Text+Footnote View: click or hover annotations below. To hear the audio for individual words+sentences click buttons above.
Lição1
Lição
PHONETICS: the consonant "C" and the cedilha "Ç"
The consonant "C" is pronounced like the 'c' in 'candy':
- Before the vowels "A," "O," and "U."
Ex.: casa; coisa cuca
The consonant "C" has the sound of 's':
- Before the vowels "E"and "I"
Ex.: cento cinto
Before the vowels "A," "O," and "U," the cedilha (Ç) gives "C" the sound of 's':
Ex.: caça moço cupuaçu
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
um (1):
NO2
NO
PREPOSITIONS: NO, NA, NOS, NAS
NO means 'IN+THE' [masc] or 'AT+THE' [masc] or 'ON+THE' [masc].
Similarly,
NA means 'IN+THE' [fem] or 'AT+THE' [fem] or 'ON+THE' [fem].
Thus, in this lesson
we see NO aeroporto (o aeroporto), At the airport
and NA cidade (a cidade), In the city
_______________________________________________________________________________
For the masculine plural, there is NOS Ex.: nos aeroportos
And for the feminine plural, there is NAS Ex.: nas cidades
_______________________________________________________________________________
OTHER EXAMPLES:
O livro está NA mesa 'the book is ON THE table'
Os livros estão NAS caixas 'the books are IN THE boxes'
Ele está NO cinema 'he is AT THE movies'
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
AEROPORTO3
AEROPORTO
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
"Informamos a chegada do avião da
Varig4
Varig
BRAZILIAN THINGS: Airlines
VARIG is one of the main airline companies in Brazil. The other two main companies are VASP and TRANSBRASIL.
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
, vôo 123, procedente de Chicago. Senhores passageiros sejam bem-vindos ao
Recife5
Recife
BRAZILIAN CITIES: Recife
Recife is the capital of the state of Pernambuco, located on the northeast coast of Brazil.
Its population is close to 2 million people.
Recife is famous for its beautiful beaches, historical cities, and rich culture.
TEST YOURSELF:
Look at the map of Brazil in "THE PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE" and locate RECIFE.
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
!"
...........................................................................................................
15 minutos mais tarde, Pedrinho chega ao setor de "Desembarque Internacional" do aeroporto. Ele acena para
uma6
uma
The INDEFINITE ARTICLES (a, an)
UM - when the noun is masculine singular Ex.: um livro; um carro
UMA - when the noun is feminine singular Ex.: uma moça; uma casa.
UNS - when the noun is masculine plural Ex.: uns livros; uns carros.
UMAS - when the noun is feminine plural Ex.: umas moças; umas casas.
Note: UNS and UMAS are equivalent to SOME in English.
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
moça.
Pedrinho7
Pedrinho
NAMES AND NICKNAMES
'Pedrinho' is the nickname for 'Pedro.'
Other common Brazilian names are:
For males: Antonio, José, Alberto, Fábio, João, Lucas, Marcos, Marcelo, Fernando, Jorge, Nelson.
For females: Tereza, Maria, Maria de Lourdes, Severina, Luísa, Vera, Inês, Joana, Celeste, Carolina.
______________________________________________________________________________
Many nicknames are made by the addition of a suffix to the name:
-INHO or -ZINHO (for males); and -INHA or -ZINHA (for females).
Example: João -> Joãozinho; Vera -> Verinha
(which literally means: 'little João,' 'little Vera')
However, when we call João as Joãozinho we do not necessarily mean João is a little kid. He may or may not be one. The suffix is mainly used to show affection.
______________________________________________________________________________
NOTE: when you add -INHO or -INHA to a name which ends in a vowel, like Vera (above), this vowel may be dropped.
Thus, Tereza->Terezinha (drop "a"); Pedro->Pedrinho (drop "o")
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
: Helen, aqui!
Moça:
O quê?8
O quê?
ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION
"O Quê?" 'What?' 'Pardon?'
This is one way to show that you did not hear or did not understand something.
Another common way: "Como?" 'How's that?'
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
P:
Desculpe9
Desculpe
DRAWING SOMEONE'S ATTENTION
"Desculpe," 'excuse me,' can be used in several ways. One way is:
* To draw someone's attention: "Desculpe, você é a Helen?"
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
,
você10
você
The PERSONAL PRONOUNS
EU (I)
(Tu) (you, sing.) - used in specific geographical areas in Brazil.
VOCÊ (you, sing.)
ELE / ELA (he / she)
NÓS (we)
(Vós) (you, pl.) - used in prayers, sermons, and very formal speeches.
VOCÊS (you, pl.)
ELES / ELAS (they)
There is no personal pronoun "IT" in Portuguese (we will see more about that later).
______________________________________________________________________________
ATTENTION: although referring to the SECOND person (you), the forms
VOCÊ and VOCÊS take the VERB in the THIRD person
(the same verb forms of "he/she" and "they").
Observe the present tense of verb SER (to be) below:
EU sou NÓS somos
VOCÊ é VOCÊS são
ELE/ELA é ELES/ELAS são
_____________________________________________________________________________
NOTE: due to limited use, the forms "TU" and "VÓS" will not be used in this course.
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
é11
é
TO BE (SER)
The English verb TO BE can be translated by two verbs in Portuguese: SER and ESTAR.
Now you will learn about SER and later you will learn about ESTAR and the differences between the two verbs.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Verb SER, 'to be' (irregular):
PRESENT TENSE
Eu sou 'I am'
Você é 'You are'
Ele / Ela é 'He / She is'
Nós somos 'We are'
Vocês são 'You are'
Eles / Elas são 'They are'
_______________________________________________________________________________
Examples: eu sou morena; ele é Paulo; ela é americana
nós somos brasileiros; elas são bonitas; eles são altos.
NOTE: as you saw in "THE PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE," one of the most important cities in Brazil is São Paulo. The word "são" in São Paulo means "saint" (as in St. Paul) and is NOT related in any way to the word "são" meaning 'are.'
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
a12
a
ARTIGOS DEFINIDOS, Definite Articles
GÊNERO e NÚMERO, Gender and Number of nouns
In English there is only one Definite Article (THE) used with all nouns.
In Portuguese there are four Definite Articles. The articles match the noun's GENDER (either masculine or feminine) and NUMBER (either singular or plural).
DEFINITE ARTICLES
O - the: masculine, singular Ex.: o inferno; o carro
A - the: feminine, singular Ex.: a cidade; a mala
OS - the: masculine, plural Ex.: os carros; os infernos
AS - the: feminine, plural Ex.: as malas; as cidades
______________________________________________________________________________
GENDER
In Portuguese all nouns are either masculine or feminine. There is no explanation why "the pen" is feminine (a caneta) and "the book" is masculine (o livro).
* As a general rule, nouns ending in -A are feminine and nouns ending in -O are masculine.
Ex.: o moço -> a moça o menino -> a menina
* Words ending in -OR or -ÊS (masc.) add A (fem.)
Ex.: o inglês -> a inglesa o francês -> a francesa o senhor -> a senhora
* In some cases different words are used.
