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'O cego', 'a jovem': when an adjective becomes a person

In English, an adjective usually needs a noun to lean on: a young woman, a blind man, a sick person. Portuguese can skip that noun. Put an article in front of the adjective and it becomes the person: o cego (the blind man), a jovem (the young woman), um estrangeiro (a foreigner), os pobres (poor people).

English speakers tend to add an extra word such as homem or pessoa, or they avoid the construction because in English it only works in a few fixed phrases like the rich or the poor. In Portuguese it is an everyday pattern, and it works for one single person too.

Word list
conhecidomA1 famous um conhecido = an acquaintance (not a famous man) famosomA1 famous os famosos = celebrities jovemA1 young o jovem / a jovem = the young man / woman (article shows gender) magromA1 slim os magros = thin people (o magro = the thin guy) novomA1 young os novos = young people (PT, o mais novo = the youngest) pobreA1 poor os pobres = poor people (um pobre = a poor man) ricomA1 rich os ricos = the rich velhomA1 old o velho = the old man (can sound rude) casadomA2 married os casados = married people (os recém-casados = newlyweds) doenteA2 sick o doente = the sick person, patient estrangeiromA2 foreign um estrangeiro = a foreigner (no estrangeiro = abroad) feiomA2 ugly o feio da turma = the ugly one in the class gordomA2 fat o gordo / a gorda = the fat man / woman (can sound rude) idosomA2 old o idoso = the elderly person (polite) infelizA2 sad o infeliz = the poor wretch (um infeliz = a poor devil) loiromA2 blond o loiro / a loira = the blond man / the blonde louromA2 blond o louro / a loura = the blond man / the blonde mortomA2 dead os mortos = the dead obesomA2 fat os obesos = obese people (medical, neutral) preguiçosomA2 lazy um preguiçoso = a lazy person, a slacker solitáriomA2 lonely um solitário = a loner solteiromA2 single o solteiro = the single man vivomA2 alive os vivos e os mortos = the living and the dead ausenteB1 absent os ausentes = those absent (os presentes e os ausentes) barbudomB1 bearded o barbudo = the bearded man bêbadomB1 drunk o bêbado = the drunk bobomB1 silly só um bobo = only a fool brincalhãomB1 playful um brincalhão = a joker, a prankster burromB1 stupid um burro = a dummy (also a donkey) carecaB1 bald o careca = the bald guy cegomB1 blind o cego / a cega = the blind man / woman ciumentomB1 jealous um ciumento = a jealous person deficienteB1 disabled o deficiente = the disabled person (dated, prefer pessoa com deficiência) desastradomB1 clumsy seu desastrado = you clumsy thing desempregadomB1 unemployed os desempregados = the unemployed egoístaB1 selfish um egoísta = a selfish person espertomB1 smart um esperto = a clever one, a smart aleck estúpidomB1 stupid o estúpido = the idiot feridomB1 wounded os feridos = the injured grosseiromB1 rude um grosseiro = a rude, boorish man idiotaB1 stupid o idiota = the idiot invejosomB1 envious os invejosos = envious people mal-educadomB1 rude seu mal-educado = you rude thing (um mal-educado) malvadomB1 evil o malvado = the villain, the bad guy maumB1 evil os maus = the wicked (o mau da fita = the villain) otimistaB1 hopeful um otimista = an optimist parvomB1 stupid um parvo = a fool, an idiot (PT) surdomB1 deaf a surda = the deaf woman tímidomB1 shy os tímidos = shy people (um tímido = a shy guy) tolomB1 silly um tolo = a fool alérgicomB2 allergic os alérgicos = people with allergies aventureiromB2 adventurous um aventureiro = an adventurer cobardeB2 cowardly um cobarde = a coward (European spelling) corruptomB2 corrupt os corruptos = corrupt people (um corrupto = a corrupt man) covardeB2 cowardly um covarde = a coward (Brazilian spelling) culpadomB2 guilty o culpado = the guilty one, the culprit desesperadomB2 hopeless os desesperados = desperate people (um desesperado = a desperate man) desonestomB2 dishonest os desonestos = dishonest people divorciadomB2 divorced os divorciados = divorced people frustradoB2 frustrated é um frustrado = he's a bitter, unfulfilled person humildeB2 humble os humildes = humble (often poor) people indecisomB2 indecisive os indecisos = the undecided (e.g. voters) inocenteB2 innocent o inocente = the innocent one irresponsávelB2 irresponsible seu irresponsável = you irresponsible person mudomB2 mute o mudo = the mute man pessimistaB2 pessimistic um pessimista = a pessimist rebeldeB2 rebellious um rebelde = a rebel (os rebeldes = the rebels) ruivomB2 redhead o ruivo / a ruiva = the redhead suspeitomB2 suspicious o suspeito = the suspect trapalhãomB2 clumsy um trapalhão = a bungler (cf. Os Trapalhões) traquinaB2 naughty um traquina = a little rascal viúvomB2 widowed o viúvo / a viúva = the widower / the widow canhotomC1 left-handed os canhotos = left-handed people caolhomC1 one-eyed o caolho = the one-eyed man destromC1 right-handed os destros e os canhotos = right- and left-handed people ingratomC1 ungrateful um ingrato = an ungrateful person (seu ingrato = you ingrate) introvertidomC1 introverted os introvertidos = introverts marotomC1 naughty o maroto = the little rascal paranoicomC1 paranoid um paranoico = a paranoid person zarolhomC1 one-eyed o zarolho = the one-eyed man analfabetomC2 illiterate os analfabetos = illiterate people autistaC2 autistic um autista = an autistic person (dated, prefer pessoa autista) céticomC2 skeptical os céticos = sceptics cínicomC2 cynical um cínico = a cynic (os cínicos = cynical people) daltónicomC2 colorblind os daltónicos = colorblind people (Portugal) daltônicomC2 colorblind os daltônicos = colorblind people (Brazil) ignoranteC2 ignorant o ignorante = the ignorant person (seu ignorante is an insult) vesgomC2 cross-eyed o vesgo = the cross-eyed guy
How it works

