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The Brazilian Diet: Listening Comprehension Posted by Rachel on Jul 29, 2011
This week, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics released a report about the foods that Brazilians consume, and the state of Brazilian nutrition. We’re going to watch some news reports about the findings. Questions 1. What food item is most consumed by Brazilians, even more than rice and beans? 2. Which substance is being…
Pizza in São Paulo: Reading Comprehension Posted by Rachel on Jul 28, 2011
Today we’re going to do a reading comprehension exercise using a great blog by American journalist Seth Kugel, who writes a travel blog in Portuguese for iG. He’s also an inspiration to all of you learning Portuguese, since Seth learned Portuguese as an adult and became fluent, and now writes his own column entirely in…
Writing Formal Emails in Portuguese Posted by Rachel on Jul 26, 2011
For those who need to learn Portuguese for work, today’s post will come in handy. We’re going to learn how to write a formal e-mail in Portuguese, including the salutation and leave-taking. There are ways to write even more formally, but we’re going to learn the simpler version. 1. Salutation A formal salutation to use…
Internship in Portuguese Posted by Rachel on Jul 22, 2011
In Brazilian Portuguese, an internship is called an estágio. Like in other countries, it’s an opportunity for students or young people to gain experience in a company, either unpaid or with a small stipend or salary. These employees are called estagiários, or interns, and to participate in an internship is to estagiar. In Brazil, internships…
Forró in the Dark Posted by Rachel on Jul 20, 2011
Even if you can’t travel to Brazil, there are plenty of opportunities to experience Brazilian culture abroad, thanks in part to Brazilian expats and gringos dedicated to celebrating Brazil’s heritage. Forró in the Dark is one such example. The musical group, made up of Brazilians living in New York, started a band in 2002 by…
Dar Azar Posted by Rachel on Jul 18, 2011
Like in other languages, superstition often works its way into Portuguese, and here’s a useful expression to know about jinxing and bad luck. Dar azar means to jinx, or to bring bad luck. Let’s see how it’s used. Não quero dar azar, mas acho que vai chover. I don’t want to jinx it, but I…
Empada Recipe Posted by Rachel on Jul 15, 2011
Empadas are one of my favorite Brazilian snacks, though they shouldn’t be confused with empanadas from neighboring Latin American countries. They’re like quiches, and look like teeny tiny pies. They can be filled with just about anything – meat, cheese, fish, heart of palm, chocolate, fruit, you name it. Empadas, also known as empadinhas, originally…