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Abaixo vs. A baixo Posted by polyana on Aug 22, 2011
One thing I always forget the rule to in Portuguese is the difference between abaixo and a baixo. The both sound the same, and they both essentially mean the same (or do they?!). And because of this, I always find myself asking my coworkers time and again, “Ok, I know I’ve asked you this before…
Red Hot + Rio 2 Posted by polyana on Aug 15, 2011
Have you guys heard of the Red Hot Organization‘s newest album, Red Hot + Rio 2? First off, the organization is a non-profit which helps AIDS and HIV organizations all over the world through music. The newest album is a collection of Brazilian songs from the Tropicália movement, with some improvisation and international artists to…
Pronunciation: “-lh,” “-ão,” “-em,” & “r” Posted by polyana on Aug 7, 2011
I bet you’re all on pins and needles waiting for this post on tough stuff to pronounce that I promised on Monday. From what I saw in the comments, the hardest sounds tend to be: “-lh,” “-ão,” “-em,” “r,” & “ões” – So let’s see if I can help you all out, and once I’m through…
Difficult Words to Pronounce in Portuguese Posted by polyana on Aug 1, 2011
The other day, I was talking to a couple of American friends who live in Brazil about how funny it is when Brazilians pronounce English words abrasileiradamente. Things like, Nothi-buqui (notebook – usually used for laptops), Amburgué (Hamburger), & Leenquédjeen (LinkedIn)… and much more. At work, I’m hounded all the time for saying words in English……
Capixabês – Pretending to be From Espírito Santo Posted by polyana on Jul 29, 2011
You’re probably looking at the title saying, “What? Speaking like the Holy Spirit? This blogger has officially gone weird.” For those of you more familiar with Brazilian geography, Espírito Santo is a small state on the coast, squished between Bahia & Rio de Janeiro and which makes Minas Gerais the inland state that it is!…
Aleijadinho – Brazilian Baroque Sculptor Posted by polyana on Jul 21, 2011
I was in Ouro Preto this past weekend, one of the more famous historic towns in Minas Gerais, in the southeast of Brazil. The town has maintained its historic look and feel with stone streets, Portuguese architecture, and gorgeous Baroque Catholic churches. A couple of the churches contain the sculpture of Antonio Francisco Lisboa, more…
Não Trocaria um Sorvete de Flocos por Você Posted by polyana on Jul 13, 2011
This adorable video from an independent band from the outskirts of São Paulo City, has somewhat viralized in Brazil in the past week. It’s almost a breakup song amongst little kids! Check it out 🙂 Here’s the video & the lyrics in Portuguese! Você disse que me ama Pensa que engana o meu pobre coração…