Ex.: o pai -> a mãe o homem -> a mulher
* The best way to learn is to memorize the article together with the noun.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_
Note: In Portuguese it is common to use the article before PERSONAL NAMES:
Ex: O José; a Sandra; o Roberto; a Ana.
_______________
TEST YOURSELF: Look at the text and find a personal name preceded by an article.
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
Helen?
M: Não.
P: Ah...
Desculpe13
Desculpe
ASKING TO BE EXCUSED
We already learned that "desculpe" can be used to attract another person's attention.
However, in this example "desculpe" is used in a different way:
* After an action you want to be excused from:
Ex.: "Ah... Desculpe." "Desculpe o atraso."
_______________
TEST YOURSELF: identify both cases of "desculpe" in the text and compare them.
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
. Eu...
M: Não tem problema.
Pedrinho lembra:
P: Helen é
alta, morena, cabelo castanho comprido, gordinha.14
alta, morena, cabelo castanho comprido, gordinha.
ADJETIVOS, Adjectives
Some adjectives used for PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS:
"alto/alta," "baixo/baixa" = tall, short
"magro/magra," "gordo/gorda" = skinny, fat
"o/a jovem," "velho/velha" = young, old
"Gordinho(a)," literally 'a little bit overweight,' is an affectionate way to say someone is not skinny.
You can describe a person by
the HAIR (o CABELO):
-cor (color) = preto (black), castanho (brown), louro (blond), grisalho (gray)
-tipo (type) = liso (straight), ondulado (wavy), encaracolado ((curly)
-tamanho (size)= curto (short), médio (medium), comprido (long).
the EYES (os OLHOS):
castanhos (brown), pretos (black), verdes (green), azuis (blue).
the SKIN (a PELE):
preta (black), morena (dark), branca (white).
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
..
P:
Com licença15
Com licença
More on ASKING TO BE EXCUSED
The English "excuse me" can be translated into two forms:
'desculpe' and 'com licença.'
* BOTH FORMS ARE USED TO DRAW OTHER PEOPLE'S ATTENTION:
Ex: Desculpe, você é o Renato? Com licença, você é o Renato?
______________________________________________________________________________
* BOTH FORMS ARE USED TO ASK TO BE EXCUSED, as well.
In this case, however, these expressions are used in different ways:
1) -USE "COM LICENÇA" (literally, 'with permission') BEFORE the action you want to be excused from. For instance, before leaving the table while other people are still eating.
(The answer for "COM LICENÇA" is "POIS NÃO.")
2) -USE "DESCULPE" (as 'I'm sorry') AFTER the action you want to be excused from.
For instance, when unintentionally bumping into someone.
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
... Helen?
Helen: Sim! Você é o Pedro?
P: Sou. Pedro Rodrigues.
H: Muito prazer.
P:
O prazer é meu16
O prazer é meu
INTRODUCING YOURSELF
People often introduce themselves (usually with a handshake) at a party, in a new classroom, or in a new neighborhood. Ex.:
At a party: In a classroom:
-Oi, sou a Renata. -Meu nome é Fábio. Como é seu nome?
-Muito prazer. Cláudio. -Tânia. Prazer.
-Prazer. -O prazer é meu.
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
.
Eles apertam
as mãos17
as mãos
PLURAL OF NOUNS
The general rule to form the plural of nouns:
- add an "s" to the singular word.
Ex.: moça -> moçaS mão -> mãoS carro -> carroS
- remember, the adjective agrees with the noun in relation to both gender and number (sing. or plural).
Ex.: moça bonita -> moçaS bonitaS carro pequeno -> carroS pequenoS
_______________
TEST YOURSELF: Look in the text and find two words in the plural which are different from those in the examples above.
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
e Pedrinho
beija18
beija
BRAZILIAN WAY: Greetings
Brazilians usually greet each other (two women, or a man and a woman) with kisses on the cheek (one on each side). Two men just shake hands and/or hug, tapping on each other's back or shoulder.
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
Helen na face.
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
P:
Bem-vinda19
Bem-vinda
WELCOMING PEOPLE
Remember: "welcome" in Portuguese depends on who you are talking to.
If you are talking...
To one man: "BEM-VINDO" To more than one man: "BEM-VINDOS"
To one woman: "BEM-VINDA" To more than one woman: "BEM-VINDAS"
When you have both genders, use the masculine plural: "BEM-VINDOS"
_______________
TEST YOURSELF:
Did you notice the different endings in the examples above?
Find another "welcome" in the text of the lesson. To whom is it directed?
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
ao
Brasil20
Brasil
FONÉTICA: The consonant "L"
The consonant "L" is pronounced as in English when it comes BEFORE A VOWEL.
Ex.: lulu; falo; lá.
However, BEFORE A CONSONANT and AT THE END of the word it sounds like /u/ or /w/
Thus, the word 'Brasil' is pronounced as /braziu/.
____________
Other examples:
Before a consonant: FALTA ALGUÉM
At the end of the word: FÁCIL ANEL PAPEL BARRIL
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
!
H: Obrigada!
P: Desculpe
o atraso21
o atraso
BRAZILIAN WAY: O Atraso, The Delay
Brazilians are often late for their appointments, particularly social ones. For most Brazilians, 15-30 minutes delay is accepted and thus is not impolite. However, they usually explain the reason for the delay and ask to be excused.
Ex.: Desculpe o atraso. O trânsito na cidade é um inferno!
_______________
TEST YOURSELF: Who was late in the dialogue? How late?
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
. O trânsito
na22
na
PREPOSITIONS: NO, NA, NOS, NAS
NO means 'IN+THE' [masc] or 'AT+THE' [masc] or 'ON+THE' [masc].
Similarly,
NA means 'IN+THE' [fem] or 'AT+THE' [fem] or 'ON+THE' [fem].
Thus, in this lesson
we see NO aeroporto ('aeroporto' is masculine: o aeroporto)
and NA cidade ('cidade' is feminine: a cidade)
_______________________________________________________________________________
For masculine plural, there is NOS Ex.: nos aeroportos
And for feminine plural, there is NAS Ex.: nas cidades
_______________________________________________________________________________
OTHER EXAMPLES:
O livro está NA mesa 'the book is ON the table'
Os livros estão NAS caixas 'the books are IN the boxes'
Ele está NO cinema 'he is AT the movies'
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
cidade é
um23
um
The INDEFINITE ARTICLES (a, an)
UM - when the noun is masculine singular. Ex.: um livro; um carro
UMA - when the noun is feminine singular Ex.: uma moça; uma casa.
UNS - when the noun is masculine plural Ex.: uns livros; uns carros.
UMAS - when the noun is feminine plural Ex.: umas moças; umas casas.
Note: UNS and UMAS are equivalent to SOME in English.
ATTENTION: the indefinite article masc. sing. (UM) and the number one (UM) are spelled and pronounced the same way.
_______________
TEST YOURSELF: find an indefinite article fem. sing. in the text.
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
inferno!
H:
Não tem importância24
Não tem importância
REPLYING TO OTHER PEOPLE'S EXCUSES
When someone says "Desculpe" ('excuse me'), you can answer in various ways:
Não foi nada (literally, 'it was nothing').
