Archive for 'Learning'
How To Say “It’s Said That…” in Portuguese Posted by Adir on Aug 5, 2014
In Portuguese grammar we have something called “voz passiva sintética” which is the shortest form of the passive voice. In Portuguese this kind of “voice” doesn’t have a subject so we use the main verb + the particle “se”. Instead of overanalyzing it, let me give you some real examples in Portuguese and in English…
10 Idioms With “Make” – Part 01 Posted by Adir on Jul 28, 2014
Olá, pessoal! There are some good and common idioms with verb “make” in English and today we’re going to learn how to say them in Portuguese. Today you’ll have the first five! Estão prontos? 01. Make a mountain out of a molehill – fazer tempestade em copo d’água A Flávia é tão dramática e adora…
How To Say “I’ve Been Doing” in Portuguese Posted by Adir on Jul 23, 2014
Olá, pessoal! I’ve been a teacher for over 20 years (please don’t do the math!) and every year both my English and Portuguese students have the same problem: the Present Perfect. The Present Perfect, in English, happens in sentences like: I’ve spoken to him many times. Have you ever done this? I haven’t seen him…
Real Life Portuguese: Renting A Car Posted by Adir on Apr 5, 2014
Olá pessoa! If you are coming to Brazil on vacation or for the World Cup, you may want to rent a car, so I chose some very useful real life sentences that will help you. Cliente Gostaria de alugar um carro. – I’d like to rent a car. Quanto é a diária? – What are…
Pronunciation Lesson: Sounds “Ê” and “É” Posted by Adir on Mar 24, 2014
Olá pessoal! I have a German friend who speaks Portuguese really, really well. His pronunciation is almost flawless but he hits a wall when it comes to the sounds “ê” and “é”. As a rule, the “closed e” (ê) is similar to the sound of English words “hay, hate, bay, bait”. However, it stops…
Fluency + Pronunciation Exercise Posted by Adir on Feb 28, 2014
Olá, pessoal! Let’s wrap February up with a pronunciation exercise. First you are going to listen to the following text read at a regular speed, then at a slower speed. Here’s what you have to do: 1. Listen to the text in normal speed three times. Don’t repeat. Only listen carefully. 2. Listen to…
Using Vague Language in Portuguese (with audio!) Posted by Adir on Jan 23, 2014
E aí, pessoal? Tudo em ordem? In spoken Portuguese, it’s very common to use vague language. In this post I’m going to show you some examples. Let’s start with quantities and qualities. Instead of boring you with rules, let me give you some real-life examples. Isso custa uns mil reais. [around] Isso custa aproximadamente mil…