Archive for 'Learning'
Making comparisons in Portuguese Posted by Adir on Aug 13, 2012
In Portuguese we have three kinds of comparison: igualdade, superioridade and inferioridade. Here is how they are formed: 1. Comparações de Igualdade tão + adjective + quanto O Pedro é tão alto quanto o Ricardo. – Pedro is as tall as Ricardo. Meu pai não é tão rico quanto o seu. – My father isn’t…
De Confiança Posted by Rachel on Jul 29, 2012
In Brazil, social connections are incredibly important to every facet of life, and recommendations for businesses and workers are key. When you believe someone or something is trustworthy, dependable, and worth recommending, this person or thing is classified as “de confiança.” Let’s see how it’s used. Estou procurando uma empregada. Pode indicar alguém? I’m looking…
The Uses of Vontade Posted by Rachel on Jul 27, 2012
In Portuguese, you can use the word vontade (wish, or desire) in a number of different ways. Let’s take a look. 1. Ficar à vontade – This means make yourself at home. You’ll hear this if you’re in someone’s home or office. Bem-vindo! Fique à vontade. Quer um cafezinho? Welcome. Make yourself at home. Do you…
Perdi meu Amor na Balada Posted by Rachel on Jul 19, 2012
Nokia recently came up with a very creative ad campaign in Brazil. First, they released this video, as if it had come from an actual guy in São Paulo. They even set up a Facebook page. People thought it was real! Until they released the final video: Here’s some key vocabulary words/phrases from the videos…
Learning Tip: Significant Other Posted by Rachel on Jul 12, 2012
One of the reasons that people decide to learn Portuguese is that they will live or travel to Brazil to be with a spouse or significant other. In this case, learning Portuguese can either be a breeze or a bit of a struggle. That’s because one of the best ways to learn a language is…
How to use “mal” and “mau” – the answers Posted by Adir on Jul 11, 2012
Hello, there! Here are the answers to Monday’s test on how to use mal and mau. 1. Ele é um MAU profissional. 2. Ele está trabalhando MAL. 3. O chefe está de MAU humor. 4. O chefe está sempre MAL-humorado. 5. O empregado foi MAL treinado. 6. MAL chegou ao escritório, teve o desprazer de…
How to use “mal” and “mau” Posted by Adir on Jul 9, 2012
Mau and mal sound the same in Portuguese and oftentimes even native speakers have difficulty using them correctly. So today let’s learn some basic rules. Mal Mal can be an adverb, noun or conjunction. As an adverb it means “badly”, “incorrectly”. It is the opposite of bem (well). Ele fala inglês muito mal. [He speaks…