Não tem problema (literally, 'there is no problem').
Não há de quê (literally, 'there is no reason for it').
Não faz mal (literally, 'it does not do any harm').
Or, as in this lesson: "Não tem importância." (literally, 'it's not important').
_______________
TEST YOURSELF Look in the text and find another case of 'desculpe' followed by one of the answers above.
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
!
P:
Vamos25
Vamos
Verb IR, 'to go' (irregular)
PRESENT TENSE
eu vou 'I go'
você vai 'you go'
ele / ela vai 'he / she goes'
nós vamos 'we go'
vocês vão 'you go'
eles / elas vão 'they go'
______________________________________________________________________________
The expression 'Vamos...' is equivalent to 'Let's....'
Ex.: Vamos dançar! 'Let's dance'
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
levar as malas
para o26
para o
PREPOSITION "PARA" + the DEFINITE ARTICLES
PARA (TO) + O (THE) Para o cinema
PARA (TO) + A (THE) Para a cidade
PARA (TO) + OS (THE) Para os teatros
PARA (TO) + AS (THE) Para as casas
"PRO" - is an informal contracted way of saying "PARA O" ('TO THE [masc]')
Ex.: Vamos para o (pro) cinema!; Vamos para o (pro) circo!
"PRA" - is an informal contracted way of saying "PARA A" ('TO THE [fem]')
Ex.: Vamos para a (pra) casa; Vamos para a (pra) cidade
_______________________________________________________________________________
The plural forms are PARA OS (informally, "pros")
and PARA AS (informally, "pras")
_______________________________________________________________________________
NOTE:
* In FORMAL written Portuguese always use "PARA O" and "PARA A"
* In INFORMAL writing you may use either form, although PARA O/A is preferred.
A current general tendency is that people use PARA O/A in informal writing but say PRO/PRA when they read it..
_______________
TEST YOURSELF: find a sentence with 'para' (fem.) in the text.
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
carro.
H: Elas são muito grandes.
P: Não tem problema. Vamos para casa!
H: Ótimo.
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
The 5 vowels: a - e - i - o - u
The 7 oral vowel sounds27
The 7 oral vowel sounds
AS VOGAIS ORAIS, The oral vowels
There are 5 VOWELS in Portuguese: a - e - i - o - u
However, there are 7 "oral vowel sounds": /a/, /é/, /ê/, /i/, /ó/, /ô/, /u/
Practice the following words:
/a/ casa, mala, fala
/é/ café, José, belo
/ê/ você, prazer, o quê?
/i/ ri, vida, Sílvia
/ó/ avó, só, pó
/ô/ avô, alô, flor
If the word has an accent, you can tell whether the vowel is open (with ') or closed (with ^ ).
Otherwise, you need to listen and learn the correct pronunciation of each word.
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
: /a/, /é/, /ê/, /i/, /ó/, /ô/, /u/
AGORA VOCÊ SABE28
AGORA VOCÊ SABE
Now you know:
HOW TO USE PORTUGUESE TO: introduce yourself; greet people; excuse yourself; reply to other people's excuses; draw someone's attention; welcome people; give physical description; ask for clarification.
PORTUGUESE GRAMMAR: gender and number of nouns; definite and indefinite articles; personal pronouns; verb 'to be' (SER); verb 'to go' (IR); expressions: Vamos... (Let's...); adjectives to describe people; prepositions: PARA O(OS), PARA A(AS), NO, NA, NOS, NAS.
New verbs: chegar; acenar; lembrar; ter; apertar; beijar.
PORTUGUESE PHONETICS: the oral vowel sounds; the consonant "l."
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
'now you know'
PRATIQUE MAIS29
PRATIQUE MAIS
1- COMPARE THE WAY PEOPLE DO THINGS
IN PORTUGUESE (in the lesson) AND IN YOUR LANGUAGE:
-How do you introduce yourself in your language?
-How do you draw other people's attention in your country?
2- DESCRIBING PEOPLE
a- How do you describe yourself? List four adjectives.
b- Think of other people you know (friends, relatives, etc.) and describe them also.
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
'further practice'
CANTADO COM KAIA 'singing with Kaia
CANTADO COM KAIA 'singing with Kaia
Click outside of this box to return to the lesson
'
▲ Hide Footnotes
-
Lição
PHONETICS: the consonant "C" and the cedilha "Ç"
The consonant "C" is pronounced like the 'c' in 'candy':
- Before the vowels "A," "O," and "U."
Ex.: casa; coisa cuca
The consonant "C" has the sound of 's':
- Before the vowels "E"and "I"
Ex.: cento cinto
Before the vowels "A," "O," and "U," the cedilha (Ç) gives "C" the sound of 's':
Ex.: caça moço cupuaçu
-
NO
PREPOSITIONS: NO, NA, NOS, NAS
NO means 'IN+THE' [masc] or 'AT+THE' [masc] or 'ON+THE' [masc].
Similarly,
NA means 'IN+THE' [fem] or 'AT+THE' [fem] or 'ON+THE' [fem].
Thus, in this lesson
we see NO aeroporto (o aeroporto), At the airport
and NA cidade (a cidade), In the city
_______________________________________________________________________________
For the masculine plural, there is NOS Ex.: nos aeroportos
And for the feminine plural, there is NAS Ex.: nas cidades
_______________________________________________________________________________
OTHER EXAMPLES:
O livro está NA mesa 'the book is ON THE table'
Os livros estão NAS caixas 'the books are IN THE boxes'
Ele está NO cinema 'he is AT THE movies'
-
AEROPORTO
-
Varig
BRAZILIAN THINGS: Airlines
VARIG is one of the main airline companies in Brazil. The other two main companies are VASP and TRANSBRASIL.
-
Recife
BRAZILIAN CITIES: Recife
Recife is the capital of the state of Pernambuco, located on the northeast coast of Brazil.
Its population is close to 2 million people.
Recife is famous for its beautiful beaches, historical cities, and rich culture.
TEST YOURSELF:
Look at the map of Brazil in "THE PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE" and locate RECIFE.
-
uma
The INDEFINITE ARTICLES (a, an)
UM - when the noun is masculine singular Ex.: um livro; um carro
UMA - when the noun is feminine singular Ex.: uma moça; uma casa.
UNS - when the noun is masculine plural Ex.: uns livros; uns carros.
UMAS - when the noun is feminine plural Ex.: umas moças; umas casas.
Note: UNS and UMAS are equivalent to SOME in English.
-
Pedrinho
NAMES AND NICKNAMES
'Pedrinho' is the nickname for 'Pedro.'
Other common Brazilian names are:
For males: Antonio, José, Alberto, Fábio, João, Lucas, Marcos, Marcelo, Fernando, Jorge, Nelson.
For females: Tereza, Maria, Maria de Lourdes, Severina, Luísa, Vera, Inês, Joana, Celeste, Carolina.
______________________________________________________________________________
Many nicknames are made by the addition of a suffix to the name:
-INHO or -ZINHO (for males); and -INHA or -ZINHA (for females).
