A two-meter long leão-marinho (sea lion) washed up on the shore of the Praia de Sepetiba in the west part of Rio de Janeiro on Friday. He appeared to be injured, but before firefighters could move him, he returned to the ocean. However, the sea lion reappeared on Sunday on someone’s front porch on the same beach. He is being taken to the zoo for medical treatment and will be released back into the wild if he recovers.
Today, we’re going to learn language to use at a restaurant. Be sure to check out the BYKI list here to learn the vocabulary!
Poderia me trazer o cardápio, por favor?
Quero uma água com gas.
Ela gostaria de um copo de vinho tinto.
Queremos a cesta de pães como petisco, para compartilhar.
Para a entrada, gostaria de salada verde.
Para o prato principal, picanha, por favor.
Me traz outro copo de vinho, por favor?
Para a sobremesa, queremos o mousse de maracujá.
To make a polite request, we use the conditional tense of poder (can). We could also use the present tense (pode), which means “can you,” but like in English, it’s more polite to say (poderia), which means “could you.” All together this means, “Could you bring me a menu, please?”
Next, we can also make requests with the present tense of “querer”, to want. It’s always more polite to say thank you after using “querer” in the present tense, but it’s common to hear it without. In this case, the sentence means: “I want a seltzer.”
We can also use the conditional tense with “gostar” (to like) when making a request. To put a regular verb in the conditional tense, you just add an “ia” to the infinitive in the first and third person. Here, we say: “She would like a glass of red wine.” Note that when we talk about wine, red is “tinto” and white is “branco.”
Again, we use “querer” as a request. Let’s look at some of the vocabulary. “Cesta de pães” is a bread basket (which you should not expect for free at most Brazilian restaurants). “Petisco” is appetizer or finger food (like tapas), and “compartilhar” is “to share.” All together, it means: “We want the bread basket as an appetizer to share.”
This means: “For the appetizer, I would like the green salad.” “Entrada” means appetizer, and “salada” is salad.
“Prato principal” means main course. “Picanha” is rump steak, a popular cut of meat in Brazil. All together, this means, “For the main course, the rump steak, please.” Note that we don’t need a verb here when we use “para” and “por favor” together.
We can use “trazer” in the present tense to make a request, particularly at a restaurant. Here, this means “Will you bring me another glass of wine, please?” Literally, “me traz” means “you bring me,” but in context means “Will you bring me.” This is true of other verbs in the present tense used as requests.
Finally, this means “For dessert, we want the passion fruit mousse.” Note that dessert is “sobremesa” and that passion fruit is called “maracujá.” Here we use “para” with a verb, which also works to make a request.
The vehicle above is:
a) the Batmobile for the next Batman movie, produced on a set in LA;
b) the latest Hummer model to be released next year;
c) the caveirão, a new armored and air-conditioned police car in Rio de Janeiro that cost R$360,000 to produce and fits 20 men.
Globo Online has a few different tools that can help you plan your trip while traveling in Brazil, particularly in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Traffic: check traffic conditions on the major roads in Rio and São Paulo, which is very important during rush hour and lunch time;
Find a street: locate your destinations before leaving, so you have an idea of where you’re going;
Plan your route: use Globo’s version of Mapquest to plan your trip from point A to point B.
Check the weather before you go out, which is particularly important in the coastal cities, where many activities are weather-dependent. You can also check ocean and surfing conditions.
For those with knowledge of Portuguese, Globo has an online Portuguese dictionary, which also includes verb conjugations and grammar help.
Globo has cultural guides for Rio and São Paulo, including movies, restaurants, fine & performing arts, concerts, nightlife, and sightseeing/activities.
Namorar and the various offshoots have several meanings, so let’s take a look. 
1. Namorar (I)
This means dating.
Estamos namorando tem um ano.
We’ve been dating for a year.
Estavam namorando mas terminaram.
They were dating but they broke up.
2. Namorar (II)
This means cuddling, snuggling, showing affection or caressing.
O casal jovem está namorando na praia.
The young couple is cuddling on the beach.
Os ingleses não estão acostumados namorar em público. English people aren’t used to showing affection in public.
3. Namorado/Namorada
These mean boyfriend and girlfriend respectively.
Ela não tem namorado. She doesn’t have a boyfriend.
4. Namoro
This means relationship or period a couple has dated.
O namoro deles começou no colégio. Their relationship began in high school.
Nosso namoro durou cinco anos. Our relationship lasted five years.
