ConvBra 1-12

Question 1

how cute

Answer 1

Ai, que amor!

Notice that the translation we have given is “how cute”, but the phrase is literally “what love.” In Portuguese exclamations with que can be said with nouns or adjectives. In English speakers can only add adjectives: e.g., how nice, how pretty, how interesting. In English nobody says things like: how house, how book, how elephant. In Portuguese there is no problem with que casa, que livro, que elefante. Instead English speakers would say something like “what a house, what a book, what an elephant.”

Question 2

“stay as long as you like” “make yourself at home”

Answer 2

Fica à vontade!

The word vontade is roughly equivalent to “your will.” So in fica à vontade you are saying, in essence “stay as you are willing.” English speakers would similarly say
something like “stay as long as you would like to.”

Question 3

colloquial: Where is/onde esta?

Answer 3

E cadê o Júnior?

The phrase onde está? in Portuguese is informally rendered as cadê?, which some think originated came from o que é de…, “what ever happened to…” It works as a singular or a plural form. Cadê o livro? “Where is the book?” Cadê os livros? “Where are the books?” Notice also that there really is no verb in these sentences. Usually cadê is simply followed by a noun.

Question 4

aí elas /que/ escolheram o nome

Answer 4

Notice how Brazilians emphasize items in Portuguese. The phrase elas escolheram o nome would be the standard rendition for “they chose the name.” However, by putting the word que in between, it is like saying, “they are the ones that chose the name.”

Question 5

feminine augmentative -ona

Answer 5

…uma boa garotona

Brazilians often add diminutive or augmentative endings to words to give them an endearing quality. In this case that noun garota (young girl) is given an endearing
quality with the feminine augmentative –ona: garotona. These forms are especially common among female speakers and listeners will note that Denise and Michelle
have several other examples in this clip.

Question 6

Future tense, x+x

Answer 6

… não vai /te carregando/ assim…

The future tense in Portuguese is formed by a conjugated form of the verb ir followed by the infinitive of a verb, e.g., vai carregar (going to carry). However in
this sentence Denise says carregando, which gives the sentence an ongoing feel, a sense of movement and motion. Notice also how the direct pronoun te (you) is
placed between the two verb forms, rendering something akin to “she isn’t going to go on carrying you off.”

Question 7

how to add negative emphasis

Answer 7

… ele nem teve muito trabalho não.

Brazilians often emphasize negative phrases by adding an extra não at the end of the sentence. In this example Denise, speaking of the dog trainer, is saying ,“he really
didn’t even have to work hard at all.” The word nem makes the sentence negative, but the word não at the end adds the emphasis.

Question 8

… tem um cachorro parecido com ela

vs.

parecido como ela

Answer 8

… tem um cachorro parecido com ela

Here’s a good example of a phrase that uses a preposition that is very different from English. Michelle is saying that her brother has a dog that looks a lot like
Denise’s dog. However in Portuguese she uses the phrase parecido com ela, using the preposition com (with) which literally means something like “seems with her.”
What generally happens is that native speakers of English want to say *parecido como
ela, because they think that como means “like.”

Question 9

“but after having lived with his dog, I

began losing my fear and I was getting used to it…”

Answer 9

… mas depois convivendo com o cachorro dele, eu
fui perdendo o medo, me acostumando …

One of the differences between Spanish and Portuguese is seen in how much more Brazilians use the “–ing” ending -ndo. This is actually more similar to English and in
this example Michelle is saying something like “but after having lived with the dog I began losing my fear and I was getting used to it…” Notice how this give a more
ongoing and developing feel to her speech.

Question 10

gender is based on the /x/

Answer 10

É seu, é minha, é sua

Notice that possessive pronouns have to agree in number and gender, but the important part is that it’s the “thing possessed not the possessor” meaning that the
gender is based on the things possessed, which in this case is a female dog. In English one would just say, “Is the dog yours?” When Simone asks “é seu?” she is
supposing that the dog is male. When Sandra responds with “é minha” she is clarifying that the dog is female. And that is why Simone follows up with “é sua?”

