don't use muito when you are comparing two things directly. If you want to say "more," use mais. For example, "I want more coffee" is Quero mais café, not muito café (unless you just want "a lot" of coffee in general). Also, avoid using muito when you mean "too much" in a negative or excessive way. While muito can mean "a lot," the word demais specifically implies "excessive." If you say the food is muito bom, it's a compliment. If you say it's bom demais, it might be so good it's suspicious! Finally, don't use the plural muitos with uncountable things like "water" or "money" unless you are talking about specific units. You have muito dinheiro, not muitos dinheiros.

The biggest trap is the "Gender Trap." Beginners often say Ela é muita inteligente. This is wrong! Since inteligente is an adjective, muito must stay as an adverb. The correct way is Ela é muito inteligente. Think of the adverb as a neutral observer. It doesn't take sides in the gender war. Another mistake is forgetting the plural. If you have many friends, they are muitos amigos, not muito amigos. It sounds a bit like saying "I have much friends" in English. A bit caveman-ish, right? Also, watch out for pouco vs um pouco. Pouco means "not enough" or "very little," while um pouco de means "a little bit of." If you say Tenho pouco dinheiro, you are broke. If you say Tenho um pouco de dinheiro, you can at least buy a snack!

You might hear the word bastante. It's a cousin to muito. In many cases, they are interchangeable. However, bastante feels a bit more "sophisticated." It usually means "enough" or "a good amount." If muito is 100%, bastante is about 75-80%. Use muito for raw intensity and bastante when you want to sound a bit more like a local news anchor. There is also tão, which means "so." You use tão when you are making an exclamation or leading into a result. For example: Ele é tão alto! (He is so tall!). Muito is just a general statement of fact.