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How do you translate the English verb ‘to become’ into Portuguese?
Short Answer: it depends
Long Answer: It is very helpful to examine 5 common applications of to become and the most appropriate counterparts in Portuguese.
1. To represent a long gradual change, or a change that results from a great intellectual effort, use the phrasal verb chegar a ser.
- Ele chegou a ser chefe da empresa He became the head of the company.
2. A very Brazilian way of saying ‘to become,’ and one that connotes an unexpected or even negative evolution, is virar.
- Você virou pão duro? Have you become a cheapskate?
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This great article from the BBC (in English) details some of the recent growth of the Brazilian middle class.
The gist of the article is that stabilization of the Brazilian economy, particularly the currency (the Real) has provided increased lending opportunities and augmented the buying power of the lower classes. I am no economist, so I ought to let the article speak for itself, but I will note a few common pitfalls in examining the Brazilian middle class. One, it is always important to understand exactly how the middle class is being defined; what is described as middle class may not correspond exactly to what a native of another country would expect. Secondly, just as the divide between rich and poor has traditionally been large in Brazil, the economic realities of urban versus rural populations ought to be considered when examining statistics on the national level. Again, I am no expert, but people more knowledgeable than I often bring up these areas, so I might as well pass these points of interest along…
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Ilha Fiscal is a small island in the Baía de Guanabara which served for many years as the ‘customs house’ for the port of Rio de Janeiro.
Here’s a description in Portuguese from the Brazilian Navy’s website, followed by a translation for your reference. Please give it a try and see how much you understand!
“Transferida para a Marinha pelo Ministério da Fazenda, em 1914, a Ilha é hoje parte do Complexo Cultural do Serviço de Documentação da Marinha.
Cenário do evento que ficou conhecido como “O Último Baile do Império”, realizado alguns dias antes da Proclamação da República, a Ilha Fiscal continua sendo um elo entre o presente e o passado. Décadas se passaram e o castelinho, que testemunhou tantos fatos históricos, é hoje uma das principais atrações turísticas do Rio de Janeiro.
No castelo, aberto à visitação, destacam-se o Torreão e a Ala do Cerimonial. Três exposições permanentes também são atração no Castelinho: A História da Ilha Fiscal, A Contribuição Social da Marinha e A Contribuição Científica da Marinha.
Venha conhecer este símbolo dos últimos dias do Império!”
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Black Orpheus or Orfeu Negro is a French film adaptation of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth which was released in 1959. Marcel Camus did a brilliant job of directing this classic film which was scored beautifully, featuring Luis Bonfá’s classic Manhá de Carnaval, which many consider to have beenBossa Nova before Bossa Nova ‘existed.’
Bruno Mello’s epic performance really carries the film, though the exotic backdrop of Rio de Janeiro during Carnaval doesn’t hurt either. Lively, playful, and at times haunting, Black Orpheus introduced the rest of the world to the exotic image of Brazil that is still prevalent to this day.
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Amanhã means tomorrow, while a manhã means the morning.
Frequently confused by Portuguese learners, these two words are separate and non-interchangeable. Some related common phrases are café da manhã (breakfast), amanhã de manhã (tomorrow morning), and Manhã de Carnaval, or Carnival Morning, the famous theme to the movie Black Orpheus written by Luis Bonfá and Antonio Maria.
Many Spanish speakers learning Portuguese can trip up on the distinction between these two words, as Spanish uses the same, closely related, word mañana for both meanings.
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