Archive for the year 2012
História vs. Estória Posted by Rachel on Apr 27, 2012
In learning Portuguese, you may have come across two words that sound a lot alike, but are different when they’re written. But they also have different meanings. História [eest-OH-ree-ah] is history, as in the history of Brazil, or the history of music. It can also be an occurrence or a biography; in other words, something…
Song: Humilde Residência (by Michel Teló) Posted by Adir on Apr 27, 2012
Olá! Tudo bem com você? I’m sure you’ve heard of Michel Teló, the Brazilian pop and sertanejo singer who took over the world with his song Ai Se eu Te Pego. He has a new song hitting big on Brazilian radios, Humilde Residência (Humble Abode) and it talks about a guy who’s so darn broke…
Brazil’s Quilombos Posted by Rachel on Apr 25, 2012
One of the lasting remnants of the era of slavery in Brazil are its quilombos, former slave runaway communities in rural areas. One of the most famous of the quilombos was Palmares, home of the national hero Zumbi dos Palmares, but there were quilombos in states throughout the country. Here’s a little background, in Portuguese…
Recipe: Biscoitos Amanteigados Posted by Rachel on Apr 24, 2012
Brazil has great desserts, and there are lots of good recipes for biscoitos, or cookies. One of the simplest cookie recipes is for shortbread cookies, or biscoitos amanteigados. Read the instructions and check out the video tutorial. Biscoitos amanteigados Ingredientes 1 xícara (chá) de farinha de trigo 1/4 xícara (chá) de açúcar 1/2 xícara (chá)…
Brazilian Freestyle Documentary Posted by Rachel on Apr 23, 2012
The other day, I came across an interesting short documentary on freestyle hip hop in Brazil. If you’ve seen the Elite Squad movies, you’ll notice a surprising familiar face! Watch the video, and see if you catch some of the keywords below. Keywords improviso – improvisation público – audience criatividade – creativity sentimento – feeling…
Colloquial Portuguese – Part 01 Posted by Adir on Apr 13, 2012
Oi! Tudo bem? Today let’s start a series of posts with colloquial Brazilian Portuguese expressions. These expressions are not usually found in dictionaries or textbooks so I’ve decided to share them with you guys. E não pára por aí! I also recorded them with their usual conversational intonation so you can practice at home too!…
Leaving Voicemail in Brazil Posted by Rachel on Apr 12, 2012
What do you do when you get someone’s caixa postal (voicemail) when you call in Brazil? Do you leave a message, or just call back? A Brazilian friend who’d lived abroad for many years and recently moved back to Brazil commented on leaving a recado (message) on voicemail. Here is what her experience has been…