Take an adjective that describes a person, add o, a, os, as (or um, uma, uns, umas), and you have a noun. The adjective keeps its normal endings, so gender and number show as usual: o cego, a cega, os cegos, as cegas. With adjectives that have one form for both genders, like jovem or doente, the article alone tells you whether it is a man or a woman: o jovem, a jovem.

This is the big difference from English. English the poor means poor people in general and is always plural. You cannot say a poor for one person. Portuguese can: um pobre is a poor man, a pobre is a poor woman.

Rule of thumb: if English says a/the + adjective + man/woman/person, Portuguese can usually say article + adjective.

O cego pediu ajuda para atravessar a rua.
(The blind man asked for help to cross the street.)
A jovem estava sorrindo.
(The young woman was smiling.)
The words
Age, money and health

Jovem, velho, idoso, pobre, rico and doente are the most common ones. Os jovens means young people, os ricos the rich, and o doente is the sick person or patient.

O governo prometeu ajudar os pobres.
(The government promised to help poor people.)
Um velho estava sentado no banco do parque.
(An old man was sitting on the park bench.)
O médico visitou o doente de manhã.
(The doctor visited the sick man in the morning.)
The body and the senses

Cego, surdo, mudo, canhoto, deficiente, ferido and morto all work this way. News reports use os feridos and os mortos all the time.

A surda conversou comigo em língua de sinais.
(The deaf woman talked to me in sign language.)
Os feridos foram levados para o hospital.
(The injured were taken to the hospital.)
Esta tesoura é difícil para os canhotos.
(These scissors are hard for left-handed people.)
Situation and status

Desempregado, estrangeiro, solteiro, analfabeto and bêbado label someone by their situation.

Muitos desempregados procuram trabalho na internet.
(Many unemployed people look for work online.)
Um estrangeiro me perguntou onde fica a estação.
(A foreigner asked me where the station is.)
O bêbado cantava no meio da rua.
(The drunk man was singing in the middle of the street.)
Guilt and judgement

Culpado, inocente and suspeito are common in crime stories. Tolo, bobo and idiota describe foolish people.

A polícia prendeu o culpado e soltou o inocente.
(The police arrested the guilty man and released the innocent one.)
Só um bobo acreditaria nessa história.
(Only a fool would believe that story.)
Watch out
  • Politeness. O velho can sound blunt or rude. O idoso is the respectful choice. O deficiente sounds dated, so people now prefer a pessoa com deficiência. O cego and o surdo are normal and neutral.
  • Don't double up. Once the adjective is a noun, you don't need another noun after it. Say os pobres, not os pobres pessoas. If you do use a noun, the adjective must agree with it: as pessoas pobres.
  • Pobre before a noun often means poor thing, not without money: o pobre do menino means the poor little boy (you feel sorry for him).
  • Estrangeiro also means abroad: ele mora no estrangeiro means he lives abroad.
  • Suspeito as a noun means the suspect, not the suspicious person.
Summary

To talk about a person by one of their qualities, put an article in front of the adjective and let it agree in gender and number: o cego, a jovem, um estrangeiro, os feridos. Unlike English the poor, this also works for one person, and you don't need to add homem or pessoa.