Question 11

“Eu posso pegar?”

Answer 11

Eu posso pegar?

Brazilians often eliminate pronouns. In this case a possible English translation would be something like, “Can I pet her?” or “Can I touch her?” Both would
sound a little strange in English as simply “Can I pet?” or “Can I touch?” In Portuguese however, the normal tendency is to speak without the pronouns.

Question 12

Tone of: “Ah, não fala assim porque ela é tão boa…”

Answer 12

This is actually a very difficult sentence to translate because the English version sounds extremely harsh, almost mean. In Portuguese however it just doesn’t carry
that bold of a meaning, in fact it is rather playful.

Question 13

Qual é a raça dela?

vs

Qual a raça dela?

Answer 13

The English speaking brain wants to see a verb in this sentence, but Brazilians often use qual without a verb. One could say “qual é a raça dela?” but people are just as likely to say “qual a raça dela?”

Question 14

Olha, é meio vira-lata, viu?

Answer 14

“well she´s sort of a mutt”
What a great phrase in Portuguese. First of all Sandra starts with “olha” which is her way of saying, “well, look, um I’m thinking about what to say…” Then we hear
the word meio which literally means “half” and it is used to show that something is half way there. And that is why the translation of “kind of” or “sort of” ends up
being the modifier of nouns and adjectives. Finally we see the word vira-lata for mutt, literally being a dog that knocks over (virar) cans (latas). The dog’s a can knocker over!

Question 15

A gente é carinhosa do mesmo jeito, né Belinha?

Answer 15

Here’s another phrase that is really hard to translate directly into English. A gente of course stands for “we”, but “we are affectionate of the same style” just doesn’t
work. What Simone is really saying is that even if Belinha doesn’t have a lofty pedigree, even as a mutt we all love her just the same.

Question 16

A gente castra também pra eles não /terem/ mais filhos

Answer 16

Brazilians use the personalized infinitive a lot, even though grammatically you can say the sentence without it. Here we don’t see a gente castra também pra não ter mais filhos. It’s not even an issue of being ambiguous because we are sure that it’s the dogs that are being fixed! The phrase pra eles não terem just clarifies and emphasizes who the subject of ter is, i.e., the dogs of course

Question 17

Todos de rua?

vs

Todos da rua?

Answer 17

Notice that if Sandra and Simone had said todos da rua they would have been speaking of a specific street. While in English it might make more sense to say “from
the street” – da rua, in Portuguese the idea of any street or from the streets in general is expressed by saying de rua without the definite article “the”.

Question 18

Gato é bom pra dormir junto…

vs

juntos

Answer 18

The question is why Simone said junto and not juntos. And the answer is because in this junto is an adverb, modifying the verb dormir. Adjectives have to agree with the noun they modify (homens juntos – mulheres juntas), but adverbs only have one form.

Question 19

Tá /desencorajando/ as pessoas /a/ viajarem pro Rio

Answer 19

Certain verbs in Portuguese require the use of a given preposition. In this case note that the preposition a that goes with the verb desencorajar even though that would not necessarily be logical in English. This is similar to gostar de and pensar em. Learners simply need to learn the prepositions that go with a given verb.

Question 20

“what a drag” and “all the time”

Answer 20

Que droga… toda hora!
The Brazilian version of “what a drag” is literally rendered “what a drug” even though it doesn’t have anything to do with drugs per se. Notice also that toda hora, which would literally be “every hour” takes on the meaning of “all the time.”

Question 21

Essa é uma grande confusão

Answer 21

Notice that in this case the word confusão “confusion” actually takes on a meaning something more like “misconception” or “mistake.” English speakers do not use the word “confusion” for a mistake or a misconception, but it has more of a meaning of being bewildered or unclear.

Question 22

you can walk “calmly” or “tranquilly” there at night

/-ly/

Answer 22

Você pode andar tranquilamente por lá à noite.

