Archive for August, 2007
o Alienista: free audiobook Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 22, 2007
o Alienista is a classic piece of Brazilian literature, written by Machado de Assis and published in 1882 as part of the Papéis Avulsos. The story is quite funny as Machado de Assis was adept at presenting social commentary through humor. Set in 18th century rural Brazil, the plot centers on an obsessive-compulsive doctor’s attempts…
The Verb ‘Dar’ Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 20, 2007
The use of the verb Dar to give with the alternate meaning to be possible is ubiquitous in Brazil. Using dar in this manner is different from using poder; dar indicates possibility and likelihood of an occurrence in an impersonal way. Poder serves to specify literal ability: he can complete the task, it is believable…
Pode Crer! Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 20, 2007
Pode crer is a great and useful piece of gíria than means that’s believable. Literally it translates as one can believe, but in practice it has a looser, more informal sense of affirmation perhaps akin to the English street slang Word! or Right on!. In fact, pode crer is a popular street slang phrase in…
Ciberdúvidas Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 18, 2007
Ciberdúvidas is a top-shelf online resource for all linguistic elements of the Portuguese language. Founded by José Mário Costa and (the late) João Carreira Bom over ten years ago (!!), the site has been supported by many organizations over the years. A consistently fascinating and authoritative source of “…esclarecimento, informação, debate e promoção” “…clarification, information…
Top Ten reasons to learn Portuguese Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 16, 2007
Top Ten Reasons to Learn Portuguese 1. Brazil is an alluring, exotic country with a rich past and amazing people 2. North and South America will become an economic bloc in this century 3. Music: understanding the poetry of Portuguese lyrics 4. Travel. Most people don’t speak English in Brazil 5. Brazil is and always…
How to sing Happy Birthday in Portuguese Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 16, 2007
Sung to the tune of Happy Birthday, the song Parabéns pra você is the song most commonly sung in Brazil to celebrate someone’s birthday. All together now! Parabéns pra você Nesta data querida Muitas felicidades Muitos anos de vida! Parabéns pra você Nesta data querida Muitas felicidades Muitos anos de vida! … Continue Reading
Saudade Posted by Transparent Language on Aug 15, 2007
In every language there are words that are simply untranslatable. Saudade is one such word, and perhaps one of the best examples of this phenomenon. In any attempt to translate saudade into English, some or many of the following words will frequently appear: longing, hope, fatality, nostalgia, yearning, missing, fondness, endearment, loneliness, feeling, emotion Here’s…