Tag Archives: Vocabulary
Portuguese Vocabulary: In the Bathroom Posted by Rachel on Apr 21, 2011
One of the most essential things you need to know when traveling or living in any country is how to find a bathroom, or about how to work a shower. These may not be very romantic or exciting words, but they’re really handy! So here are some important words you need to know. banheiro –…
Desejo a vocês Posted by Rachel on Apr 8, 2011
Carlos Drummond de Andrade (1902-1987) is one of Brazil’s most celebrated modern poets. We’ve read a bit of his work before, but today, we’re going to look at one of his untitled poems and learn some vocabulary. It’s simple and straight forward, and it’s also emblematic of Brazilian culture. Desejo a vocês Fruto do mato…
When in Buenos Aires… Posted by polyana on Mar 30, 2011
I know some of you are thinking, “I knew Buenos Aires was the capital of Brazil!” (kidding!), but I speak of Buenos Aires, a spanish or castellano speaking city, because last week, I saw in the Folha de São Paulo, that there’s been a study where Buenos Aires has ousted Orlando as Brazilians’ favorite international destination…
Portuguese Words of English Origin Posted by Rachel on Feb 15, 2011
Between globalization and the rise of technology, you’ll find dozens, if not hundreds of Portuguese words that come directly from English. In some cases, the spelling of words are changed to adapt to the Portuguese pronunciation, but the words essentially stay the same. In Portuguese, these words are known as anglicismos. Here are some examples…
Months in Portuguese Posted by polyana on Jan 31, 2011
Can you believe tomorrow is February already? Thinking about how fast time flies, I realized we haven’t written about the months and in Portuguese here yet. The months in Portuguese are actually quite similar to English, so it shouldn’t be hard for you to memorize them! One thing to note, however, is that when you’re…
The Countryside Posted by polyana on Jan 24, 2011
I just spent this past weekend in the countryside (interior) on a sítio, right outside São Paulo with some friends. Or was is a chacara? Or fazenda? The definitions of these different types of properties in the country are difficult to define, but after some research, I have come to the following conclusions on the…
Arrasar Posted by Rachel on Jan 18, 2011
Last week, we took a look at the adjective arrasado. This week, we’re going to look at the verb arrasar, which has a few similar negative meanings, and a few very different positive connotations. 1. Destroy, devastate (literally or emotionally) As chuvas arrasaram a Região Serrana do Rio. The rains devastated Rio’s mountain region. A…