Archive for October, 2010
Recipe: Bolinho de Bacalhau Posted by Rachel on Oct 28, 2010
Today we’re going to learn how to make a delicious Brazilian snack called bolinho de bacalhau, or balls of fried codfish. We even have the help of a Brazilian chef in this great written and video recipe combo! Ironically, the chef in the video is from a fancy French restaurant in Sao Paulo, though this…
Que Beleza – Monobloco Posted by Rachel on Oct 26, 2010
While beleza can mean beauty in some contexts, it’s also a gíria that means “great” or “awesome.” In this fun song by the Carioca band Monobloco, you could roughly translate it as “ain’t it great?” or “isn’t it wonderful?” The lyrics are very simple and straightforward, so have a listen and read along! Lyrics –…
Oktoberfest em Blumenau! Posted by polyana on Oct 26, 2010
Now before you start to think this post belongs in the German Blog, don’t go too far because you’re in the right place. Oktoberfest in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, is an annual event that was originally created in the 1980’s to generate funds for the city after a severe flood took over most of the city…
The Word Graça Posted by Rachel on Oct 25, 2010
Continuing in our vocabulary series from last week, we’re going to take a closer look at the word graça to examine its several meanings and uses. 1. De graça – free; no cost Example: A comida no evento é de graça. The food at the event is free. 2. Engraçado – funny Example: Ele é…
Untranslatable Portuguese Words Posted by Rachel on Oct 22, 2010
There’s much ado in the linguist community about words that are difficult to translate, and two Portuguese words often appear on lists of untranslatable words. But I’m going to argue that while both are complex words, they’re not untranslatable. 1. Cafuné While this word encompasses a concept rather than a single word, it’s pretty straightforward…
The Verb Chutar Posted by Rachel on Oct 20, 2010
You’ll find that in Portuguese, there are quite a few soccer vocabulary words, phrases or expressions that have second and third meanings that have different, real-life applications, but are related to the physical actions from the sport. One example is the verb chutar. It has a couple of different meanings that all derive from its…
Paulistanês: Speaking Like You’re From São Paulo City Posted by polyana on Oct 18, 2010
Continuing with our “getting to know Brazilian accents & regional sayings,” series, I realized I hadn’t written about Paulistanês, the “language” spoken in São Paulo city, where I’m currently living and hear everyday! The funny thing about people who live in the city of São Paulo is that they think everyone else has an accent…