Hi everybody!
In this post, I want to show you a new video from my Youtube channel. It's about a subject that is a very common question for those learning Portuguese (even at the most intermediate or advanced levels).
I hope you like it! :-)
Showing posts with label INTERMEDIATE GRAMMAR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label INTERMEDIATE GRAMMAR. Show all posts
Friday, April 9, 2021
Monday, February 12, 2018
WHEN TO USE "TUDO" AND WHEN TO USE "TODO" IN PORTUGUESE?
Image (Hope) by Hollywata (CC BY 2.0)
Todo o tempo eu recebo dúvidas sobre "TUDO" e "TODO". Tudo o que eu posso fazer é tentar escrever este artigo. Talvez este artigo não tire todas as suas dúvidas. Em todo o caso, não deixe de ler este artigo todo...
I know! I know!The introduction above was really a dull pun, wasn't it? But I promise to improve my puns to the next time... Well, last week I had a conversation with Killian (from Ireland) and Lucía (from Spain). These two friends study Portuguese and it was a pleasure to meet them. In this conversation, one thing caught my eye... Let's see some of the phrases they told me:
The conversation was interesting because both Killian and Lucía told me they already thought these phrases were wrong, but they weren't sure what the right way would be. And you? Would you know what the correct form is for the sentences above?
The first step is always in the dictionary...
First of all, we have to know very well what the words "TUDO" and "TODO" mean actually. For this, let's see the table below:
| TUDO | TODO |
|---|---|
|
WHAT IS IT? It's always an Indefinite Pronoun. And it will never have variations, you will always write and say "TUDO". It is interesting to note that the opposite of "TUDO" is "NADA". HOW CAN I TRANSLATE IT? English: everything, all, anything. Spanish: todo French: tout Italian: tutto, ogni cosa MAIN IDEAS: 1) All things. Every thing. 2) All things within a set. |
WHAT IS IT? It can be an indefinite pronoun, it can be an adjective and it can be a noun. Let's see that it has variations: "TODO", "TODOS", "TODA", "TODAS". HOW CAN I TRANSLATE IT? English: the whole, totality, all, whole, complete, every, any Spanish: todo, entero, completo, total, cada French: tout, tous, toutes Italian: tutto, tutti, ogni, intero MAIN IDEAS: 1) As an indefinite pronoun: Any 2) As an adjective: whole, complete 3) As a noun: generality, set |
When should I use "TUDO"?
See how good it is to devote a little time to grammar? Now, you already know that "TUDO" it's a pronoun indefinite, you know that "TUDO" means "all things"/"everything" and you know that "TUDO" is invariant. With this information, you already know that there is no phrases like:
Can you explain why these sentences are wrong and sound very strange? Exactly! First, "TUDO" should never have variations. So, there is no "
Well done! Now that we know how not to use the word "TUDO", let's see how to use it in a proper way:
Avoiding Repetition:
"Sim, eu li tudo."
"Claro! Ela vai passar em tudo."
Combining with other indefinite pronouns:
Indicating the totality of what exists:
Indicating the totality of what exists in a set:
When should I use "TODO"?
When we think about use "TODO", we need to pay even more attention. Because in its case there are variations...So,Now let's remember the possibilities we have when we user "TODO":
When "TODO" is synonymous of "WHOLE", "COMPLETE":
Usually, the word "TODO" gives us the idea of "TOTALITY" ("WHOLE", "COMPLETE"). And in these cases, We have to use an article with it and we always will use its singular form. Let's see some examples:
Did you notice we can use the article before or after the noun? See the examples:
Within this idea, there is an special form of using "TODO" without the article. That's when we want to have the idea of "ENTIRELY", "COMPLETELY".And in this special case we can use its plural form. See examples:
When "TODO" is synonymous with "ANY" or "EACH":
In Brazilian Portuguese, there is another special way of using "TODO" to give us the idea of "ANY" or "EACH". I believe you already know the famous "todo dia" that Brazilian people love to say (it means "every day" in English). Let's see other examples:
NOTE:
Remember that those examples above are used only in Brazil, OK? The form used in Portugal and the other countries where European Portuguese is spoken is "todos os..." ou "todas as..." (always in plural). This form is popular in Brazil too , but in Portugal is the only acceptable form. Other examples:
When "TODO" is a noun (sinonimous of "SET"):
There's a situation where "TODO" means "THE SET" or "THE TOTALITY". Let's see examples:
This is a very complex subject. There are more special cases and other considerations regarding the differences of use in Brazil and Portugal. There are also cases where "TUDO" and "TODO"Have a different meaning according to an specific expression (as the one that I used in the text that accompanies the photo of this article)... But, I hope this article has helped with the most common questions. Don't forget to leave your comment!
Monday, March 20, 2017
PRONOUNCING THE LETTER "S" IN PORTUGUESE (BRAZILIAN AND EUROPEAN)
Image (S) by Karyn Christner (CC BY 2.0)
Do you feel confused by the rules for the pronunciation of the letter "S" in Portuguese? And do you feel even more confused by the accent differences? Don't worry! This article can help you a litle bit...
I know a very "chique" person, her name is Mayumi. She is Japanese and she has an intermediate level in Portuguese. I think Mayumi is very "chique" because she is wine expert and she already worked in many regions of Portugal and Brasil. She already visited Porto, Lisbon, Algarve, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Porto Alegre and other cities.
The other day, Mayumi talked to me and she said that she will never understand the correct pronunciation of the letter "S" in Portuguese. Because she feels like each place has a different pronunciation for this letter. If you feel like Mayumi, let's learn a little more about "S" pronounciation.
NOTE 1:
Remember that the letter "S" may appear at the beginning, the middle, or the end of a word. At the beginning of the word we must to write only "S" (e.g. "sal"). At the end of the word we must to write "S" (e.g. "lápis"). Between two vowels, if we want "Z" sound we must to write only "S" (e.g. "casa"), but if we want the "S" sound we must to write "SS" (e.g. "assassino");
NOTA 2:
In this article I will use the symbols of Alfabeto Fonético Internacional.
