Archive for February, 2016
16 collocations with the verb FAZER Posted by Ester on Feb 29, 2016
Colocação (collocation) is a combination of two or more words that happen frequently in a language. There are some words in Português that are usually preceded by the verb fazer (make or do, in English). Let’s take a look at some of these colocações: Fazer questão – to insist, not to take no for…
Porta dos Fundos Posted by carol on Feb 26, 2016
Learning a nova (new) language is a serious thing. But having some fun enquanto (while) you do it can sempre (always) ajudar (help). As it has been mentioned in previous posts, a country’s sense of humor, culture and language are closely linked. And a good way to become familiar with Brazilian comedy is to assistir (watch)…
EU, ME, MIM, COMIGO – difference Posted by Ester on Feb 22, 2016
There are some rules and words which make sense to native speakers because they have been using those words all their lives without giving them a second thought. However, these rules and words can be confusing to non-native speakers. This is exactly the case for the use of EU, ME, MIM and COMIGO. Let’s see…
Contractions Posted by carol on Feb 19, 2016
Olá a todos! Como foi a semana de vocês? (Hello, you guys! How was your week?) Today’s grammar point is about contractions. Contractions are combinations between two words that have been shortened (by omitting letters and sounds) to result in a single word. While some languages, like Spanish, use fewer contractions, they are very present…
Zika vírus no Brasil Posted by Ester on Feb 16, 2016
How much do you know about the Zika virus? News about the virus is everywhere and knowing more about it can help preventing getting infectado (infected). What is the Zika virus? It is an infecção (infection) caused by the virus ZIKV, transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti. The mosquito also transmits dengue fever as well…
Three Beaches worth visiting in the Brazilian Northeast Posted by carol on Feb 12, 2016
You don’t precisa saber (need to know) much about Brazil to recognize that its beaches are among the most distinguished in the mundo inteiro (whole world). Well, obviously there is a reason for that. With its huge continental proportions, a litoral (coastline) of 7,491 km and more than 2000 beaches across the country, passar o…
Personal hygiene products em Português Posted by Ester on Feb 8, 2016
Olá amigos! How many times have you been in a shop trying to find a product that you buy regularly, but cannnot remember the name for it in Portuguese? It can be even more frustrating if an attendant asks you if they can help you locate the item, but you cannot explain what it is…