Example: João -> Joãozinho; Vera -> Verinha
(which literally means: 'little João,' 'little Vera')
However, when we call João as Joãozinho we do not necessarily mean João is a little kid. He may or may not be one. The suffix is mainly used to show affection.
______________________________________________________________________________
NOTE: when you add -INHO or -INHA to a name which ends in a vowel, like Vera (above), this vowel may be dropped.
Thus, Tereza->Terezinha (drop "a"); Pedro->Pedrinho (drop "o")
-
O quê?
ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION
"O Quê?" 'What?' 'Pardon?'
This is one way to show that you did not hear or did not understand something.
Another common way: "Como?" 'How's that?'
-
Desculpe
DRAWING SOMEONE'S ATTENTION
"Desculpe," 'excuse me,' can be used in several ways. One way is:
* To draw someone's attention: "Desculpe, você é a Helen?"
-
você
The PERSONAL PRONOUNS
EU (I)
(Tu) (you, sing.) - used in specific geographical areas in Brazil.
VOCÊ (you, sing.)
ELE / ELA (he / she)
NÓS (we)
(Vós) (you, pl.) - used in prayers, sermons, and very formal speeches.
VOCÊS (you, pl.)
ELES / ELAS (they)
There is no personal pronoun "IT" in Portuguese (we will see more about that later).
______________________________________________________________________________
ATTENTION: although referring to the SECOND person (you), the forms
VOCÊ and VOCÊS take the VERB in the THIRD person
(the same verb forms of "he/she" and "they").
Observe the present tense of verb SER (to be) below:
EU sou NÓS somos
VOCÊ é VOCÊS são
ELE/ELA é ELES/ELAS são
_____________________________________________________________________________
NOTE: due to limited use, the forms "TU" and "VÓS" will not be used in this course.
-
é
TO BE (SER)
The English verb TO BE can be translated by two verbs in Portuguese: SER and ESTAR.
Now you will learn about SER and later you will learn about ESTAR and the differences between the two verbs.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Verb SER, 'to be' (irregular):
PRESENT TENSE
Eu sou 'I am'
Você é 'You are'
Ele / Ela é 'He / She is'
Nós somos 'We are'
Vocês são 'You are'
Eles / Elas são 'They are'
_______________________________________________________________________________
Examples: eu sou morena; ele é Paulo; ela é americana
nós somos brasileiros; elas são bonitas; eles são altos.
NOTE: as you saw in "THE PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE," one of the most important cities in Brazil is São Paulo. The word "são" in São Paulo means "saint" (as in St. Paul) and is NOT related in any way to the word "são" meaning 'are.'
-
a
ARTIGOS DEFINIDOS, Definite Articles
GÊNERO e NÚMERO, Gender and Number of nouns
In English there is only one Definite Article (THE) used with all nouns.
In Portuguese there are four Definite Articles. The articles match the noun's GENDER (either masculine or feminine) and NUMBER (either singular or plural).
DEFINITE ARTICLES
O - the: masculine, singular Ex.: o inferno; o carro
A - the: feminine, singular Ex.: a cidade; a mala
OS - the: masculine, plural Ex.: os carros; os infernos
AS - the: feminine, plural Ex.: as malas; as cidades
______________________________________________________________________________
GENDER
In Portuguese all nouns are either masculine or feminine. There is no explanation why "the pen" is feminine (a caneta) and "the book" is masculine (o livro).
* As a general rule, nouns ending in -A are feminine and nouns ending in -O are masculine.
Ex.: o moço -> a moça o menino -> a menina
* Words ending in -OR or -ÊS (masc.) add A (fem.)
Ex.: o inglês -> a inglesa o francês -> a francesa o senhor -> a senhora
* In some cases different words are used.
Ex.: o pai -> a mãe o homem -> a mulher
* The best way to learn is to memorize the article together with the noun.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_
Note: In Portuguese it is common to use the article before PERSONAL NAMES:
Ex: O José; a Sandra; o Roberto; a Ana.
_______________
TEST YOURSELF: Look at the text and find a personal name preceded by an article.
-
Desculpe
ASKING TO BE EXCUSED
We already learned that "desculpe" can be used to attract another person's attention.
However, in this example "desculpe" is used in a different way:
* After an action you want to be excused from:
Ex.: "Ah... Desculpe." "Desculpe o atraso."
_______________
TEST YOURSELF: identify both cases of "desculpe" in the text and compare them.
-
alta, morena, cabelo castanho comprido, gordinha.
ADJETIVOS, Adjectives
Some adjectives used for PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS:
"alto/alta," "baixo/baixa" = tall, short
"magro/magra," "gordo/gorda" = skinny, fat
"o/a jovem," "velho/velha" = young, old
"Gordinho(a)," literally 'a little bit overweight,' is an affectionate way to say someone is not skinny.
You can describe a person by
the HAIR (o CABELO):
-cor (color) = preto (black), castanho (brown), louro (blond), grisalho (gray)
-tipo (type) = liso (straight), ondulado (wavy), encaracolado ((curly)
-tamanho (size)= curto (short), médio (medium), comprido (long).
the EYES (os OLHOS):
castanhos (brown), pretos (black), verdes (green), azuis (blue).
the SKIN (a PELE):
preta (black), morena (dark), branca (white).
-
Com licença
More on ASKING TO BE EXCUSED
The English "excuse me" can be translated into two forms:
'desculpe' and 'com licença.'
* BOTH FORMS ARE USED TO DRAW OTHER PEOPLE'S ATTENTION:
Ex: Desculpe, você é o Renato? Com licença, você é o Renato?
______________________________________________________________________________
* BOTH FORMS ARE USED TO ASK TO BE EXCUSED, as well.
In this case, however, these expressions are used in different ways:
1) -USE "COM LICENÇA" (literally, 'with permission') BEFORE the action you want to be excused from. For instance, before leaving the table while other people are still eating.
(The answer for "COM LICENÇA" is "POIS NÃO.")
2) -USE "DESCULPE" (as 'I'm sorry') AFTER the action you want to be excused from.
For instance, when unintentionally bumping into someone.
-
O prazer é meu
INTRODUCING YOURSELF
People often introduce themselves (usually with a handshake) at a party, in a new classroom, or in a new neighborhood. Ex.:
At a party: In a classroom:
-Oi, sou a Renata. -Meu nome é Fábio. Como é seu nome?
-Muito prazer. Cláudio. -Tânia. Prazer.
-Prazer. -O prazer é meu.
-
as mãos
PLURAL OF NOUNS
The general rule to form the plural of nouns:
- add an "s" to the singular word.
Ex.: moça -> moçaS mão -> mãoS carro -> carroS
- remember, the adjective agrees with the noun in relation to both gender and number (sing. or plural).
Ex.: moça bonita -> moçaS bonitaS carro pequeno -> carroS pequenoS
_______________
TEST YOURSELF: Look in the text and find two words in the plural which are different from those in the examples above.
-
beija
BRAZILIAN WAY: Greetings
Brazilians usually greet each other (two women, or a man and a woman) with kisses on the cheek (one on each side). Two men just shake hands and/or hug, tapping on each other's back or shoulder.
-
Bem-vinda
WELCOMING PEOPLE
Remember: "welcome" in Portuguese depends on who you are talking to.