"S" in the beginning of the word...
In all regions of Brazil and almost all regions of Portugal, the letter"S" the the sound [s] when it is at the beginning of the word (NOTE: in the north of Portugal, the letter "S" has the sound [s̺] when is in the beginning of the word, that is a litle bit different). Here are some comparisons for this sound:
- the same as "S" of the English word "saturday";
- the same as "S" of the Spanish word "sabiduría";
- the same as "S" of the French word "sacré";
- the same as "S" of the Italian word "sala";
Example: SILÊNCIO
Male voice of Portugal:
Male voice of Brazil:
"SS" - that indicates "S" sound between vowels...
When you could see before, "SS" only appears between two vowels. And it always has the same sound as "S" in the beggining of rhe word. To illustrate, follow some comparisons of this sound:
- the same as "S" of the English word "sausage";
- the same as "S" of the Spanish word "beso";
- the same as "Ç" of the French word "leçon";
- the same as "SS" of the Italian word "rosso";
Example: SESSÃO
Male voice of Portugal:
Male voice of Brazil:
"S" when indicates "Z" sound between two vowels...
Bwtween two vowels, the letter "S" (single S) has the sound [z] (in the North of Portugal, the sound is [z̺]). Follow some comparisons for this sound:
- the same as "Z" of the English word "zebra";
- the same as "Z" of the French word "zéro";
- the same as "Z" of the Italian word "zucchero";
Example: USUÁRIO
Female voice of Portugal:
Female voice of Brazil:
It is interesting to note that, when the "S" is at the end of the word and the next word starts with a vowel, this "S" will have "Z" sound.
Example: OLHOS AZUIS
Female voice of Brazil:
"S" at the end of the word or at the end of the syllable...
In this situation, you will find many variations. The main ones are:
1) The majority of regions in Portugal, the region of Rio de Janeiro, many regions in North and North-East of Brazil.
In these regions, when "S" is in the end of the syllable (or the end of the word) and the next letter is a 'deaf consonant' (p, t, qu, f, s, ch and x), the "S" sound will be [ʃ] — that is like "CH" sound in the Portuguese word "CHÁ". Some similar cases are:
- similar to "SH" of the English word "harsh;
- the same as "CH" of the French word "chaud";
- the same as "SC" of the Italian word "prosciutto";
Example: PASTEL DE NATA
Masculina de Portugal:
Exemplo: DOIS
Male voice of Portugal:
Male voice of Rio de Janeiro region in Brazil:
Still in these regions, when the letter "S" is on the end of the syllable (or the word) and the next letter is a 'sound consonant' (b, d, g, j, l, lh, m, n, nh, r, v, z), the sound of the letter "S" will be [Ʒ] — that is similar to "J" sound in the Portuguese word "JÁ". See some comparisons:
- similar to "J" of the English word "joy;
- the same as "J" of the French word "jolie";
- similar to "G" of the Italian word "gente";
Example: MESMO
Male voice of Portugal:
Female voice of Brasil (Rio de Janeiro):
2) in the South and South-East of Brasil and in many regions in Center
In these regions the "S" when is on final syllable (or at the end of the word) has the same value as the beggining of the word. I.e, the sound will be [s] for all words. Follow some similar cases:
- the same as "SS" of the English word "grass";
- similar to "Z" of the Spanish word "lápiz";
- similar to S" of the first word in the French expression "mes amis";
- the same as "S" of the Italian word "versus";
Example: PASTEL DE NATA
Male voice of São Paulo region - Brazil:
Example: DOIS
Female voice of São Paulo region - Brazil:
Example: MESMO
Female voice of São Paulo region - Brazil:
So, I think Mayumi is right. Well, at least in some parts... There is some variation according to the region where you are. But this variation is not so big as she thinkgs. If you have some experience about this theme, don't forget to send us your comment.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
THE VERB "GOSTAR" IN PORTUGUESE
I guess you already could notice that the way we use verb "GOSTAR" in Portuguese is very different from the way we use the verb "GUSTAR" in Spanish. So let's talk about this subject a litle more...
The verb "GOSTAR" is a very interesting subject, maily if you also speak Spanish. I would like to tell you a story about my friend Benjamin. He lives in Brasil for two years. At the begging, he found the verb "GOSTAR" very hard. Would you like to know why?
#1: THEY ARE VERY SIMILAR
My friend Benjamin was born and raised in Chile, his native language is Spanish. Maybe you already know what is the verb that he uses when he wants to express his feelings about things he likes and things he doesn't like. It's the verb "GUSTAR" in Spanish.
When he arrived in Brazil, Benjamin learned that for these situations we use the verb "GOSTAR" in Portuguese. Well, Same meaning and almost the same pronunciation. He found this very easy!
With time Benjamin found out the this similarity was precisely what made the use of the verb "GOSTAR" very difficult. In many situations, he ended up telling something like:
- "ME GOSTA MUITO O PÃO DE QUEIJO"
What do you think about this phrase above? Yeah, this phrase is totally WRONG! Let's see the reason...
#2: THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT
Yes my friend. Although the meaning is the same and the pronunciation is very similar, the structure of the use of the verb "GOSTAR" in Portuguese is very different from the structure used in the Spanish language. Note the table bellow:
| SPANISH | PORTUGUESE |
|---|---|
|
A mí me gusta... A ti te gusta... A él/ella le gusta... A nosotros nos gusta... A vosotros os gusta... A ellos/ellas les gusta... |
Eu gosto de... Tu gostas de... Ele/Ela gosta de... Nós gostamos de... Vós gostais de... Eles/Elas gostam de... |
Did you notice the difference? And the worst: The structure in Spanish is inadmissible in Portuguese. This means that trying to use "ME GOSTA MUITO O PÃO DE QUEIJO", your phrase will sound really weird. I mean really really really weird! It would be a classic example of the famous "Portuñol".
#3: SO, WHAT'S THE MEANING OF VERB "GOSTAR"?
