Já te falei : Sou vampiro diferente!
Just put this on you iPod and study it.
What does “a fim de” really mean?
Posted By jhall on July 26th, 2010
That (surprise), depends on the context.
The simplest (and coolest) use is to combine it with ESTAR like this:
a) Estou a fim de viajar para Brasil.
b) Você está a fim de comer algo agora ou, depois?
c) Tô a fim de conhecer a Raquel!
ESTAR A FIM DE – To want
In this use it’s basically: TO WANT.
“estar a fim” é sinónima de “estar com vontade de” (= disposto a, interessado em)
d) I really feel like going out >> Estou a fim de sair.
e) Do you want to see a movie? >> Está a fim de ir ao cinema?
f) I could use a good rest. >> Estou fim de descansar um pouco.
No Brasil, a expressão “estar a fim” é sinónima de “estar com vontade de” (= disposto a, interessado em).
You could also be, ESTAR A FIM DE RAQUEL if you were really running after say, Raquel: “Estou a fim da Raquel”
In summary, you can be ‘a fim de’ doing something (comer pipoca) as well as being ‘a fim de’ someone (a Raquel!) !!! Raquel is just a ficticious name being used for the example. I would never do that to Raquel.
Voltado para…
Posted By jhall on July 23rd, 2010
This phrase always confused the hell out of me.
‘VOLTADO PARA’ translates to something like, ‘come back for’, making a sentence such as: ‘Estreia novo programa de TV voltado para empreendedores’ pretty confusing. The actual meaning is:
> designed for
> made for
Which makes perfect sense when seen in context, for ex:
> China fecha site voltado para treinamento de hackers
> Rio terá museu voltado para ciência e tecnologia
> Gestão Pública – Um programa voltado para o cidadão
> Google cria página voltada para entretenimento com jogos online
* NOTE, the gender ending depends on the object! (voltadO or voltadA)
É isso ai!
Cuidado ao abrir
Posted By jhall on July 7th, 2010
Ever wonder how to say something like: ‘upon opening my door… x’ or, ‘upon arriving we did xxx’ -?
Well, it’s pretty easy to do. In portuguese all you have to do is say ‘AO + VERB (inf)’ – got that?
So it’s:
AO CHEGAR em casa ele ficou mais tranquilo.
Cuidadao AO ABRIR emails!
Menino chora AO VER destruição da cidade de Porto Príncipe.
AO DESCOBRIR que ela mora na mesma cidade, Rodrigo ficou feliz
Entendido!
Learn Portuguese just by watching YouTube videos?
Posted By jhall on June 30th, 2010
Well, no but — this is funnier than CARALHO if, that is : your Portuguese is good enough to understand it. Uma verdadeira obra de arte esse é:
Está com pressa?
Posted By jhall on June 26th, 2010
In a hurry, short on time…. your day was rushed?
Obviously these expressions are not directly translated into Brazilian Portuguese. But, their not hard to learn either.
You need to know that:
‘To be in a hurry’ > ESTAR COM PRESSA
So for example, ‘I’m in a hurry” = estou com pressa.
To say something like: ‘Where are you going in such a hurry’> ‘PARA ONDE VOCE VAI COM TANTA PRESSA’
You can also use the verb CORRER to express hurry and rush. Here’s how:
‘I’m in a rush’ = ESTOU NA CORRERIA
And, if something or someone was in rushed or hurried, you can say:
‘Meu dia foi corrido’ and,
‘Minha semana foi muita corrida’
* note the gender endings!
Tá com pressa para aprender Português? — Baixar as aulinhas da Semantica! for iPod and DVD.
Ao menos que seja…
Posted By jhall on June 24th, 2010
Use this to express: ’At least that is…’
Examples
> Pagar impostos pode ser divertido? Ao menos que seja simples. (Paying taxes fun? It could at least be simple!)
> Ao menos que seja para ficar. Não vou repetir o mesmo erro. (At least that is, in order to stay. I’m not going to make the same mistake!)
> Espero ao menos que seja melhor que o último da série, que eu achei o pior até então… (I hope that it’s at least better than the last one of the series which I found the worst up until now)
Can you taste it?
Posted By jhall on June 20th, 2010
Does it taste good or, does it have good taste?
In Portuguese it’s pretty similar to English in that, there is “taste” and, there is “flavor”.
>> GOSTO & SABOR
The two terms are used very much interchangeably except that, when talking about the ability to tell quality from otherwise, GOSTO is usually used.
Taste (flavor of):
> Se cheira como frango, tem gosto de frango, parece frango, mas Jack Bauer diz ser bife, então é bife, porra!
> O arroz queimou no fundo da panela deixando o gosto de queimado.
> Este iogurte tem sabor de morango.
> Seu beijo tem sabor de mel!
Taste (discern quality):
> Minha namorada é linda e tem bom gosto.
> Voces tem bom gosto em tudo!
> É só para quem tem bom gosto!
Tá dando muito trabalho?
Posted By jhall on June 17th, 2010
DAR TRABALHO = ’to give work’ (literally) but, means ‘to make work’ , ‘to cause trouble’ or, ‘to make things difficult’. Let’s look at the context:
> Minha filha está me dando muito trabalho — ela chora toda hora!
> O cachorro está dando muito trabalho fazendo bagunça em casa e etc…
> Ele só tem onze anos e já está dando muito trabalho! (he’s already becoming a HANDFULL)
Learn Portuguese – it can change your life! Mas: vai dar trabalho para aprender.
Fica à Vontade
Posted By jhall on June 13th, 2010
‘Remain to your will‘ is the literal translation but, não pegar o pé da letra – you can’t take this one literally!
I first heard this from a stewardess on-route to Brazil: “fica à vontade” – she said after I had asked if I could see what newspapers they had.
Be my guest, make yourself at home, feel free to… > do what you need to do, don’t worry about me.
Can also mean “Relax, unwind” for example, after getting home from work you change into more comfortable clothes in order to “FICAR À VONTADE” .. entendeu?
> ‘Entra, senta e fica à vontade’ *as the saying goes.
Countries and Nationalities – new podcast
Posted By jhall on June 11th, 2010
Includes link to download to your iPod / iPhone. Plug-in and learn Portuguese now.
Posted in Portuguese grammar and vocab
Learning to laugh and smile online…
Posted By jhall on June 9th, 2010
One of the best ways to practice your language skills is online. I can’t stress that enough — it’s free, it’s easy, it’s available. All you have to do is wander around the big www and find chat -rooms and online communities that are focused on language learning. Literally zillions of Brazilians are out there just dying for the chance to practice their English with a true native speaker. Don’t be shy! Work-out a practice exchange and oh – LEARN HOW TO SMILE and LAUGH online via the teclado (keyboard).
Here’s the deal: Brazilians use the same emoticons but, the mix it up, they say “rsrsrs” and “kkkkkk” as well as “hehehe“. Ok, the “hehehe” and “kkk” are pretty self-explanatory but the “rsrsrs” comes from the verbs:
Rir, to laugh and, Sorrir, to smile. RSRSRSRS, got it?
hauhauhau!!!
