um
1. Indefinite article used before consonant sounds to denote one singular countable noun
I saw a dog in the park.
Vi um cachorro no parque.
2. Used when mentioning someone or something for the first time
She wants to be a doctor.
Ela quer ser uma médica.
3. Used to mean approximately or about
It costs about a hundred dollars.
Custa cerca de cem dólares.
In English, 'un' is the unstressed phonetic form of the indefinite article 'a', commonly used before words beginning with consonant sounds. In Portuguese, 'um' serves the same function but is a distinct word and must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies (um, uma, uns, umas). Both languages use these articles to introduce new information to the listener or reader.
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