First, you have to understand that the verb "GOSTAR" can have different meanings. See the table below, it shows the two meanings of this verb:
| Gostar 1 | Gostar 2* |
|---|---|
|
To find good, to have affection, to approve, to appreciate, to find tasty... Example: "Gosto de maçã." |
To try, to taste... Example: "Gostei o bolo e achei o recheio delicioso." |
Did you noticed that, depending on the meaning, you must use the preposition "DE"? This we will see in the next topic. But, one important thing for you to keep in mind now is that the structure of the verb will always be PERSONAL PRONOUN + VERB "GOSTAR". Forget about the oblique pronouns (me, te, etc), you need to use personal pronouns (eu, tu, você, etc). See this examples:
Eu gosto...
Você gosta...
Tu gosta...
Ele gosta ...
Nós gostamos...
Vocês gostam...
Eles gostam...
See in this link the complete table of conjugation of the verb "GOSTAR". Remember that the table will indicate the conjugation regardless of meaning and regency: http://www.conjuga-me.net/verbo-gostar
#4: WHAT ARE THE RULES???
Now, you have to understand what it is regency. In simple words, verbal regency is the relationship established between the verb and its complements. Depending on the meaning, the verb "GOSTAR" need to use the preposition "DE" as a complement. This is very important, because the most common use of the verb "GOSTAR" is the meaning 1 of the table presented in the topic #3.
This is really very important: when the verb "GOSTAR" has as meaning "find something good", "approval", "to like something" etc., it will require the use of the preposition "DE".
Let's see some examples:
"Não gosto de vocês."
"Gostaria de tomar água de coco."
"Gostei muito da sua amiga."
Ha! I bet you think this rule has some exception, right? YEAH YOU'RE RIGHT!
The sequence "GOSTAR DE QUE..." allows you to leave the preposition out. So you can use two forms for the example bellow:
"Gostaria que você fosse pontual." (more common)
"Gostaria de que você fosse pontual." (less common)
"Ela gosta que a elogiem." (more common)
"Ela gosta de que a elogiem." (less common)
IS NOT SO DIFFICULT...
I hope this article has been helpful. As Benjamin, you will be used to the verb "GOSTAR" very quickly. And remember: if you have any question, please leave your comment.
Monday, March 13, 2017
WRITING TO PRACTICE PORTUGUESE
Image (diary writing) by Fredrik Rubensson (CC BY 2.0)
In this article I want to suggest some writing activities. And maybe you can say: "Li! I'm focusing in conversation! Why should I waste my time on writing?". Well, let me show you that you never lose your time when use this method...
Writing helps to maximize your learning and it's an important skill in any language. As a consequence, you end up improving your speaking skills. for example, you... yes you that have not so many opportunities to join conversation with native speakers in your city, can you remember a situation when you finally found an opportunity but didn't know what to say? Well... if you are used to write in Portuguese, when this day comes, you'll be prepared.
Writing allows you to practice everything that you are learning. But, how can you really practice? You do this when you write abour things you do, things you read, things you watch or things that you like. In other words, when you have the opportunity to creat a connection between your exercise and the real life. This makes it much easier to retain what you learn.
Oh! Another benefit: it is much easier to make a native speaker correct a text than a conversation :-)
So, did I manage to convince you? Huh? If so, I want to suggest a way to do all this in this article. You can use 3 very useful tools that are offered for free at Italki: "Notebook", "Answers" e "Discussions". Here is a short activity plan:
STEP 1: COMBINE WRITING WITH ANOTHER PRACTICE
The first thing to think about is that you should not just write 'lost' sentences. You should write about things you can interact with: describe your activities, talk about movies that you have watched, give your opinion about an article that you could read, talk about your plans, etc.
This way it is much easier to keep fixed in your mind the words and expressions you have learned. Also, it is much easier to understand how to integrate these words into phrases for real-life situations.
Suggested activity
If you do not know where to start, follow some examples of articles in Portuguese that can use as a basis for your texts:
- As Dez Comidas Mais comidas do Mundo (BR)
- As origens reais de 8 superstições populares (BR)
- É possível ir de carro do Brasil até os EUA? (BR)
- 12 coisas que os casais felizes fazem todos os dias (PT)
Tip: The idea is that you choose something that you like. If you prefer videos, movies, songs or just tell something that happened to you, Choose these things as the basis for your texts. OK?
STEP 2: WRITE THE TEXT AND GET THE CORRECTIONS
Hora de pôr a mão na massa (the English expression for 'pôr a mão na massa" can be 'hands on')! In this step, you cna use the tool "Notebook" ("Caderno de Notas" in Portuguese). With this tool you can write a text so that the native speakers of the community can correct it. After, you can compare the corrections and 'meditate' on them.
Suggested activity
You should choose a basis for your text. With this basis you should write one text a day (or each two days). You will be amazed at the number of texts you can write using just one article. For example, you can write...
1) A summary of article.
2) Your opinion about something that you agree.
3) Your opinion about something that you disagree.
4) About something you did not know before reading the article that surprised you.
5) Things of the article that are similar in your culture.
6) Your own text about something that has a connection with the subject of the article, but which was not addressed by it.
Tip: You should write a large enough text so that it may require an effort according to your level. But be careful, because a very large text can discourage people who will correct it.
STEP 3: MAKE QUESTIONS
Well done! You wrote beautiful and wonderful texts huh?! And the native speakers corrected them and also gave you some suggestions. Now it's time to meditate on what you can improve. There was something you did not understand or did not agree? Or, did you receive different corrections for the same point?
You can use the tool "Answers" ("Respostas" in Portuguese). With this tool, you can send questions so the native speakers in the community can answer them.
Suggested activity
During the days you are practicing, do not forget to send questions. You can ask about...
1) What is the meaning of a word or expression that you read or heard.
2) Doubts that arose at the time you were writing your text.
3) Cultural tips about the theme.
4) Some previous corrections that made you confused.
Dica: No matter what is your level, Try to write the questions in Portuguese. You can use a dictionary or even a translator to help you express yourself better.
