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Pronto, falei Posted by Rachel on Feb 5, 2010
Today we’re going to learn a useful little phrase that’s very slangy and will help you sound more like a native. Pronto falei literally means there, I said it, as a follow up to some sort of controversial comment. Let’s look at how it’s used in conversation: Ele ficou muito gordo. Pronto, falei. He got…
Japanese Words of Portuguese Origin Posted by Rachel on Feb 4, 2010
Did you know that some Japanese words actually come from Portuguese? This Luso influence dates back to the 1500s, when the Portuguese established trade with Japan, the first Europeans to manage the journey. Through traders and missionaries, the Portuguese brought new words and products to Japan, and thus a lasting cultural influence. Let’s check out…
Reading Comprehension Practice Posted by Rachel on Feb 3, 2010
Today we’re going to do a reading comprehension exercise with a travel story from Estadão. Herança colonial com aroma de café [Click above to read the full article] “Atrás da imponente portaria surge uma casa grande marcada por uma fileira de janelas coloniais azuis perfeitamente retangulares na fachada. Herança de um tempo em que as…
Lyrics Practice: Charlie Brown Jr. Posted by Rachel on Feb 1, 2010
Today we’re going to use the pop rock band Charlie Brown Jr. to practice listening. This song, Me encontra, is useful for reviewing verbs in the infinitive. Happy listening! Lyrics Hoje eu vou sair pra encontrar o amor Espero a tanto tempo e ainda não rolou O vento diz que é hoje em meio a…
Making a salad Posted by Rachel on Jan 29, 2010
Today we’re going to look at some food and cooking vocabulary by making a salad together in Portuguese and English. We’re going to look a very simple recipe with some simple words. Salada simples (Simple Salad) Ingredientes (Ingredients) – 1 alface americana (I head of lettuce) – 2 cenouras raladas (2 peeled carrots) – 1…
Brazil, Cerca 1930 Posted by Rachel on Jan 27, 2010
Studying history in Portuguese can be difficult if you’re still learning the language, but there are plenty of great resources online in English for Brazilian history. Today, I present you with a fantastic discovery, found on The Good Blood Brazilian culture blog: “Gigantic Brazil and Its Glittering Capitals.” The article, written for National Geographic Magazine…
São Paulo Fashion Week Posted by Rachel on Jan 26, 2010
Last week was one of the biggest weeks in Brazilian fashion: São Paulo Fashion Week. Here is some of the coverage from the event, where you can see lots of fun photos and videos. UOL Estilo iG Moda Elle Brasil Fashion Forward MSNBC Vocab hint: in Portuguese, fashion is moda or estilo.