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To Be Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 2, 2007
Here are the different ways of saying ‘to be’ into Portuguese Like many verbs, the verb to be has not one, but several direct translations (ser, estar, ficar) in Portuguese, so it is important to learn and practice the correct verbal usage for each situation. 1. Ser is used: With an adjective: Ele é alto…
Porque, Por que and Por quê Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 1, 2007
A common error in Portuguese is the misuse and confusion of these three similar phrases (and two more words). Let’s clarify briefly: Por quê (two words, with circumflex accent on ‘e’) can only occur at the end of an indirect or direct interrogative phrase: Interrogação direta: Eline não chegou ainda, por quê? Interrogação indireta: Eline…
Map of the Brazilian Blogosphere Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 1, 2007
Brazilians love to blog, too! Check out this really cool representation of popular blogs written by Brazilians. These blogs cover topics ranging from humor to personal thoughts to technology and beyond. Especially considering how didactic many of these characters are, I’m sure they would love to read comments from some non-Brazilian readers, especially those making…
Brazil in Google Earth Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 26, 2007
Explore Brazil (and the whole world for that matter) in 3-D right from your computer! Google Earth is a fantastic free tool developed by those geniuses out on the West Coast that allows the user to virtually explore the entire world! Successfully leveraging user-generated content, you can enhance your personal copy of Google Earth to…
How to Say Dude in Portuguese Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 25, 2007
Dude! Man! Mate! Bro! For many learners who are seeking to speak the informal Portuguese of Brazil, the following vocabulary items are an absolute ‘must.’ Though the terms vary from region to region, a firm grasp of these words will help the casual Portuguese speaker fit in and make friends in no time. Cara dude…
The Sound of X (part 2) Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 25, 2007
In a previous post, I discussed the sound of the letter ‘X’ in Portuguese. This polyphonic letter can trip up many non-native Portuguese speakers, and there are no hard and fast rules regarding its pronunciation. In this post I’d like to show some more common uses of the letter X as well as some words…
GloboRadio Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 21, 2007
GloboRadio is the broadcasting giant O Globo‘s new online radio portal. Offering 30+ different radio stations for free (you can stream the audio through your browser), GloboRadio has programming for almost every imaginable taste. From Pop/Rock stations that place American favorites alongside Brazilian classics to Latin, Gospel, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Bossa Nova and more, you are…