STEP 4: INTERACT EVEN MORE
Cool! When you reach this step, it means that you already could practice reading (or listening) and writing. Also you already could have the opportunity to get the answers for many questions.
Why not take advantage of the tool "Discussions" ("Discussões" in Portuguese)? With it you have the opportunity to get more involved with the community.
What you can do?
1) Create a topic asking help.
2) Create a topic offering help.
3) Create a topic to introduce yourself.
4) Create a topic to start a conversation about things you like.
DISCIPLINE!!!
With the above suggestions, you will have small activities to attend for a week or two. You can vary these activities using Brazilian or Portuguese movies. Also, you can write a diary with your day-to-day activities or travel plans. The options are many!
But, one important thing is that you should analyze whether this time has helped to improve your skils. You can even write about your activities in the comments of this article.
Monday, November 21, 2016
WHEN TO USE "POR" AND "PARA" IN PORTUGUESE?
After all, When should I use "POR" and when should I use "PARA"? If you learn Portuguese and also have doubts about it I believe this article can help you...
I have a friend who lives in Austria, her name is ana and she speaks German. But Anna has a question that afflicts many students of the Portuguese language: She already knows about some situations where she should use "POR" and "PARA", but she has some doubts about what she calls "general rule" for the use of these two words. So we talked a little about it. In this article I will show some points of our conversation.
WHAT DO THESE TWO WORDS MEAN?
Before everything, we have to know very well the definition of each one of them. In the table below we can see what each of these prepositions mean:
| POR | PARA |
|---|---|
|
HOW CAN I TRANSLATE IT? English: "for", "by", "at", "through", "via" Spanish: "por" French: "par", "pour" Italian: "per", "da" MAIN IDEAS: 1) cause, reason 2) Place in where something or someone pass |
HOW CAN I TRANSLATE IT? English: "for", "to", "in(to)", "in order to" Spanish: "para", "hacia" French: "pour", "à", "en", "vers" Italian: "per", "a", "in", "da", "verso" MAIN IDEAS: 1) direction 2) purpose |
The table also shows us why so many people like Anna have doubts about how to use "POR" and "PARA" :-)
If you search for these words in the dictionary, You will find expressions like "It is a preposition that indicates...", "Designation of relation of...", "Preposition that expresses..." Or similar things. So let's see some of these ideas:
WHEN SHOULD I USE "POR"?
Indicating where you are walking:
"Marcos andou por aquelas ruas."
Your example:
Indicating means:
"Ela segurou a criança pelo braço."
Your example:
Indicating how something is done:
"Julgaram a moça por puro preconceito."
Your example:
Frequency concept:
"Ele toma banho duas vezes por dia."
Your example:
Notion of division:
"Ela dividiu o pão por dois."
Your example:
Notion of exchange:
"Ele trocou uma nota de R$100 por duas notas de R$50."
Your example:
Indicating cause:
"Ela chorou por ciúme."
Your example:
Notion of time:
"Ele ficou parado aqui por horas."
Your example:
Passive agent:
"O rato foi morto pelo gato."
Your example:
WHEN SHOULD I USE "PARA"?
Indicating recipient:
"Esses documentos são para você."
Your example:
Indicating purpose:
"É um bom carro para usar na cidade."
Your example:
Indicating destination:
"Este trem vai para Salvador."
Your example:
Indicating time limit:
"Tenho consulta médica marcada para amanhã."
Your example:
Indicating personal opinion:
"Para mim, as coisas não devem ser feitas dessa maneira."
Your example:
LET'S REMEMBER MORE SOME RULES
We can't forget that prepositions are invariable words. So "POR" and "PARA" do not have flexion of gender, number, degree, etc. But in some situations, Prepositions combine with other words of the Portuguese language and form the contractions.
"POR" can have the following combinations, and should have the following contractions:
POR + O = PELO:
Example: "O ladrão foi levado pelo policial."
POR + A = PELA:
Example: "Andei pela calçada."
POR + OS = PELOS:
Example: "Você será responsável pelos danos que causar."
POR + AS = PELAS:
Example: "Em caso de emergência, saia pelas laterais."
NOTE: These contractions are mandatory. It does not matter if you are writing or whether your conversation is formal or informal, you will always use these contractions when necessary.
There is an even more special case. "PARA" has an informal form, which in this case is "PRA". "PARA" has never contractions, but "PRA" must contract when combined. See:
PRA + O = PRO:
Example: "Você vai pro Rio de Janeiro?"
PRA + A = PRA:
Example: "Meu pai foi pra Alemanha."
PRA + OS = PROS:
Example: "Trouxe café pros diretores."
PRA + AS = PRAS:
Example: "Essa flor é pras meninas."
NOTE: Remember that "PRA" is part of informal language, try to avoid writing "PRA". When you use "PARA", in writing or in a conversation, you should not use contraction. You will write or say "PARA O..." , "PARA A...", etc.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
PAST TENSES IN PORTUGUESE: PRETÉRITO PERFEITO vs. PRETÉRITO IMPERFEITO
You could note that if you don't use the proper conjugation in Portuguese your phrase can be quite confused. In this article I will discuss about “Pretérito Perfeito” and “Pretérito Imperfeito”.
In this post I want to talk about a subject that doesn't bring me any memory about a special question. no special question because this subject is something that guarantees interesting questions from anybody that learns Portuguese... Let's go:
PRETÉRITO PERFEITO SIMPLES
First, let's see what does pretérito perfeito simples do. This tense expresses a not customary action in the past that was completely finished. See the table below, it shows the conjugation for regular verbs:
| CANTAR | COMER | EXISTIR |
|---|---|---|
|
Eu cantei Tu cantaste Ele/Ela/Você cantou Nós cantamos Vós cantastes Eles/Elas/Vocês cantaram |
Eu comi Tu comeste Ele/Ela/Você comeu Nós comemos Vós comestes Eles/Elas/Vocês comeram |
Eu existi Tu exististe Ele/Ela/Você existiu Nós existimos Vós exististes Eles/Elas/Vocês existiram |
Good! Now we already know what this tense does and you already know the proper conjugation. Now let's see what are the situations where we need to use the pretérito perfeito:
1 ) Show a completed action, an already performed action:
Nós arrumamos tudo e saímos mais cedo de casa.
