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Brazilian Profile: Ayrton Senna, in memoriam Posted by Transparent Language on May 1, 2008
Ayrton Senna is one of Brazil’s most famous Formula-1 race car drivers and one of its most beloved sports figures. He was Formula-1 world champion in 1988, 1990, and 1991, and came in second in 1989 and 1993. Born into a wealthy São Paulo family in 1960, Senna had an early interest in cars, and…
Brazilian Music Online Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 30, 2008
You don’t have to be in Brazil to listen to great Brazilian music. Check out these artists online: 1. Curumin, a singer from São Paulo: http://www.myspace.com/curumin 2. Tita Lima, an artist who sings “samba, soul and trip-hop”: http://www.myspace.com/titalima 3. CéU, a popular MPB (música popular brasileira) singer, also from São Paulo (featured in the video…
Calç+ Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 29, 2008
In Portuguese, words beginning with “calç” are somewhat related, but can be a bit confusing. Don’t forget that the “ç” has an “s” sound, like the s in “snake.” Let’s take a look. 1. calça: pants. Vou comprar a calça preta. I’m going to buy black pants. 2. calçada: sidewalk. Alguns cariocas deixam os cachorros…
Brazilian Profile: Oscar Niemeyer Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 28, 2008
Born Oscar Ribeiro de Almeida Niemeyer Soares Filho, this Brazilian is not only the most famous modern architect in his own country but is also famous world-wide. He was born to Jewish parents in 1907 in Rio de Janeiro’s middle class Laranjeiras neighborhood. He attended the School of Fine Arts before beginning his career in…
Naturalidades: Part III Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 27, 2008
To continue with our lesson on naturalidades, where a person is from in Brazil, let’s look at the Southern region. A person from the state of Paraná is called paranaense, and a person from the capital of Curitiba is called curitibano. A person from the state of Santa Catarina is called catarinense or barriga-verde…
Podcast: At the doctor’s office Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 24, 2008
Click to hear the Podcast! Today, we’re going to learn useful phrases for the doctor’s office. It’s best to be prepared, since not many Brazilian doctors speak fluent English. We use olá as a slightly more formal way of saying hello, as opposed to oi. Although the word for doctor is médico, we refer directly…
Brazilian Profile: Maya Gabeira Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 23, 2008
Maya Gabeira is only 21 years old, and she’s not a superstar just yet. But she’s well on her way. She’s already a two-time winner of Best Female Surfer in the world. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Maya currently lives in Hawaii but travels the world searching for the best waves and attending…