Archive for the year 2008
A Brazilian in Bollywood Posted by Transparent Language on May 7, 2008
Who knew that a Brazilian model could become a Bollywood muse? Bruna Abdalah, 21, of Guaíba, Rio Grande do Sul, became a Ford model at age 15 and decided to pursue her career in order to buy her parents a house. She then went on to model in Japan, Thailand, and the Philippines, and was…
Combinar Posted by Transparent Language on May 6, 2008
The verb combinar [kome-bee-nar] has a number of meanings, but we’re going to focus on the three main ones. 1. Making plans Vamos combinar para sair na sexta-feira. Let’s make plans to go out on Friday.Já combinei com ela. I already made plans with her. Along these lines we can also say:Combinado! Agreed!2. Corresponding/matching Neste…
Tourism in Brazil: Salvador at Sea Posted by Transparent Language on May 4, 2008
The newest way to see the city of Salvador on the water is by caravela, an old-fashioned boat with sails modeled after the real boats used by the Portuguese in the 1500s. Costing R$800,000 to build, the caravel honors the 200 year anniversary of the Portuguese royal family in Brazil. Called the “Príncipe Regente,”…
Naturalidades: Part IV Posted by Transparent Language on May 4, 2008
In the fourth part of the series on naturalidades, where a person is from in Brazil, we’ll take a look at the Southeast/South central region. A person from the state of São Paulo is called paulista, and a person from the capital city, also São Paulo, is called paulistano. A person from the state of…
Brazilian Profile: Ayrton Senna, in memoriam Posted by Transparent Language on May 1, 2008
Ayrton Senna is one of Brazil’s most famous Formula-1 race car drivers and one of its most beloved sports figures. He was Formula-1 world champion in 1988, 1990, and 1991, and came in second in 1989 and 1993. Born into a wealthy São Paulo family in 1960, Senna had an early interest in cars, and…
Brazilian Music Online Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 30, 2008
You don’t have to be in Brazil to listen to great Brazilian music. Check out these artists online: 1. Curumin, a singer from São Paulo: http://www.myspace.com/curumin 2. Tita Lima, an artist who sings “samba, soul and trip-hop”: http://www.myspace.com/titalima 3. CéU, a popular MPB (música popular brasileira) singer, also from São Paulo (featured in the video…
Calç+ Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 29, 2008
In Portuguese, words beginning with “calç” are somewhat related, but can be a bit confusing. Don’t forget that the “ç” has an “s” sound, like the s in “snake.” Let’s take a look. 1. calça: pants. Vou comprar a calça preta. I’m going to buy black pants. 2. calçada: sidewalk. Alguns cariocas deixam os cachorros…