Ele estudou as lições ontem à noite.
2 ) Ask and answer about what has been done:
— Você comprou este sapato na loja de Maria?
— Sim comprei.
We can write an exercice to help us remember about pretérito perfeito? In the box bellow, you can write about how did your last trip go...
PRETÉRITO IMPERFEITO
Now let's talk about pretérito imperfeito. This tense expresses an action in the past that was interrupted. Also, the imperfeito expresses an customary action in the past that is not performed anymore. The table bellow shows the proper conjugation:
| CANTAR | COMER | EXISTIR |
|---|---|---|
|
Eu cantava Tu cantavas Ele/Ela/Você cantava Nós cantávamos Vós cantáveis Eles/Elas/Vocês cantavam |
Eu comia Tu comias Ele/Ela/Você comia Nós comíamos Vós comíeis Eles comiam |
Eu comia Tu comias Ele/Ela/Você comia Nós comíamos Vós comíeis Eles comiam |
A simple situation where we can use the imperfeito is
1) To indicate an action that was interrupted:
Pedro brincava no quintal quando começou a chover.
Ele estudava as lições quando foi interrompido.
But there are more situations where we can apply the imperfeito:
2) to indicates a continuous action performed in the past that it doesn't performed anymore:
João viajava todo final de semana.
3) To describe people, things etc. in the past:
Os convidados usavam roupas bonitas.
4) To indicate simultaneous action.
Renata fazia o almoço enquanto Mariana arrumava a casa.
We can do this exercise to help memorize the use of pretérito imperfeito. In the box below, you can write about how was your life in school...
PRETÉRITO PERFEITO COMPOSTO
Something really important about the Pretérito Perfeito and Pretérito Imperfeito is that these tenses indicate actions in the pas that has nothing to do with the present. (if you are fluent in Spanish, you can see some important issues in the "attention" boxes in the Spanish Version for this article)
And it's interesting to compare these tenses with the Pretérito Perfeito Composto. We use the perfeito composto to indicate an customary action that was initiated in the past and continues to the present. The table below shows the proper structure:
| CANTAR | COMER |
|---|---|
|
Eu tenho cantado Tu tens cantado Ele/Ela/Você tem cantado Nós temos cantado Vós tendes cantado Eles/Elas/Vocês têm cantado |
Eu tenho comido Tu tens comido Ele/Ela/Você tem comido Nós temos comido Vós tendes comido Eles/Elas/Vocês têm comido |
Example:
Tenho estudado nos últimos dias e tenho ampliado bastante meus conhecimentos.
Now let's do the last exercise to help us to memorize the pretérito perfeito composto. In the box bellow, you can write what have you been doing to improve your Portuguese skills...
Sunday, August 21, 2016
MUSIC IN PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE: HIP HOP and R&B
Image (Scylla Asocial Club) by Coup d'Oreille (CC BY 2.0)
People always ask me about "HIP HOP" and "R&B" music in Portuguese language. So in this post I will tell my suggestions about rock bands from Brazil, Portugal, Angola and others. I hope you like them.
When I wrote the article PRATIQUE PORTUGUÊS COM MÚSICA I promised that in future articles I would talk more about lusophone music.
For this article I choose "HIP HOP" and "R&B" music. You will see a list containing my suggestions about songs and bands, maybe you will like it. To know more songs you can search relative information on You Tube.
RAP
|
"Um bom Lugar" - Sabotage
(BRASIL) |
"Insano" - Orteum
(PORTUGAL) |
"175 Nada Especial"
"Cachimbo da Paz"
"Retrato de um Playboy"
Azagaia (Moçambique)
"Cães de Raça"
"ABC do Preconceito"
"Maçonaria"
Valete (São Tomé e Principe)
Roleta Russa
Anti-Herói
Dealema (Portugal)
"Nada Dura Para Sempre"
"Escola dos 90"
RZO (Brasil)
"O Trem"
"Paz Interior"
Outras sugestões de bandas:
Azagaia (Moçambique), Ikonoklasta (Angola), MCK (Angola), Mind da Gap(Portugal), Racionais MC's (Brasil), Gutto (Angola), Chullage (Portugal), Consciência Humana (Brasil), Motirô (Brasil), Néfilim (Angola), Khris MC (Angola), Kalisto (Angola), Drifa & Fechadura (Moçambique), Classe Neutra (Moçambique), Governo Sombra (Portugal), Valete (São Tomé e Principe), MCK (Angola)
R&B
|
"Vem Dançar" - Leilah Moreno
(BRASIL) |
"Louca" - Observadores feat Aniyah
(PORTUGAL) |
"Você Vai Estar Na Minha"
"1 Minuto"
"Meus Telefonemas"
Sara Tavares (Cabo Verde)
"Balancê"
"Ponto de Luz"
"Tu És o Sol"
Aline Frazão (Angola)
"Jeitos"
"Tanto"
Ricardo Fonseca (Portugal)
"É tão bom"
"Eu Fui"
Sampa Crew (Brasil)
"Preciso de Você"
"Eterno Amor"
Outras sugestões de bandas:
Mona Nicastro (Angola), Leilah Moreno(Brasil), Aniyah (Portugal), Anselmo Ralph (Angola), Kabal (Brasil)
Well, this is my list. If you know more bands and songs, please share in the comments.
MUSIC IN PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE: "REGGAE"
Image (Reggae) by Alexandre Amaral (CC BY 2.0)
People always ask me about "REGGAE" music in Portuguese language. So in this post I will tell my suggestions about reggae bands from Brazil, Portugal, Angola and others. I hope you like them.
When I wrote the article PRATIQUE PORTUGUÊS COM MÚSICA I promised that in future articles I would talk more about lusophone music.