If you are talking...
To one man: "BEM-VINDO" To more than one man: "BEM-VINDOS"
To one woman: "BEM-VINDA" To more than one woman: "BEM-VINDAS"
When you have both genders, use the masculine plural: "BEM-VINDOS"
_______________
TEST YOURSELF:
Did you notice the different endings in the examples above?
Find another "welcome" in the text of the lesson. To whom is it directed?
-
Brasil
FONÉTICA: The consonant "L"
The consonant "L" is pronounced as in English when it comes BEFORE A VOWEL.
Ex.: lulu; falo; lá.
However, BEFORE A CONSONANT and AT THE END of the word it sounds like /u/ or /w/
Thus, the word 'Brasil' is pronounced as /braziu/.
____________
Other examples:
Before a consonant: FALTA ALGUÉM
At the end of the word: FÁCIL ANEL PAPEL BARRIL
-
o atraso
BRAZILIAN WAY: O Atraso, The Delay
Brazilians are often late for their appointments, particularly social ones. For most Brazilians, 15-30 minutes delay is accepted and thus is not impolite. However, they usually explain the reason for the delay and ask to be excused.
Ex.: Desculpe o atraso. O trânsito na cidade é um inferno!
_______________
TEST YOURSELF: Who was late in the dialogue? How late?
-
na
PREPOSITIONS: NO, NA, NOS, NAS
NO means 'IN+THE' [masc] or 'AT+THE' [masc] or 'ON+THE' [masc].
Similarly,
NA means 'IN+THE' [fem] or 'AT+THE' [fem] or 'ON+THE' [fem].
Thus, in this lesson
we see NO aeroporto ('aeroporto' is masculine: o aeroporto)
and NA cidade ('cidade' is feminine: a cidade)
_______________________________________________________________________________
For masculine plural, there is NOS Ex.: nos aeroportos
And for feminine plural, there is NAS Ex.: nas cidades
_______________________________________________________________________________
OTHER EXAMPLES:
O livro está NA mesa 'the book is ON the table'
Os livros estão NAS caixas 'the books are IN the boxes'
Ele está NO cinema 'he is AT the movies'
-
um
The INDEFINITE ARTICLES (a, an)
UM - when the noun is masculine singular. Ex.: um livro; um carro
UMA - when the noun is feminine singular Ex.: uma moça; uma casa.
UNS - when the noun is masculine plural Ex.: uns livros; uns carros.
UMAS - when the noun is feminine plural Ex.: umas moças; umas casas.
Note: UNS and UMAS are equivalent to SOME in English.
ATTENTION: the indefinite article masc. sing. (UM) and the number one (UM) are spelled and pronounced the same way.
_______________
TEST YOURSELF: find an indefinite article fem. sing. in the text.
-
Não tem importância
REPLYING TO OTHER PEOPLE'S EXCUSES
When someone says "Desculpe" ('excuse me'), you can answer in various ways:
Não foi nada (literally, 'it was nothing').
Não tem problema (literally, 'there is no problem').
Não há de quê (literally, 'there is no reason for it').
Não faz mal (literally, 'it does not do any harm').
Or, as in this lesson: "Não tem importância." (literally, 'it's not important').
_______________
TEST YOURSELF Look in the text and find another case of 'desculpe' followed by one of the answers above.
-
Vamos
Verb IR, 'to go' (irregular)
PRESENT TENSE
eu vou 'I go'
você vai 'you go'
ele / ela vai 'he / she goes'
nós vamos 'we go'
vocês vão 'you go'
eles / elas vão 'they go'
______________________________________________________________________________
The expression 'Vamos...' is equivalent to 'Let's....'
Ex.: Vamos dançar! 'Let's dance'
-
para o
PREPOSITION "PARA" + the DEFINITE ARTICLES
PARA (TO) + O (THE) Para o cinema
PARA (TO) + A (THE) Para a cidade
PARA (TO) + OS (THE) Para os teatros
PARA (TO) + AS (THE) Para as casas
"PRO" - is an informal contracted way of saying "PARA O" ('TO THE [masc]')
Ex.: Vamos para o (pro) cinema!; Vamos para o (pro) circo!
"PRA" - is an informal contracted way of saying "PARA A" ('TO THE [fem]')
Ex.: Vamos para a (pra) casa; Vamos para a (pra) cidade
_______________________________________________________________________________
The plural forms are PARA OS (informally, "pros")
and PARA AS (informally, "pras")
_______________________________________________________________________________
NOTE:
* In FORMAL written Portuguese always use "PARA O" and "PARA A"
* In INFORMAL writing you may use either form, although PARA O/A is preferred.
A current general tendency is that people use PARA O/A in informal writing but say PRO/PRA when they read it..
_______________
TEST YOURSELF: find a sentence with 'para' (fem.) in the text.
-
The 7 oral vowel sounds
AS VOGAIS ORAIS, The oral vowels
There are 5 VOWELS in Portuguese: a - e - i - o - u
However, there are 7 "oral vowel sounds": /a/, /é/, /ê/, /i/, /ó/, /ô/, /u/
Practice the following words:
/a/ casa, mala, fala
/é/ café, José, belo
/ê/ você, prazer, o quê?
/i/ ri, vida, Sílvia
/ó/ avó, só, pó
/ô/ avô, alô, flor
If the word has an accent, you can tell whether the vowel is open (with ') or closed (with ^ ).
Otherwise, you need to listen and learn the correct pronunciation of each word.
-
AGORA VOCÊ SABE
Now you know:
HOW TO USE PORTUGUESE TO: introduce yourself; greet people; excuse yourself; reply to other people's excuses; draw someone's attention; welcome people; give physical description; ask for clarification.
PORTUGUESE GRAMMAR: gender and number of nouns; definite and indefinite articles; personal pronouns; verb 'to be' (SER); verb 'to go' (IR); expressions: Vamos... (Let's...); adjectives to describe people; prepositions: PARA O(OS), PARA A(AS), NO, NA, NOS, NAS.
New verbs: chegar; acenar; lembrar; ter; apertar; beijar.
PORTUGUESE PHONETICS: the oral vowel sounds; the consonant "l."
-
PRATIQUE MAIS
1- COMPARE THE WAY PEOPLE DO THINGS
IN PORTUGUESE (in the lesson) AND IN YOUR LANGUAGE:
-How do you introduce yourself in your language?
-How do you draw other people's attention in your country?
2- DESCRIBING PEOPLE
a- How do you describe yourself? List four adjectives.
b- Think of other people you know (friends, relatives, etc.) and describe them also.
The consonant "C" is pronounced like the 'c' in 'candy':
- Before the vowels "A," "O," and "U."
Ex.: casa; coisa cuca
The consonant "C" has the sound of 's':
- Before the vowels "E"and "I"
Ex.: cento cinto
Before the vowels "A," "O," and "U," the cedilha (Ç) gives "C" the sound of 's':
Ex.: caça moço cupuaçu
PREPOSITIONS: NO, NA, NOS, NAS
NO means 'IN+THE' [masc] or 'AT+THE' [masc] or 'ON+THE' [masc].
