Archive for the year 2007
How Hard is Portuguese to Learn? Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 10, 2007
Question: “I want to learn to speak and read Portuguese; how hard will it be?” [First off, let me acknowledge that any thoughts on this topic are quite subjective, and as a passionate fan of the Portuguese language, I am arguably biased. That being said, I have learned a lot of Portuguese and also several…
Racecars in Brazilian Cities Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 10, 2007
Just for fun, here are some videos showing Formula 1 racecars on the streets of major Brazilian cities. Here’s one of a Ferrari F1 on Avenida Vieira Souto in Ipanema and another one of a Red Bull F1 demo in Sampa (São Paulo). Formula 1 racing was popularized in Brazil in the 1980s by Ayrton…
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…