For this article I choose "REGGAE" music. You will see a list containing my suggestions about songs and bands, maybe you will like it. To know more songs you can search relative information on You Tube .
|
"Trem do Amor" - Adão Negro
(BRASIL) |
"Oh Lua" - Mercado Negro
(PORTUGAL) |
BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE
> Cidade Negra (Brasil - Rio de Janeiro)
"Girassol"
"Firmamento"
"Pensamento"
> Chimarruts (Brasil - Rio Grande do Sul)
"Do Lado de Cá"
"Quando o Amor Bate a Porta"
> Natiruts (Brasil - Brasília DF)
"Beija-Flor"
"Andei só"
"Espere por mim Morena" (cover)
> Planta & Raiz (Brasil - São Paulo)
"Aquele Lugar"
"Com Certeza"
"Bora Viver"
> Maskavo (Brasil - Brasília)
"Um Anjo do Céu"
Outras sugestões de bandas:
Tribo de Jah (Brasil - Maranhão), Edson Gomes (Brasil - Bahia), Ponto de Equilíbrio (Brasil - Rio de Janeiro), Filosofia Reggae (Brasil - São Paulo), Nação Regueira (Ceará), Armandinho (Brasil - Rio Grande do Sul), Adão Negro (Brasil - Bahia)
EUROPEAN PORTUGUESE
> Arsha (Portugal) al)
"Será Que A Música Tem Cor?"
"Semente da Paz"
"Vai Trabalhar!"
> Contratempos (Portugal)
"Devagar"
"Panorama Incerto"
"Jogo Sujo"
> Prince Wadada (Agola)
"Aldeia"
"Sorriso da Manhã"
"xO Entendimento"
> Bezegol (Portugal)
"Rainha Sem Coroa"
"Rude Sentido"
Outras sugestões de bandas:
ili Allstars (Timor Leste), Bandoodjah (Portugal), Bandulu Dub (Portugal), Dibengo (Portugal), Cartell 70 (Portugal), Kussondulola (Portugal), Mercado Negro (Portugal)
Well, this is my list. If you know more bands and songs, please share in the comments.
MUSIC IN PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE: ROCK
Image (Solo) by Martin Fisch (CC BY 2.0)
People always ask me about "ROCK" music in Portuguese language. So in this post I will tell my suggestions about rock bands from Brazil, Portugal, Angola and others. I hope you like them.
When I wrote the article PRATIQUE PORTUGUÊS COM MÚSICA , I promised that in future articles I would talk more about lusophone music.
For this article I choose "ROCK" music. You will see a list containing my suggestions about songs and bands, maybe you will like it. To know more songs you can search relative information on You Tube.
|
"Tropa de Elite" - Tihuana
(BRASIL) |
"Tudo Tem Um Fim" - Os Barões
(PORTUGAL) |
BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE
> Legião Urbana (Brasil - Brasília DF)
"Será?"
"Que país é esse?"
"índios"
> O Rappa (Brasil - Rio de Janeiro)
"Pescador de Ilusões
"Reza a Vela"
"Lado B Lado A"
> Pitty (Brasil - Bahia)
"Na Sua Estante
"Admirável Chip Novoa"
> Raimundos (Brasil - Brasília DF)
"Eu Quero Ver o Oco!"
"20 e Poucos Anos" (Cover)
"Mulher de Fases
> Raul Seixas (Brasil - Pernambuco)
"Eu Nasci Há Dez Mil Anos Atrás"
"Rock Das Aranhas"
"Sociedade Alternativa"
"Maluco Beleza"
Outras sugestões de bandas:
Engenheiros do Hawaii (Rio Grande do Sul), Detonautas (Rio de Janeiro), Charlie Brown Jr. (São Paulo), NX Zero (São Paulo), Ultraje a Rigor (São Paulo), Capital inicial (Brasília DF), LS Jack (Rio de Janeiro), Rita Lee (São Paulo), Titãs (São Paulo), Jota Quest (Minas Gerais), Skank (Minas Gerais), Os Paralamas do Sucess (Rio de Janeiro), Biquini Cavadão (Rio de Janeiro), Cazuza (Rio de Janeiro), Ultraje a Rigor (São Paulo)
EUROPEAN PORTUGUESE
> Xutos & Pontapés (Portugal)
"Homem do Leme"
"À Minha Maneira"
"Ai Se Ele Cai"
> Rui Veloso (Portugal)
"Chico Fininho"
"Rock da Liberdade"
> GNR (Portugal)
"Portugal na CEE"
"Cais"
"Dunas"
> UHF (Portugal)
"Cavalos de Corrida"
"Menina Estas à Janela"
"Sou BenficaX"
Outras sugestões de bandas:
Baby Suicida (Portugal), Tara Perdida (Portugal), Punk Sinatra (Portugal), Anaquim (Portugal), Filho da Mãe (Portugal), Linda Martini (Portugal), Mão Morta (Portugal), Ornatos Violeta (Portugal), Clã (Portugal), Neblina (Angola)
Well, this is my list. If you know more bands and songs, please share in the comments.
Saturday, July 2, 2016
"AQUI", "CÁ", "ALI", "LÁ", "AÍ" IN PORTUGUESE
Image (See those hills over there!) by Craig Sunter (CC BY 2.0)
"AQUI", "CÁ", "ALI", "LÁ", "AÍ"... If you have questions about using these adverbs that indicate place I hope this article can be useful for you.
I have a friend, his name is Joel. Joel lives in Wales and his native language is English. He is on advanced level in Portuguese learning, so he loves practice conversation with his friends in Brazil using Skype.
On these conversations Joel always says: "Como está o tempo lá no Brasil?". No! This is not right!
The phrase in itself is not wrong. But in this context "LÁ" is not the right word. Joel should say: "Como está o tempo aí no Brasil?". Let's try to understand the case...
ATENTION: If you speak Spanish as second language or even as your native language, you need to pay even more attention because "ALÍ" and "AÍ" in Portuguese are "false friends" cases.