Similarly,
NA means 'IN+THE' [fem] or 'AT+THE' [fem] or 'ON+THE' [fem].
Thus, in this lesson
we see NO aeroporto (o aeroporto), At the airport
and NA cidade (a cidade), In the city
_______________________________________________________________________________
For the masculine plural, there is NOS Ex.: nos aeroportos
And for the feminine plural, there is NAS Ex.: nas cidades
_______________________________________________________________________________
OTHER EXAMPLES:
O livro está NA mesa 'the book is ON THE table'
Os livros estão NAS caixas 'the books are IN THE boxes'
Ele está NO cinema 'he is AT THE movies'

VARIG is one of the main airline companies in Brazil. The other two main companies are VASP and TRANSBRASIL.
BRAZILIAN CITIES: Recife
Recife is the capital of the state of Pernambuco, located on the northeast coast of Brazil.
Its population is close to 2 million people.
Recife is famous for its beautiful beaches, historical cities, and rich culture.
TEST YOURSELF:
Look at the map of Brazil in "THE PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE" and locate RECIFE.
The INDEFINITE ARTICLES (a, an)
UM - when the noun is masculine singular Ex.: um livro; um carro
UMA - when the noun is feminine singular Ex.: uma moça; uma casa.
UNS - when the noun is masculine plural Ex.: uns livros; uns carros.
UMAS - when the noun is feminine plural Ex.: umas moças; umas casas.
Note: UNS and UMAS are equivalent to SOME in English.
NAMES AND NICKNAMES
'Pedrinho' is the nickname for 'Pedro.'
Other common Brazilian names are:
For males: Antonio, José, Alberto, Fábio, João, Lucas, Marcos, Marcelo, Fernando, Jorge, Nelson.
For females: Tereza, Maria, Maria de Lourdes, Severina, Luísa, Vera, Inês, Joana, Celeste, Carolina.
______________________________________________________________________________
Many nicknames are made by the addition of a suffix to the name:
-INHO or -ZINHO (for males); and -INHA or -ZINHA (for females).
Example: João -> Joãozinho; Vera -> Verinha
(which literally means: 'little João,' 'little Vera')
However, when we call João as Joãozinho we do not necessarily mean João is a little kid. He may or may not be one. The suffix is mainly used to show affection.
______________________________________________________________________________
NOTE: when you add -INHO or -INHA to a name which ends in a vowel, like Vera (above), this vowel may be dropped.
Thus, Tereza->Terezinha (drop "a"); Pedro->Pedrinho (drop "o")
ASKING FOR CLARIFICATION
"O Quê?" 'What?' 'Pardon?'
This is one way to show that you did not hear or did not understand something.
Another common way: "Como?" 'How's that?'
DRAWING SOMEONE'S ATTENTION
"Desculpe," 'excuse me,' can be used in several ways. One way is:
* To draw someone's attention: "Desculpe, você é a Helen?"
The PERSONAL PRONOUNS
EU (I)
(Tu) (you, sing.) - used in specific geographical areas in Brazil.
VOCÊ (you, sing.)
ELE / ELA (he / she)
NÓS (we)
(Vós) (you, pl.) - used in prayers, sermons, and very formal speeches.
VOCÊS (you, pl.)
ELES / ELAS (they)
There is no personal pronoun "IT" in Portuguese (we will see more about that later).
______________________________________________________________________________
ATTENTION: although referring to the SECOND person (you), the forms
VOCÊ and VOCÊS take the VERB in the THIRD person
(the same verb forms of "he/she" and "they").
Observe the present tense of verb SER (to be) below:
EU sou NÓS somos
VOCÊ é VOCÊS são
ELE/ELA é ELES/ELAS são
_____________________________________________________________________________
NOTE: due to limited use, the forms "TU" and "VÓS" will not be used in this course.
TO BE (SER)
The English verb TO BE can be translated by two verbs in Portuguese: SER and ESTAR.
Now you will learn about SER and later you will learn about ESTAR and the differences between the two verbs.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Verb SER, 'to be' (irregular):
PRESENT TENSE
Eu sou 'I am'
Você é 'You are'
Ele / Ela é 'He / She is'
Nós somos 'We are'
Vocês são 'You are'
Eles / Elas são 'They are'
_______________________________________________________________________________
Examples: eu sou morena; ele é Paulo; ela é americana
nós somos brasileiros; elas são bonitas; eles são altos.
NOTE: as you saw in "THE PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE," one of the most important cities in Brazil is São Paulo. The word "são" in São Paulo means "saint" (as in St. Paul) and is NOT related in any way to the word "são" meaning 'are.'
ARTIGOS DEFINIDOS, Definite Articles
GÊNERO e NÚMERO, Gender and Number of nouns
In English there is only one Definite Article (THE) used with all nouns.
In Portuguese there are four Definite Articles. The articles match the noun's GENDER (either masculine or feminine) and NUMBER (either singular or plural).
DEFINITE ARTICLES
O - the: masculine, singular Ex.: o inferno; o carro
A - the: feminine, singular Ex.: a cidade; a mala
OS - the: masculine, plural Ex.: os carros; os infernos
AS - the: feminine, plural Ex.: as malas; as cidades
______________________________________________________________________________
GENDER
In Portuguese all nouns are either masculine or feminine. There is no explanation why "the pen" is feminine (a caneta) and "the book" is masculine (o livro).
* As a general rule, nouns ending in -A are feminine and nouns ending in -O are masculine.
Ex.: o moço -> a moça o menino -> a menina
* Words ending in -OR or -ÊS (masc.) add A (fem.)
Ex.: o inglês -> a inglesa o francês -> a francesa o senhor -> a senhora
* In some cases different words are used.
Ex.: o pai -> a mãe o homem -> a mulher
* The best way to learn is to memorize the article together with the noun.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_
Note: In Portuguese it is common to use the article before PERSONAL NAMES:
Ex: O José; a Sandra; o Roberto; a Ana.
_______________
TEST YOURSELF: Look at the text and find a personal name preceded by an article.
ASKING TO BE EXCUSED
We already learned that "desculpe" can be used to attract another person's attention.
However, in this example "desculpe" is used in a different way:
* After an action you want to be excused from:
Ex.: "Ah... Desculpe." "Desculpe o atraso."
_______________
TEST YOURSELF: identify both cases of "desculpe" in the text and compare them.
ADJETIVOS, Adjectives
Some adjectives used for PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS:
"alto/alta," "baixo/baixa" = tall, short
"magro/magra," "gordo/gorda" = skinny, fat
"o/a jovem," "velho/velha" = young, old
"Gordinho(a)," literally 'a little bit overweight,' is an affectionate way to say someone is not skinny.
You can describe a person by
the HAIR (o CABELO):
-cor (color) = preto (black), castanho (brown), louro (blond), grisalho (gray)
-tipo (type) = liso (straight), ondulado (wavy), encaracolado ((curly)
-tamanho (size)= curto (short), médio (medium), comprido (long).
the EYES (os OLHOS):
castanhos (brown), pretos (black), verdes (green), azuis (blue).
the SKIN (a PELE):
preta (black), morena (dark), branca (white).
