Most verbs have various related incarnations as nouns, adjectives, adverbs etc. MELHOR and MELHORAR are super-used words/verbs but also causes big confusion – I think just because these are (1) hard to pronounce, and (2) have so many similar sounding variations. Melhor and melhorar can be used in different ways to express: improve, improvement, improving,…
Read more...It’s confusing to say TO THINK in Portuguese. That’s mostly because there are two verbs for it: PENSAR & ACHAR. Let’s clear up the confusion with examples. ACHAR or PENSAR? :: TO THINK in Portuguese Most books will tell you that it’s Ok to use either. That may be grammatically correct, but it does not…
Read more...Mais (more) finds it’s way many expressions, always assuming the role of saying most or, more. Let’s look at one of the most useful ways mais in Portuguese can say things like: prettier, heavier, saying, younger, newer and etc. (ie, as an adjective). Examples of mais to express most can be found in this other…
Read more...The Portuguese preposition de shows up in many different places. Now, readers of this blog know that I HATE to dig into grammar-speak unless it’s really necessary to move you into Portuguese fluency. So, I won’t. But, let me just say that it’s worth being said that a preposition is a word that ties others…
Read more...I didn’t learn how to use the 3 ways of saying there in Portuguese until I had been living in Brazil more than a year. That changed suddenly when talking on the phone I said, Como vai lá?… followed by : silence on the other end. It was as if I had said, Como vai…
Read more...Todo mundo: everyone gets confused over these two common words. Actually, they’re called indefinite pronouns and their job is to “represent either count nouns or noncount nouns”. What that means is not important. These are just the words that convey, all, every, entire etc. The confusion stems from the fact that tudo sounds a lot…
Read more...We’ve gotten several requests to explain and show how the portuguese verb dar can be used. This is one of those verbs like ficar or, pegar that can change their meaning depending on the context. I remember feeling “deceived” and a bit mad when it dawned on me that people were using verbs that I…
Read more...There are so many different ways to express again/another time that it can get confusing. Let’s focus on the four most common ways that Brazilians say one more time. In order: (1) de novo (2) mais uma vez (3) outra vez (4) novamente Can we just use any of these in all situations? Sim… quase….
Read more...The LH in the middle of a word is one of the trickiest pronunciations. Really though, it’s not that hard. You just need to remember to half-pronounce the ‘L’. So, it’s not trabayar it’s, trabaLHar. Feel yourself saying the L. But don’t dwell on it. As soon as you feel the L continue right into…
Read more...It’s often really confusing to understand how Brazilians say who and which. Quem é? Who is it? That’s what you say before opening the door or when a stranger calls on the telephone. Simple. But what about the other ways they use who? Let’s look at some very common examples. É de quem? Who’s it…
Read more...Eduardo Não dá, não dá! Não entendo nada! Nem física, nem literatura e nem gramática. Eu odeio química! Química! Por que que eu preciso aprender isso? Ana Calma filho. Sei que não é fácil. Você tem que ter calmo e estudar muito. Não dá. This is a great way to start a sentence. Literally no…
Read more...We’ve always had an specific vocabulary stack that we use just for setting up and managing our time. Since when has scheduling our lives not been top priority? Nunca. In Portuguese it’s no different. They have a core of really common verbs & vocab that they use again and again. But there are a few…
Read more...I’m old enough to remember the lan house. And in Brazil – especially the favelas you can still (it’s 2016) find them. In my early days traveling in Brazil I would always go to the same lan house. I would always go when I knew there would be this one girl working there – but…
Read more...The Portuguese verb TOMAR can be confusing. The problems comes from the fact that it can take the meaning of to take or to drink or to consume. In general, Brazilians use tomar when talking about taking something that will become part of their being – that will change them internally. What?! They won’t use…
Read more...I’ve written about pode deixar before but everyone keeps asking about the ever-popular deixa pra lá. Why? Because deixar is just super-useful. It means of course, to leave, let. And when you use it as deixa pra lá you’re saying: deixa pra lá = nevermind, forget it, let it go. Like I said: VERY USEFUL….
Read more...Wikipedia defines reflexive verbs like this: A reflexive verb is, loosely, a verb whose direct object is the same as its subject, for example, “I wash myself”. More generally, a reflexive verb has the same semantic agent and patient (typically represented syntactically by the subject and the direct object). For example, the English verb to…
Read more...This post is making me extremely hungry. Here’s the deal: once you know these you don’t have to bother to learn the Portuguese equivalents. No need to. They are already in use in the common vocabulary here. Just be sure to say these words with your best brazilian accent. We’ve gotten a native to record…
Read more...What is the difference between the verbs ASSISTIR, and VER? Is there any real difference between OUVIR and ESCUTAR? I was taught that VER means to see and, ASSISTIR means to watch. VER: to see / ASSISTIR: to watch I was also taught that OUVIR is to hear, and ESCUTAR is to listen. OUVIR: to…
Read more...I’ve posted about FICAR before – FICAR for intermediates and about SER & FICAR and Saying FICAR de Olho. FICAR is a big deal. It’s one of the few verbs that can really up your game. Italians have a big problem with this verb because apparently it means to fuck in italian. That’s their problem,…
Read more...The Portuguese Gerund [check]; The Present Indicative [check]; The Subjunctive Mood [almost]; Portuguese Prepositions [check!] You’re on a roll. Portuguese prepositions? No big deal. Then, you run into an everyday sentence like, Eu vou parar de fumar. Sem problema, right? I am going to stop of to smoke. Seems wrong. If you know your gerund…
Read more...
