Archive for April, 2008
Naturalidades: Part II Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 22, 2008
Today, we’ll take a look at round two of naturalidades, which describe exactly where a person is from in Brazil, based on the city or state. These are important to learn because although Brazilians are quite patriotic, they tend to identify most with the city they grew up in, and introduce themselves as Americans would…
April 21st: Dia de Tiradentes Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 21, 2008
Today is a national holiday in Brazil, called Dia de Tiradentes, or Tiradentes Day. This holiday honors a Brazilian martyr, whose real name was Joaquim José da Silva Xavier. He was born in Minas Gerais in 1746, the son of a Portuguese father and a Brazilian mother. He was orphaned at the age of 11…
Giraffes are “married” at Rio’s Zoo Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 17, 2008
This week, the two girafas (giraffes) that live in Rio de Janeiro’s city zoo were “married” when zookeepers put them in the same enclosure. The two animals, named Zagallo and Beija-Céu, have been “dating” for a few weeks after Zagallo was moved from São Paulo to the Rio Zoo. They’ve been in separate enclosures, but…
Naturalidades: Part I Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 16, 2008
“Naturalidade” means where someone is from in Brazil, either referring to the state or city of origin. Just as we would refer to people from New York City as “New Yorkers” and people from Texas as “Texans,” Brazilians define people by exactly where they’re from. Note that naturalidades are written in lower case letters. Let’s…
Brazilian City Spotlight: Tupandi, Rio Grande do Sul Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 15, 2008
With only 59 square kilometers and 3,600 residents, the tiny town of Tupandi would at first glance appear to be like any other town in Brazil’s southernmost state. But thanks to a plan to diversify agriculture instead of relying on the traditional textile industry, the town now has one of the highest GDPs per capita…
Opa! Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 15, 2008
Today we’re going to look at some interjections. 1.Oba [oh-bah] — Wow! Woah! Example: Oba! Você está linda. Wow! You look beauitful. Oba! A casa está muito limpa. Woah! The house is really clean. Also, in the countryside and rural parts of Brazil, you’ll hear people use “oba” as a greeting, instead of “oi” or…
Brazilian Profile: Zuzu Angel, in Memoriam Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 14, 2008
Zuzu Angel was a famous Brazilian fashion designer in the 1970s. Born in Minas Gerais in 1921, she lived in Bahia during her childhood and then moved to Rio de Janeiro, where she began her career. Her clothes were influenced by Bahian culture, with vivid colors and splashy designs, and they eventually became so successful…