More on ASKING TO BE EXCUSED
The English "excuse me" can be translated into two forms:
'desculpe' and 'com licença.'
* BOTH FORMS ARE USED TO DRAW OTHER PEOPLE'S ATTENTION:
Ex: Desculpe, você é o Renato? Com licença, você é o Renato?
______________________________________________________________________________
* BOTH FORMS ARE USED TO ASK TO BE EXCUSED, as well.
In this case, however, these expressions are used in different ways:
1) -USE "COM LICENÇA" (literally, 'with permission') BEFORE the action you want to be excused from. For instance, before leaving the table while other people are still eating.
(The answer for "COM LICENÇA" is "POIS NÃO.")
2) -USE "DESCULPE" (as 'I'm sorry') AFTER the action you want to be excused from.
For instance, when unintentionally bumping into someone.
INTRODUCING YOURSELF
People often introduce themselves (usually with a handshake) at a party, in a new classroom, or in a new neighborhood. Ex.:
At a party: In a classroom:
-Oi, sou a Renata. -Meu nome é Fábio. Como é seu nome?
-Muito prazer. Cláudio. -Tânia. Prazer.
-Prazer. -O prazer é meu.
PLURAL OF NOUNS
The general rule to form the plural of nouns:
- add an "s" to the singular word.
Ex.: moça -> moçaS mão -> mãoS carro -> carroS
- remember, the adjective agrees with the noun in relation to both gender and number (sing. or plural).
Ex.: moça bonita -> moçaS bonitaS carro pequeno -> carroS pequenoS
_______________
TEST YOURSELF: Look in the text and find two words in the plural which are different from those in the examples above.
BRAZILIAN WAY: Greetings
Brazilians usually greet each other (two women, or a man and a woman) with kisses on the cheek (one on each side). Two men just shake hands and/or hug, tapping on each other's back or shoulder.
WELCOMING PEOPLE
Remember: "welcome" in Portuguese depends on who you are talking to.
If you are talking...
To one man: "BEM-VINDO" To more than one man: "BEM-VINDOS"
To one woman: "BEM-VINDA" To more than one woman: "BEM-VINDAS"
When you have both genders, use the masculine plural: "BEM-VINDOS"
_______________
TEST YOURSELF:
Did you notice the different endings in the examples above?
Find another "welcome" in the text of the lesson. To whom is it directed?
FONÉTICA: The consonant "L"
The consonant "L" is pronounced as in English when it comes BEFORE A VOWEL.
Ex.: lulu; falo; lá.
However, BEFORE A CONSONANT and AT THE END of the word it sounds like /u/ or /w/
Thus, the word 'Brasil' is pronounced as /braziu/.
____________
Other examples:
Before a consonant: FALTA ALGUÉM
At the end of the word: FÁCIL ANEL PAPEL BARRIL
BRAZILIAN WAY: O Atraso, The Delay
Brazilians are often late for their appointments, particularly social ones. For most Brazilians, 15-30 minutes delay is accepted and thus is not impolite. However, they usually explain the reason for the delay and ask to be excused.
Ex.: Desculpe o atraso. O trânsito na cidade é um inferno!
_______________
TEST YOURSELF: Who was late in the dialogue? How late?
PREPOSITIONS: NO, NA, NOS, NAS
NO means 'IN+THE' [masc] or 'AT+THE' [masc] or 'ON+THE' [masc].
Similarly,
NA means 'IN+THE' [fem] or 'AT+THE' [fem] or 'ON+THE' [fem].
Thus, in this lesson
we see NO aeroporto ('aeroporto' is masculine: o aeroporto)
and NA cidade ('cidade' is feminine: a cidade)
_______________________________________________________________________________
For masculine plural, there is NOS Ex.: nos aeroportos
And for feminine plural, there is NAS Ex.: nas cidades
_______________________________________________________________________________
OTHER EXAMPLES:
O livro está NA mesa 'the book is ON the table'
Os livros estão NAS caixas 'the books are IN the boxes'
Ele está NO cinema 'he is AT the movies'
The INDEFINITE ARTICLES (a, an)
UM - when the noun is masculine singular. Ex.: um livro; um carro
UMA - when the noun is feminine singular Ex.: uma moça; uma casa.
UNS - when the noun is masculine plural Ex.: uns livros; uns carros.
UMAS - when the noun is feminine plural Ex.: umas moças; umas casas.
Note: UNS and UMAS are equivalent to SOME in English.
ATTENTION: the indefinite article masc. sing. (UM) and the number one (UM) are spelled and pronounced the same way.
_______________
TEST YOURSELF: find an indefinite article fem. sing. in the text.
REPLYING TO OTHER PEOPLE'S EXCUSES
When someone says "Desculpe" ('excuse me'), you can answer in various ways:
Não foi nada (literally, 'it was nothing').
Não tem problema (literally, 'there is no problem').
Não há de quê (literally, 'there is no reason for it').
Não faz mal (literally, 'it does not do any harm').
Or, as in this lesson: "Não tem importância." (literally, 'it's not important').
_______________
TEST YOURSELF Look in the text and find another case of 'desculpe' followed by one of the answers above.
Verb IR, 'to go' (irregular)
PRESENT TENSE
eu vou 'I go'
você vai 'you go'
ele / ela vai 'he / she goes'
nós vamos 'we go'
vocês vão 'you go'
eles / elas vão 'they go'
______________________________________________________________________________
The expression 'Vamos...' is equivalent to 'Let's....'
Ex.: Vamos dançar! 'Let's dance'
PREPOSITION "PARA" + the DEFINITE ARTICLES
PARA (TO) + O (THE) Para o cinema
PARA (TO) + A (THE) Para a cidade
PARA (TO) + OS (THE) Para os teatros
PARA (TO) + AS (THE) Para as casas
"PRO" - is an informal contracted way of saying "PARA O" ('TO THE [masc]')
Ex.: Vamos para o (pro) cinema!; Vamos para o (pro) circo!
"PRA" - is an informal contracted way of saying "PARA A" ('TO THE [fem]')
Ex.: Vamos para a (pra) casa; Vamos para a (pra) cidade
_______________________________________________________________________________
The plural forms are PARA OS (informally, "pros")
and PARA AS (informally, "pras")
_______________________________________________________________________________
NOTE:
* In FORMAL written Portuguese always use "PARA O" and "PARA A"
* In INFORMAL writing you may use either form, although PARA O/A is preferred.
A current general tendency is that people use PARA O/A in informal writing but say PRO/PRA when they read it..
_______________
TEST YOURSELF: find a sentence with 'para' (fem.) in the text.
AS VOGAIS ORAIS, The oral vowels
There are 5 VOWELS in Portuguese: a - e - i - o - u
However, there are 7 "oral vowel sounds": /a/, /é/, /ê/, /i/, /ó/, /ô/, /u/
Practice the following words:
/a/ casa, mala, fala
/é/ café, José, belo
/ê/ você, prazer, o quê?
/i/ ri, vida, Sílvia
/ó/ avó, só, pó
/ô/ avô, alô, flor
If the word has an accent, you can tell whether the vowel is open (with ') or closed (with ^ ).