#1: Let's remember some concepts that can be helpful
"AQUI", "CÁ", "ALI", "LÁ" and "AÍ" are adverbs that indicate place. They indicate where something happens.
But in order to understand the meaning of these words you need to understand very well the concepts about demonstrative pronouns "ESTE", "ESSE" e "AQUELE". If you don't remember about them, please see the image bellow:
Image 1:
"ESTE/ESTA" refer to the object near the person that speaks (THIS).
Image 2:
"ESSE/ESSA" refer to the object near the person to who she is speaking (THAT).
Image 3:
"AQUELE/AQUELA" refer to the object far from both (THAT).
#2: Let's see these words' meaning
Now you need to understand exactly what these words mean: "AQUI", "CÁ", "ALI", "LÁ", "AÍ". Let's see:
"AQUI" and "CÁ" mean "in this place" (EM + ESTE = NESTE).
Examples:
- "Aqui dentro está muito quente."
- "Carlos, estou na festa. Venha pra cá você também!"
"AÍ" indicates “in that place” (EM + ESSE = NESSE).
Example:
- "Maria, olhe na sua mochila, o livro deve estar aí com você."
"ALI" and "LÁ" mean “in that place” (EM + AQUELE = NAQUELE). But “ALI” indicates something that everyone in the conversation can see and "LÁ" indicates something that no one in the conversation can see.
Examples:
- "O João está dando uma festa na casa dele. Vamos pra lá!"
- "Olha aquele cisne alí no lago!"
#3 Now, let's understand Joel's case
SITUATION:
- Joel is in Wales.
- Paulo is in Brazil.
So...
Joel says to Paulo:
"Como está o tempo aí no Brasil?"
Paulo says to Joel:
"O tempo aqui no Brasil está bom. E como está o tempo aí no País de Gales?"
Joel says to Paulo:
"O tempo aqui no País de Gales também está bom. Como estará o tempo lá no Japão?"
Paulo says to Joel:
"Deve estar igual ao tempo lá na Nova Zelândia."
Well, I hope these suggestions can be useful for you. If you have any questions, please share in the comments.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
VOCÊ vs. TU: HOW AND WHERE CAN I USE THEM?
Image (Listen to me...) by Imad HADDAD (CC BY 2.0)
Hello all! In this post, I'll show you another article I wrote in Italki. I hope it can be useful to you!
To read the article please click bellow:
Você Vs. Tu: How And Where Can I Use Them?
Saturday, August 1, 2015
USING ARTICLES IN PORTUGUESE: CITY AND COUNTRY NAMES
Image (São Paulo) by Júlio Boaro (CC BY 2.0)
Hello all! In this post, I'll show you another article I wrote in Italki. I hope it can be useful to you!
To read the article please click bellow:
Using Articles In Portuguese: City And Country Names
THE IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN POR QUE, POR QUÊ, PORQUE AND PORQUÊ
Hello all! I'll invite you to read one of my articles in Italki. I hope it can be useful to you!
To read the article please click bellow:
To read the article please click bellow:
"The Important Differences Between Por que, Por quê, Porque and Porquê"
Is it important to learn the differences between the porquês, even though they are all pronounced the same?…
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
PRONOUNCING THE LETTER "R" IN BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE
Image (R Is For Rely) by Jeremy Brooks (CC BY 2.0)
If you never know when the Brazilian Portuguese "R" sound is like the English "H" sound or when is like the Spanish "R" sound... I hope this article can be useful...
"I have friends in Curitiba (Brazil) and they always pronounce the word "porta" using the "R" like Spanish native speakers... But one day I had a conversation with a guy from the countryside in São Paulo (Brazil) and he pronounced the word "porta" like if he was an American. I was confused!" — Testimony of a student from Sweden.
"I never know when I have to write a word using "RR" or "R". Is there any rule that can help me?" — Question from a student from Puerto Rico.
"I was convinced that to speak like a brazilian, I just needed to "cut" the "R" sound from the end of the words when I had to pronounce them. Really simple... But when I started to work in Brazil, I realized that no one in the office had this habit." — Comment from a student from United States.
"I never know when I have to write a word using "RR" or "R". Is there any rule that can help me?" — Question from a student from Puerto Rico.
"I was convinced that to speak like a brazilian, I just needed to "cut" the "R" sound from the end of the words when I had to pronounce them. Really simple... But when I started to work in Brazil, I realized that no one in the office had this habit." — Comment from a student from United States.
Have you been in situations like these and now you believe that in Brazil there is a bottomless pit that produces people with different pronunciations of the letter "R" each second? Well, maybe you're right... But I will try to convince you that things are not that complicated.
Before I give you some tips, I would like to explain three expressions we have used in Brazil to identify the sound of the letter "R":
- 'R' forte ['R' strong]: is that sound like "H" of the English word "house". Also, we can say is like "J" in the Spanish word "jamón".
- 'R' fraco ['R' weak]: is that sound like "TT" of the English word "letter" (American accent). Also, we can say is like "R" of the Spanish word "pero" (NOT "perro" ok?).
- 'R' mudo ['R' mute]: when the letter is not pronounced.
First, let's write ...
This is the easier part. You just need to remember that "RR" can only appears between two vowels. Hence, you can now know that "RR" never can be at the beginning or the end of a word, for example.
Very well... And when you finally find the "R" sound between two vowels, how can you know if you should write this word with "R" or with "RR"? Simple! If the sound is "R" forte (remember?), you must write it with two letters "R" ("RR"), if it's a sound "R" fraco, you should write it with only one letter "R".
Now, let's pronounce ...