Here the word tranquilamente (tranquilly, calmly) really takes on the meaning of being without any problem, or safely. It is a good example of a Portuguese word that has a similar equivalent in English, the difference being that it is a common word in Portuguese, but not really a daily word in the speech of native speakers of English.
Notice also the use of por lá meaning “along there.” Many times the word por takes on the meaning of “along” or “through.”

Question 23

Lembra da última vez a gente foi?

verb lembrar.

Answer 23

The verb lembrar can have a confusing mix of reflexive endings and prepositions. Generally the verb “to remember” is lembrar-se and takes the preposition de, e.g., Ele se lembrou da canção. “He remembered the music.” without the se the nonreflexive version of lembrar means “to remind” and it doesn’t have the preposition
de, e.g., Lembra-me o que ele disse. “Remind me what he said.” However, in everyday usage it is common to drop se even when lembrar means to remember. This is what Denise said in this sentence.

Question 24

violência/crime - Que Campinas tá na frente

Answer 24

Here Denise is talking about the statistics regarding violence in Brazil, stating that per capita Campinas is actually ahead of Rio. In Portuguese this is rendered with Campinas está na frente. “Campinas is in the front” might be said more naturally as “ahead.”

Question 25

Aquilo é bárbaro

barbaro meaning

Answer 25

If you translate this literally, one would say that this is “barbarous.” You would be hard pressed to think of the English word “barbarous” with positive connotations,
but in Portuguese bárbaro often has a positive meaning, something like great or fantastic.

Question 26

Limiting adjectives go after the noun.

Answer 26

Uma /vida cultural/ fantástica

This phrase is a good example of adjective placement in Portuguese. Limiting adjectives go after the noun. Here, for example, of all the types of vida, we are limiting things to the vida cultural. And of all of the vida cultural that exist, we are limiting it to the vida cultural fantástica. Each adjective limits vida a little more.

Question 27

OK, combinado

Answer 27

The word combinado literally means, “combined” but Brazilians use it to convey they idea that something has been arranged or coordinated. That is why we translated it as “OK, it’s done.”

Question 28

Você tava sumido

Answer 28

The phrase estava sumido sounds strange if you are thinking of the direct translation *“You were disappeared.” However, in this sentence the past participle of sumir is functioning as an adjective. It is as if one were saying “you are a person who has disappeared a lot lately.” This is similar to what happens with the verb cansar, in the phrase, Ele está cansado (He is tired).

Question 29

Você tem que vim pra Salvador

vs tem que vir

Answer 29

Technically the phrase tem que vim, although commonly heard in casual speech, is considered bad grammar. Perhaps it is on the same level as the English phrase “I
don’t got none.” The correct form would be tem que vir, using the infinitive.

Question 30

Como é que é que rola

Answer 30

Literally the verb rolar means “to roll.” However, in everyday usage rolar takes on the meaning of “to happen.” Rolar is used in casual, informal speech, especially among younger generations.

Question 31

Você toparia ir?

verb topar

Answer 31

The verb topar carries a dictionary meaning of “to bump.” However, in every day usage it is more common to be used to show that you agree with something. So, although one can topar o pé (bang your foot) against the door, speakers are more likely to use topar to answer questions like, Vamos comer na casa da Sandra? – Eu
topo (Let’s eat at Sandra’s house, OK? I agree).

Question 32

Agora só cuidando dela, né?
vs
agora só tô cuidando dela

Answer 32

Brazilians use ‘ing” endings on verbs frequently. Here Michelle is stating that she has spent her time just taking care of her daughter. Note that frequently the verb estar drops out and Brazilians use the “ing” ending without the helping verb.

Question 33

Tem a cervejinha

diminutive -inha

E à noite ela dorme /direitinho/ ou ela acorda?

diminutive -inho

Direitinho, boazinha, mãozinhas, um pouquinho

Answer 33

Usually diminutive endings mean much more than just a smaller version of something. The word cervejinha is a good example of this because it implies much more than just a small glass of beer. When a Brazilian invites someone to tomar cervejinha, it also implies the whole scene of going out with friends, sitting down at a table, and hanging out for a while. In fact, given the nearly liter-sized containers that are common in Brazil, the cervejinha is anything but little sized.

