Archive for 'Culture'
The Ugly Duckling in Portuguese Posted by Rachel on May 11, 2012
A great way to practice your Portuguese is to watch videos based on stories or plots you already know so it is easier to follow the dialogue. Today we’re going to practice with a popular children’s story, The Ugly Duckling, or in Portuguese, O Patinho Feio. There’s a video to watch, a story to read…
Brazilian idiom: O escambáu! Posted by Adir on May 4, 2012
E aí, tudo beleza com você? I was at a party last weekend and I heard three people, at different times, say the expression “O escambáu!” and I went to look how to say that in English. It turns out that O escambáu can be translated as My foot! Yes, it is a neutral informal…
Song: Humilde Residência (by Michel Teló) Posted by Adir on Apr 27, 2012
Olá! Tudo bem com você? I’m sure you’ve heard of Michel Teló, the Brazilian pop and sertanejo singer who took over the world with his song Ai Se eu Te Pego. He has a new song hitting big on Brazilian radios, Humilde Residência (Humble Abode) and it talks about a guy who’s so darn broke…
Brazilian Freestyle Documentary Posted by Rachel on Apr 23, 2012
The other day, I came across an interesting short documentary on freestyle hip hop in Brazil. If you’ve seen the Elite Squad movies, you’ll notice a surprising familiar face! Watch the video, and see if you catch some of the keywords below. Keywords improviso – improvisation público – audience criatividade – creativity sentimento – feeling…
Leaving Voicemail in Brazil Posted by Rachel on Apr 12, 2012
What do you do when you get someone’s caixa postal (voicemail) when you call in Brazil? Do you leave a message, or just call back? A Brazilian friend who’d lived abroad for many years and recently moved back to Brazil commented on leaving a recado (message) on voicemail. Here is what her experience has been…
Feliz Páscoa! Posted by Adir on Apr 6, 2012
Feliz Páscoa, pessoal! Happy Easter, y’all! Here’s a small video I made to wish you a very Happy Easter! Coelhinho da Páscoa Coelhinho da Páscoa, que trazes pra mim? [Easter Bunnsy, what do you bring to me?] Um ovo, dois ovos, três ovos, assim? [One egg, two eggs, three eggs, like this?] 2x Coelhinho da…
Para Nossa Alegria Posted by Rachel on Apr 5, 2012
As we’ve discussed before, internet memes are huge in Brazil, and gain a good deal of traction on and off the interwebs. The latest internet sensation is a funny home music video of a family singing an evangelical song, in which the daughter sings fairly terribly, and then the son (Jefferson) chimes in with a…