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6 Portuguese expressions with “mão” (hand) Posted by Ester on Jul 20, 2015
Today we are going to take a look at some expressions that Brazilians use in day-to-day conversation that use the word mão (hand). Estar com a faca e o queijo na mão – literally to have the knife and cheese in your hands Have the power to do something or have the power over something…
6 expressions with animals in Portuguese Posted by Ester on Jul 13, 2015
Different animals can mean a variety of things for different cultures. Let’s take a look at some expressions with animals, what they mean as well as when to use them. Pagar o pato This expression translates literally as to “pay the duck”, but it has nothing to do with money or ducks. It means to…
Brazilian sense of humor Posted by Ester on Jul 6, 2015
Sense of humor is intrinsically connected to a country’s language and culture. Watching Brazilian comedy on youtube is a great way of getting to know and understand the Brazilian sense of humor. So let’s take a look at a funny video with some vocabulary explained. You can change the settings on the video to show…
Making, accepting and refusing invitations in Portuguese Posted by Ester on Jun 29, 2015
Inviting people to places in a polite way can be tricky if you are not sure what the proper approach is, culturally speaking. For the same reason it could be even more difficult to decline or accept invitations. Convites – invites Saying yes is much simpler than saying no to something. Before we check other ways…
8 verbs with preposition in Português (Portuguese) Posted by Ester on Jun 22, 2015
Some verbs in Portuguese require the use of preposition even though most don’t. Let’s take a look at some important ones: Morar em – to live Eu moro em São Paulo. – I live in São Paulo. Combined with the article a, as, o, os: Marcos mora no Rio de Janeiro. (em + o =…
Asking for directions in Portuguese Posted by Ester on Jun 15, 2015
You can be a tourist in Brazil or a resident, either way there will come a time when you will have to ask for direction. So here are some tips and useful vocabulary: There is a great way you can practice it: every time you go out by yourself, even if you know where the…
Public transport in Brazil Posted by Ester on Jun 8, 2015
Getting the ônibus (bus) or any other transporte público (public transport) in a different country can be quite estressante (stressful). This is why it could be handy knowing the culture as well as vocabulary related to it. Useful information and cultural aspects: There are websites for different cities where it is possible to check the…