Archive for October, 2007
The Lusiads Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 8, 2007
Luiz Vaz de Camões’ epic poem Os Lusíadas The Lusiads is widely considered the most important Portuguese-language text ever written. First published in 1572 and written in Homeric verse with an ottava rima cadence, The Lusiads served as a Portuguese national epic, akin to the Aeneid of the Romans.<br / Camões (sometimes spelled in English…
Chat Partners: How to Chat Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 4, 2007
Having a chat partner is great, but knowing how to make the most of this relationship can be the key to major breakthroughs in your language learning Lately I have spent a lot of time at night chatting, calling, and video-conferencing with Brazilians who are eager to practice their English as I practice my Portuguese…
Brazil has the World’s Most Expensive iPod Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 4, 2007
Translated from the BBC Brasil piece in Portuguese found here Brasil is the country that sells the most expensive iPod in the world, according to a new Commonwealth Bank of Australia index that compares global currencies and buying power across 55 countries, says news agency Reuters. In the same mold as the ‘Big Mac’ index…
Cardoso to Speak Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 3, 2007
Former Brazilian president Fernando Henrique Cardoso is going to speak tonight (Oct. 3rd, 2007) at Brown University. The event will be broadcast live over the web, and archived, so if you miss it tonight, come back to this post and click through. Vale a pena com certeza! I had the chance to see one such…
To Be Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 2, 2007
Here are the different ways of saying ‘to be’ into Portuguese Like many verbs, the verb to be has not one, but several direct translations (ser, estar, ficar) in Portuguese, so it is important to learn and practice the correct verbal usage for each situation. 1. Ser is used: With an adjective: Ele é alto…
Porque, Por que and Por quê Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 1, 2007
A common error in Portuguese is the misuse and confusion of these three similar phrases (and two more words). Let’s clarify briefly: Por quê (two words, with circumflex accent on ‘e’) can only occur at the end of an indirect or direct interrogative phrase: Interrogação direta: Eline não chegou ainda, por quê? Interrogação indireta: Eline…
Map of the Brazilian Blogosphere Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 1, 2007
Brazilians love to blog, too! Check out this really cool representation of popular blogs written by Brazilians. These blogs cover topics ranging from humor to personal thoughts to technology and beyond. Especially considering how didactic many of these characters are, I’m sure they would love to read comments from some non-Brazilian readers, especially those making…