Dear Readers,
We’re moving! You can now find Portuguese blog on WordPress, at the following address:
http://www.transparent.com/portuguese/
Until we move the archives over to WordPress, you can find them at the old address, here.
Thanks for understanding!
Today, we’re going to take a look at the graviola, also known as soursop and guanabana.
The graviola fruit originally came from the Antilles and in Brazil, it’s grown in the Amazon and Northeast. It grows on a tree from four to six meters tall in a humid climate. The fruit itself, which is green, oval-shaped, and spiny, can weigh up to eight pounds. The inside of the fruit is white and creamy, with forty to one hundred large black seeds.
Graviola is rich in Vitamins B and C, and is used to make juice and ice cream. An interesting fact about this fruit is that there are phytochemicals in the leaves and stem that act as anticarcinogens. There is on-going research to see if graviola could be used for cancer treatment or even to cure cancer.
This fruit is used in traditional medicine in Central and South America, since it has analgesic and antispasmodic properties. It is also used to treat anxiety, hypertension, the flu, and insomnia.
This week, authorities rescued a five day-old baby tamanduá (anteater) on a major highway in Goiânia.
Anteaters are forest-dwellers that feed on termites and ants. They can grow up to three meters long and can weigh up to forty kilograms. Some types of anteaters are endangered in Brazil due to habitat destruction.
Today, we’re going to learn how to check into a hotel in Portuguese.
In Portuguese, it’s polite to greet someone based on the time of day, instead of a simple “hello” that we use in American English. Therefore, we use “boa tarde,” which means good afternoon. Brazilian Portuguese includes adapted English words, so you’ll notice that we use the term “check-in,” but pronounce it with a Portuguese accent. Here, we say, “I’d like to check in.” In Portuguese, this is phrased as “I’d like to do the check-in” — “Gostaria de fazer o check-in.”
Next, we anticipate the hotel employee’s question by informing him that we have a reservation. “Reserva” means reservation.
In order to say “It’s under the name,” we say “está em nome de.” In this case, the speaker’s last name is Barreto, so he says, “It’s under the name Barreto.”
This means, “There are two of us: my wife and I.” Literally, this means “We are two people,” but translates to “There are two of us.”
The verb “ficar” means to stay. Here, we use the future tense of ir (to go), and in context, the whole sentence means “We will stay for three nights.”
Next, this means “I want a luxury room with an ocean view.” In Brazilian Portuguese, it’s not uncommon to hear someone use the present tense of “want” (quero) instead of the conditional tense of to like (gostaria). Though it’s more polite to say “I would like,” you will hear people say “I want.” Note that ocean view is “vista para o mar” — view to the ocean.
The word “diária” means the cost per night to stay at a hotel. Literally, this means “How much is the value per night? But translated, we ask, “What’s the cost per night? I forgot.”
Finally, here we say: “The doorman has our baggage. Can we go up to the room?” In Portuguese, we use the phrase “está com” (is with) can mean “is located” or in this case “a person has.” Literally translated, this means “Our baggage is with the doorman. Can we go upstairs?”
Be sure to check out the BYKI List for this podcast!
Known as “pet shops” (in English), these small businesses are amongst the most successful in Brazil. Dogs are popular pets and are often treated like children: owners buy them outfits, shoes, fancy collars, and doggie beds. Also, since Brazilians are very concerned about personal hygiene, they also keep their dogs very clean, often bringing them to a groomer once a week.
According to Globo, sixty percent of Brazilian households have a pet, and as such, pet products sell better than children’s clothes, and the Brazilian pet industry accounts for R$4 billion a year.
Juiz de Fora, a major city in Minas Gerais, is a particularly pet-crazy city. There are special pet photographers, and dozens of pet shops and groomers. The groomers not only offer baths, but also dye jobs (partial and full), tattoos, and fur decorations.
"
