Posts under Grammar

Grammar Review: Something/Someone

Posted by Rachel
Jul
15
2009

Today we’re going to do a little review of the “some” words in Portuguese.

something = algo

Você tem algo nos dentes. You have something in your teeth.

Ela queria algo mais barato. She wants something cheaper.

some = algum/alguma

Eles compraram algum tipo de madeira, mas não sei qual. They bought some type of wood, but I don’t know which.

Você tem algumas fotas da festa, não tem? You have some pictures from the party, right?

someone = alguém

Alguém pode me emprestar cinco reais? Can someone lend me five reais?

Por favor, conte a piada para alguém que acha graça. Please tell the joke to someone who thinks it’s funny.

no one = ninguém

Ninguém consegiu subir a montanha. Nobody was able to climb the mountain.

Vi ninguém na sala. I didn’t see anyone in the room.

nothing = nada*

*In English, we sometimes translate nada as anything. See the examples below.

Ele não queria comer nada porque estava passando mal. He didn’t want to eat anything because he felt sick.

Pare de me olhar–eu falei nada! Stop looking at me–I didn’t say anything!

Temos nada à dizer. We have nothing to say.

 
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Estar vs. Ser

Posted by Rachel
Jun
25
2009

One of the difficult things for English speakers to learn in Portuguese is to distinguish between estar and ser, which both mean to be. Let’s review this very important concept.

First, let’s take a look at how we conjugate both in the present simple tense, since they have similar conjugations.

ser

eu sou

tu és

ele/ela/você é

nós estamos somos

eles/elas/vocês são

estar

eu estou

tu estás

ele/ela/você está

nós estamos

eles/elas/vocês estão

Next, let’s look at how we use each.

Ser is used for permanent conditions, permanent physical characteristics, to describe a profession or nationality, or location.

Sou muito alta. I’m very tall.

A menina é angolana. The girl is Angolan.

Ele é bombeiro. He’s a fireman.

O prédio famoso é na França. The famous building is in France.

Estar is used for temporary or transient conditions.

Você está muito doente. You’re very sick.

Nós estamos com fome. We’re hungry.

O pássaro está na gaiola. The bird is in the cage.

A pizza está quente. The pizza is hot.

It’s important to note that the main difference between the two is that ser is used for something that is hard or impossible to change or defines something or someone, while estar is used for something happening temporarily that can easily change.

Finally, let’s look at the two side by side.

Caramba, você está linda! Wow, you look pretty!

In this case, the beauty is understood as being a temporary condition, with an implied “now” or “today” as a part of the statement.

Caramba, voce é linda! Wow, you’re pretty!

This is a compliment, since it means the girl is beautiful, all the time, as something that defines her.

 
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Working with irregular verbs

Posted by Rachel
Apr
8
2009

One of the frustrating things about learning a Romance language is conquering the irregular verbs, since they require memorization. Today we’re going to take a look at three irregular verbs in the present, past perfect, and past imperfect.

1. pôr [to put]

Present:

Eu ponho

Ele/ela/você põe

Nós pomos

Eles/elas/vocês põem

Past Perfect:

Eu pus

Ele/ela/você pôs

Nós pusemos

Eles/elas/vocês puseram

Past Imperfect:

Eu punha

Ele/ela/você punha

Nós púnhamos

Eles/elas/vocês punham

Read More »

 
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New Portuguese Accent Rules Go into Effect

Posted by Rachel
Jan
2
2009

As of January 1st, the accent changes to written Portuguese meant to unify the global language go into effect. This year will be the “Year of Transition” when Brazil begins to adopt the new grammar rules. According to President Lula, the new and old rules can both be used until 2012, but some media outlets, like Globo’s G1, will only use the new rules from now on.

Let’s take a look at the new rules:

1. The elimination of the trema: words that originally used the trema will no longer use it, and will revert to the normal letter. Example: lingüiça –> linguiça

2. Words with open dipthongs with the accent on the second to last syllable lose the accent on -oi and -ei. Example: idéia –> ideia

3. Words with two vowels together and the accent on the second to last syllable lose the accent on the i and u. Example: feiúra –> feiura

4. The circumflex accent will no longer be used on words that end in êem and ôo. Examples: vôo –> voo, lêem –> leem

5. The differential accent used to distinguish words with the same spelling and different meanings will no longer be used. Examples: pára –> para, pêlo –> pelo

6. The acute accent mark on the u will no longer be used in verbs that end in gue, gui, que, and qui. Example: averigúe –> averigue

To see the complete rules in Portuguese, click here.

 
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É assim não!

Posted by Rachel
Dec
17
2008

One of the most important things to bear in mind when learning Portuguese is that there is a big difference between written Portguese, which is more formal and sticks to the grammar books, and oral Portuguese, which is a whole different story.

One place where this becomes apparent is the use of the word “não” in creating a negative sentence. Gramatically speaking, it is incorrect to place “não” at the end of the sentence; logistically, it is constantly placed at the end of the sentence in spoken Portuguese. Though technically, this structure is grammatically incorrect, it is frequently used this way in the oral form, usually in a response to a question.

Let’s take a look.

How it’s written: Não quero ir na festa. I don’t want to go to the party.

How it’s spoken: Quero ir na festa não. I don’t want to go to the party.

To be safe, stick to the grammar rules when writing, be it a term paper or a business email, but when spoken, it’s ok to speak like the Brazilians do.

Let’s look at a few more examples we’re likely to hear in spoken Portuguese.

Sei não, cara. I don’t know, man.

Podemos ir não. We can’t go.

Gosta não. She doesn’t like it.

Está triste não. He’s not sad.

 
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