Archive for the year 2011
Orgulho Gay em São Paulo Posted by polyana on Jun 27, 2011
Yesterday was the São Paulo Gay Pride Parade, Parada do Orgulho Gay, the biggest gay pride parade in the world! This past weekend’s event turned 15 (and had a valsa de 15 anos to boot), and hit records with an estimated 4 million in attendance. This year has been a big one for a more…
Say what you’re doing! In Portuguese! Posted by Adir on Jun 24, 2011
Oi, tudo bem com vocês? Our video today will show you how to say that you are doing something now. In Portuguese we do this by using the verb estar (to be) in the present + the present participle of the main verb. Check out the video below and you can download the audio to…
Veja Bem Posted by Rachel on Jun 23, 2011
Today we’re going to learn a useful expression that you can use in everyday conversation. Veja bem literally means “see here,” and can also translate as “Let me explain” or “Well now” or “Mind you.” It’s an expression you’d use before you’re about to tell someone something they may not like. Here’s an example that…
Brazilian Recipes – Bolo de Banana Posted by polyana on Jun 22, 2011
My mom, as well as many other Brazilian moms, have a mania (pronounced mah-knee-ah, NOT may-knee-ah), or habit, of seeing fruit that’s going bad and turning it into something it can become while going bad… So as not to waste it. I realized this past weekend that I’m starting to develop the saammee habit. Sunday…
Collective Nouns in Portuguese: Objects Posted by Rachel on Jun 21, 2011
Today is our last installment of the collectives series, where we learn words for groups of objects. acervo – collection (art, collectibles, etc) baixela – tableware bagagem – luggage cartuchame – cartridges (ie for printers, video games, etc) clientela – clientele comboio – fleet of trucks, ships, or trains elenco – cast madeixa – tress/lock…
Ainda Bem Posted by Rachel on Jun 16, 2011
We’ve learned about the phrase “ainda bem” before, as it’s used as an interjection. But today we’re going to learn how to use it within a sentence. The meaning is the same: this expression means “good thing” or “thank goodness” or “how fortunate that…” Let’s see it used in a sentence: Ainda bem que ela…
Medicine in Portuguese Posted by polyana on Jun 15, 2011
It’s winter in Brazil! And by winter, I mean low-40s – mid-60s, dry weather, occasional cold rain… in São Paulo at least, and no, I don’t have heat in my home. Nor are there usually heated office buildings and restaurants and the like. And I still like to pretend I’m a tough American and can…