The diminutive ending –inho takes on the nuance of saying that Anne sleeps just right. There is an endearing quality because she is talking about the little baby.

Brazilians have an incredible use of diminuative endings, but they don’t always have the same nuance in meaning. For example, direitinho emphasizes how well Anne sleeps, but mãozinhas specifically refers to the small size of Anne’s hands. Um pouquinho means “a little bit.”

Question 34

Tô aqui, /ó/, com a minha coleção

Answer 34

Brazilians often end a phrase with the word ó. It’s hard to describe the English equivalent, but is it something like “hey, are you listening?” but in kind of a soft, non aggressive sort of way. It comes from the verb olhar, meaning to look.

Question 35

a) Tô aqui, ó, com a minha coleção

b) … eu tô vendo a sua coleção

Answer 35

The challenge for non-native speaker is when to say com minha coleção (with my collection), tô vendo sua coleção (I see your collection) and when to say com a
minha coleção (with the my collection), tô vendo a sua coleção (I see the your collection). Brazilians often add the definite article “the” before nouns. Notice that in English we could directly translate these phrases without the exta “the”: with my collection, I see your collection. By adding the extra “the” it is almost like saying “with that collection of mine” or “I see that collection of yours,” which adds a focus. Part of this is a regional difference where in the Northeast of Brazil there is a greater tendency to drop the definite article (de minha mãe instead of da minha mãe).

Question 36

Acho que você não tem ainda, né?

Answer 36

When learning how to use the subjunctive in Portuguese, keep in mind that even though the verb achar means ‘to think’, it doesn’t trigger the subjunctive. So even though this sentence is negative (doesn’t have), the verb is still in the indicative, i.e., não tem. However, when Brazilians use the verb achar in the negative, then the subjunctive is required. For example, a Brazilian would most likely say, Eu não acho que você tenha o dinheiro. (I don’t believe that you have the money.) Just accept it. Achar doesn’t take subjunctive. Não achar does.

Question 37

a) de todos é o meu preferido, né?

b) Esse é o meu predileto

Answer 37

Since the English word “favorite” sounds more like the Portuguese favorito, non native speakers tend to use favorito more than preferido and predileto. Brazilians, on
the other hand, when talking about favorite things, seem to use the words preferido and predileto more often.

Question 38

Olha, e como é que toca isso?

Answer 38

This is a beautiful example of Brazilian wording and phrases. A direct English phrase would be “How do you play this?” which in Portuguese would be something boring and stilted like “Como você toca isso?” Notice, however, a more Brazilian flow to a phrase like Olha, e como é que toca isso? It’s almost like saying, “and tell me again how it is that you play this”.

Question 39

Então, aí é uma questão, né?

Answer 39

It takes a long time for native speakers of English to accept that fact that questão doesn’t mean “question” as much as it means “problem.” In this sentence Denise is
stating that she has a problem, i.e., she collects instruments, but doesn’t know how to play them. At the same time, questão can also take on the meaning of theme or topic, as in the phrase, Eles querem discutir essa questão na próxima aula.

Question 40

Bom, aí temos o apito

Answer 40

The word aí can take on a meaning of location (“here” versus “there” – aqui X aí). But aí is also used to show sequence. Something comes first, aí something else
follows. This second usage is what Denise is saying in this sentence. First we have the ganzá and then aí, we have the apito (whistle).

Question 41

Infelizmente eu não sei /nem/ pegar no cavaquinho

Answer 41

Negative phrases can be especially challenging when learning Portuguese. In this example Michelle uses the word nem to convey the meaning of “not even at all.”
She is saying, basically, “I don’t even know how one even holds on to a cavaquinho at all.” So in addition to the double negative, this phrase is even strong because of the implications of “not even at all” that it carries with it.