Otherwise, you need to listen and learn the correct pronunciation of each word.
Now you know:
HOW TO USE PORTUGUESE TO: introduce yourself; greet people; excuse yourself; reply to other people's excuses; draw someone's attention; welcome people; give physical description; ask for clarification.
PORTUGUESE GRAMMAR: gender and number of nouns; definite and indefinite articles; personal pronouns; verb 'to be' (SER); verb 'to go' (IR); expressions: Vamos... (Let's...); adjectives to describe people; prepositions: PARA O(OS), PARA A(AS), NO, NA, NOS, NAS.
New verbs: chegar; acenar; lembrar; ter; apertar; beijar.
PORTUGUESE PHONETICS: the oral vowel sounds; the consonant "l."
1- COMPARE THE WAY PEOPLE DO THINGS
IN PORTUGUESE (in the lesson) AND IN YOUR LANGUAGE:
-How do you introduce yourself in your language?
-How do you draw other people's attention in your country?
2- DESCRIBING PEOPLE
a- How do you describe yourself? List four adjectives.
b- Think of other people you know (friends, relatives, etc.) and describe them also.
Portuguese: Word View, click below to listen
Lição um (1): NO AEROPORTO
"Informamos a chegada do avião da Varig, vôo 123, procedente de Chicago. Senhores passageiros sejam bem-vindos ao Recife!"
...........................................................................................................
15 minutos mais tarde, Pedrinho chega ao setor de "Desembarque Internacional" do aeroporto. Ele acena para uma moça.
Pedrinho: Helen, aqui!
Moça: O quê?
P: Desculpe, você é a Helen?
M: Não.
P: Ah... Desculpe. Eu...
M: Não tem problema.
Pedrinho lembra:
P: Helen é alta, morena, cabelo castanho comprido, gordinha...
P: Com licença... Helen?
Helen: Sim! Você é o Pedro?
P: Sou. Pedro Rodrigues.
H: Muito prazer.
P: O prazer é meu.
Eles apertam as mãos e Pedrinho beija Helen na face.
P: Bem-vinda ao Brasil!
H: Obrigada!
P: Desculpe o atraso. O trânsito na cidade é um inferno!
H: Não tem importância!
P: Vamos levar as malas para o carro.
H: Elas são muito grandes.
P: Não tem problema. Vamos para casa!
H: Ótimo.
The 5 vowels: a - e - i - o - u
The 7 oral vowel sounds: /a/, /é/, /ê/, /i/, /ó/, /ô/, /u/
AGORA VOCÊ SABE 'now you know' PRATIQUE MAIS 'further practice'
CANTADO COM KAIA 'singing with Kaia'
Portuguese: Sentence View, click below to listen
Lição um (1): NO AEROPORTO
"Informamos a chegada do avião da Varig, vôo 123, procedente de Chicago. Senhores passageiros sejam bem-vindos ao Recife!"
...........................................................................................................
15 minutos mais tarde, Pedrinho chega ao setor de "Desembarque Internacional" do aeroporto. Ele acena para uma moça.
Pedrinho: Helen, aqui!
Moça: O quê?
P: Desculpe, você é a Helen?
M: Não.
P: Ah... Desculpe. Eu...
M: Não tem problema.
Pedrinho lembra:
P: Helen é alta, morena, cabelo castanho comprido, gordinha...
P: Com licença... Helen?
Helen: Sim! Você é o Pedro?
P: Sou. Pedro Rodrigues.
H: Muito prazer.
P: O prazer é meu.
Eles apertam as mãos e Pedrinho beija Helen na face.
P: Bem-vinda ao Brasil!
H: Obrigada!
P: Desculpe o atraso. O trânsito na cidade é um inferno!
H: Não tem importância!
P: Vamos levar as malas para o carro.
H: Elas são muito grandes.
P: Não tem problema. Vamos para casa!
H: Ótimo.
The 5 vowels: a - e - i - o - u
The 7 oral vowel sounds: /a/, /é/, /ê/, /i/, /ó/, /ô/, /u/
AGORA VOCÊ SABE 'now you know' PRATIQUE MAIS 'further practice'
CANTADO COM KAIA 'singing with Kaia'
English: Word View, click below to listen
Lição um (1): NO AEROPORTO
"Informamos a chegada do avião da Varig, vôo 123, procedente de Chicago. Senhores passageiros sejam bem-vindos ao Recife!"
...........................................................................................................
15 minutos mais tarde, Pedrinho chega ao setor de "Desembarque Internacional" do aeroporto. Ele acena para uma moça.
Pedrinho: Helen, aqui!
Moça: O quê?
P: Desculpe, você é a Helen?
M: Não.
P: Ah... Desculpe. Eu...
M: Não tem problema.
Pedrinho lembra:
P: Helen é alta, morena, cabelo castanho comprido, gordinha...
P: Com licença... Helen?
Helen: Sim! Você é o Pedro?
P: Sou. Pedro Rodrigues.
H: Muito prazer.
P: O prazer é meu.
Eles apertam as mãos e Pedrinho beija Helen na face.
P: Bem-vinda ao Brasil!
H: Obrigada!
P: Desculpe o atraso. O trânsito na cidade é um inferno!
H: Não tem importância!
P: Vamos levar as malas para o carro.
H: Elas são muito grandes.
P: Não tem problema. Vamos para casa!
H: Ótimo.
The 5 vowels: a - e - i - o - u
The 7 oral vowel sounds: /a/, /é/, /ê/, /i/, /ó/, /ô/, /u/
AGORA VOCÊ SABE 'now you know' PRATIQUE MAIS 'further practice'
CANTADO COM KAIA 'singing with Kaia'
English: Sentence View, click below to listen
Lição um (1): NO AEROPORTO
"Informamos a chegada do avião da Varig, vôo 123, procedente de Chicago. Senhores passageiros sejam bem-vindos ao Recife!"
...........................................................................................................
15 minutos mais tarde, Pedrinho chega ao setor de "Desembarque Internacional" do aeroporto. Ele acena para uma moça.
Pedrinho: Helen, aqui!
Moça: O quê?
P: Desculpe, você é a Helen?
M: Não.
P: Ah... Desculpe. Eu...
M: Não tem problema.
Pedrinho lembra:
P: Helen é alta, morena, cabelo castanho comprido, gordinha...
P: Com licença... Helen?
Helen: Sim! Você é o Pedro?
P: Sou. Pedro Rodrigues.
H: Muito prazer.
P: O prazer é meu.
Eles apertam as mãos e Pedrinho beija Helen na face.
P: Bem-vinda ao Brasil!
H: Obrigada!
P: Desculpe o atraso. O trânsito na cidade é um inferno!
H: Não tem importância!
P: Vamos levar as malas para o carro.
H: Elas são muito grandes.
P: Não tem problema. Vamos para casa!
H: Ótimo.
The 5 vowels: a - e - i - o - u
The 7 oral vowel sounds: /a/, /é/, /ê/, /i/, /ó/, /ô/, /u/
AGORA VOCÊ SABE 'now you know' PRATIQUE MAIS 'further practice'
CANTADO COM KAIA 'singing with Kaia'