Please see the table below that shows the rules to express the sound of the letter "R" in the words. Then I will give more details for each one of them:
| SOM DE "R" FORTE ['R' strong] | SOM DE "R" FRACO ['R' weak] |
|
- "R" at the beginning of the word (example: "rato") - "RR" (example: "carro") - "R" after the letter "N" (example: "honra") |
- "R" at the end of the word (example: "cantar") - "R" between vowels (example: "caro") - "R" between a vowel and a consonant (example: "carta") - Combinations "BR", "CR", "DR", "FR", "GR", "PR", "TR" e "VR" (example: "Brasil") |
"R" AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WORD:
If the lettrer "R" at the beginning of the word, it always be a "R forte",i. e. it will be like:
- "H" of the English word "house";
- "J" of the Spanish word "jamón";
Examples:
rato – rio – rosa – risada – roubar – roupa – rua – revelação
"R" BETWEEN VOWELS:
When it is between two vowels, the letter "R" will be "R fraco", i.e. the tongue will tremble when we pronounce the word:
- similar to "TT" of the English word "butter";
- similar to "R" of the Spanish word "caro";
Examples:
guri - caro - cara - arara
"RR":
Remember "RR" is only written between vowels. "RR" indicates that the sound between the vowels will be "R forte":
- same as "H" of the English word "house";
- same as "J" of the Spanish word"jamón";
Examples:
arranhar – arroz - carro – ferro - correr – forro – horrível – morrer – terra
WHEN "R" IS BETWEEN A CONSONANT AND A VOWEL:
The following combinations are possible: "BR", "CR", "DR", "FR", "GR", "PR", "TR" e "VR". When pronounced, their sound seems to be the sound of just one letter. They are very similar to their sounds in English, Italian or Spanish:
- "BR" as in the English word "bra"
- "CR" as in the English word "cry"
- "DR" as in the English word "dragon"
- "FR" as in the Italian word "fratello"
- "GR" as in the Spanish word "grande"
- "PR" as in the Spanish word "problema"
- "TR" as in the Spanish word "tres"
Examples:
brasa - pedra - elétrico - preto - França - grande
WHEN "R" IS AFTER THE LETTER "N":
In this combination, the letter "R" is between a consonant and a vowel, but if this consonant is the letter "N", the "R" sound must be a "R forte":
- like the "H" of the English word "inherit";
- like the "J" of the Spanish word "esponja";
Examples:
tenro - enriquecer - enredo - enroscar - sonrisal
And when the letter "R" is at the end of the word (or the end of a syllable)? Then situation become a little different ... there is no a "idealized" correct pronunciation, each region has its particularity. Let's see:
"R" AT THE END OF THE WORD:
When you find the letter "R" at the end of the word (usually verbs in the infinitive), it will depends a lot on the region where you are I will give the most common examples:
- In the state of Rio de Janeiro:
Similar to "CH" in the Scotish word "loch"
- In the state of São Paulo:
Similar to "R" at the end of the English word "card"
- In the states of the Northeast of Brazil:
In these region, they yse to omit the letter "R" when the end it is at the end of the word ("R mudo")
- In the states of the South of Brazil:
In southern regions, it's similar to "R" at the end of the Spanish word "conocer"
Examples:
lavar - socar - moer - cantar
WHEN "R" IS BETWEEN A VOWEL AND A CONSONANT (THE END OF THE SYLLABLE):
At the end of the syllable, the letter "R" usually is between a vowel and a consonant. So the pronounce will be like the situation when "R" is at the end of the word, depending of the region. But in this case, you will never see the "R mudo".
Examples:
parte - acervo - verde - arte
I hope these considerations could help you. Have you heard any other way to pronounce the letter "R"? Share your experiences in the comments! :-)
Monday, September 15, 2014
"NH" SOUND PRONOUNCE IN PORTUGUESE
Image (Don't speak) by Gustavo Devito (CC BY 2.0)
I met a lot of people that learn Portuguese and pronounce the words with "NH" in a very interesting way. For example, they pronounce the word "amanhã" as "amaniã".
The "NH" sound is a nasalsound. Nasal sounds are that ones where the air goes out from the nose when you pronounce it. So you pronounce the word "amanhã" using a nasal sound correctly, you will feel the air flowing from your nose. This won't happen if you pronounce it as "amaniã".
The "NH" sound is very common in Portuguese. For example: caminho[path], vizinho[neighbor], cozinha[kitchen], estranho[strange], tamanho[size], montanha[mountain]... Also, it's very common in diminutives: cafezinho[litle cofee], beijinho[litle kiss], Ronaldinho[Ronaldo's nickname], Aninha[Ana's nickname... So, if it's so common, why the "NH" sound can be so hard sometimes?
To answer this question, I remember about the way I use to explain the "NH" sound in Portuguese:
- To native Spanish speakers, it's pronounced as the "Ñ" in the word "NIÑO";
- To native French speakers, it's pronounced as the "GN" da palavra "CHAMPAGNE";
- To native Italian speakers, it's pronounced as the "GN" da palavra "GNOCCHI".
But, and for you that speak English? How can I explain it? Well, I use to say
- It's similar to the "NY" in the word "CANYON"
- It's similar to the "NI" in the word "ONION"
Could you notice? To the ones that speak Spanish/French/Italian I say "it's pronounced as...", but, to the ones that speak English I say "it's similar..." Yes, similar! It's not the same. It's simply the situation where I can't find a match sound in English and this is the most similar example I know to explain you the "NH" sound.
Well, now you already know what is the real pronounce of the "NH" sound. I know it's not easy sometimes. Bellow there are some tips to practice the "NH" pronounce:
1) Try to use these songs to practice your pronounce of "NH":
- "Efêmera": AUDIO | VIDEO | LYRICS
- "Pintinho Amarelinho": AUDIO | VIDEO | LYRICS
2) If you like tongue-twisters, follow this nice one. You can record your own voice and send em the audio ;-):
"A aranha arranha a jarra, a jarra arranha a aranha; nem a aranha arranha a jarra nem a jarra arranha a aranha."
3) Try to speak word with "NH" two times: one time holding your nose and another time without holding your nose. If in the two times the sound is exactly the same, this means that you are not pronouncing it properly. Bellow you can see some examples of nice prhases to practice the "NH" sound:
- É de manhãzinha.
- A casinha da Joaninha.
- Julinho acompanhava de longe seu irmãozinho manhoso.
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