Question 42

Ô Michelle, /me/ conta alguma novidade…(…) Não, mas você não sabe o que /me/ aconteceu de novo…

Answer 42

These are examples of Portuguese pronoun placement. The English phrases would be “Tell me what’s new” and “You haven’t heard what’s happened to me again,”
with the pronoun after the verb. Notice, however, that Brazilians prefer to place the pronoun before the verb. If placed after the verb, the phrases will be: Conta pra
mim and … o que aconteceu comigo.

Question 43

Sua prima? Escreveu novamente?

vs de novo

Answer 43

Although Valdo uses novamente (again), another option here could be de novo(again), another expression that is often used by Brazilians. Novamente is slightly more formal than de novo.

Question 44

Você falou que ela /tinha ligado/ duas vezes pra você…

Answer 44

In order to talk about a past action that took place before another past action, Brazilians often use Past Perfect: tinha ligado. Think of the Past Perfect as “the past of the past.” That is, falou is in the past (she spoke). But even before that something happened, ela tinha ligado (she had already called). Note that ligado, in this case, is always in the same form; there is no grammatical gender or number agreement here.

Question 45

só pra variar

pra variar

Answer 45

e, pra variar, você sabe…
The expression pra variar ou só pra variar (literally, “to differ”) actually means, ironically, “as always”, “as usual”. This is a beautiful example of the Brazilian sense of humor expressed by the language. Michelle is saying, in essence that “it is unbelievable, like always.”

Question 46

o que tem de errado nela?

Answer 46

It takes a long time for non-native speakers to master the use of the right prepositions. In this example, we see an alternative use for “o que tem de errado com ela?” (what’s the matter with her?), that would be more similar to the English form. In this case, Valdo uses the preposition em (em+ela = nela) instead of com. Either
version would be fine.

Question 47

Ai, foi um bafafá…

Answer 47

This is an interesting word in Portuguese: bafafá. It is a very informal way to say that some situation or fact is a hassle, a tumult, a ruckus, a mess… Another common way
to express the same thing in Portuguese is foi um rolo…

Question 48

Ela tava super, assim, empolgada

Answer 48

The words empolgado(a), animado(a) or entusiasmado(a) are good ones to use when you want to say that someone is very excited or enthusiastic about something. Do not make the mistake of trying to say the same thing using the false cognate excitado(a). In Portuguese, the meaning of this word is restricted to a sexual connotation.

Question 49

a) já tava namorando há uns meses, mas não deu certo. (it didn’t turn out well)
b) Vamos ver se vai dar casamento… (Let’s see if there will be a wedding…)

verb dar

Answer 49

Dar is an interesting verb in Portuguese; it can have very different meanings (besides “to give”) depending on the expression in which it appears. Here we have two good
examples: a) dar certo X não dar certo / dar errado – meaning “to turn out well” X “do not turn out well”; b) vai dar (em) – meaning “to end” or “end in”. Vamos ver no
que vai dar a história da prima da Michelle… (Let’s see how Michelle’s cousin’s story will end…).

Question 50

ela fica lhe alugando…
- me aluga direto com esses problemas…

verb alugar

Answer 50

Here we have a very special meaning to the verb alugar, that usually means “to rent” (but not in this case). Here Michelle complains about her cousin who is always
nagging her… In this case alugar means “to nag.”

Question 51

… e não consegue arrumar um namorado

/por muito tempo./

Answer 51

Non-native speakers often struggle with this structure. What Michelle is saying –with the intonation she used - is that her cousin hasn’t been able to keep a boyfriend for a while. If, instead, it was the case that her cousin hasn’t been able to find a boyfriend for a long time, she could have said the same thing but emphasizing the word muito (long) in her intonation or saying “…e não consegue arrumar um namorado há/tem muito tempo”.

Question 52

Terminou de novo com o namorado…

Answer 52

The verb terminar (to finish, end) is used to say that Ingrid’s aunt just “broke up”with her boyfriend again. In English, you can also say “She ended things/the
relationship with her boyfriend again.” In Portuguese, however, it is not necessary to use a complement (direct object) for the verb terminar, but you need to use it
along with the preposition com (with) if you specify the other part involved. If not, you can say something like Eles terminaram (They broke up). You can also say Eles
se separaram or Eles não estão mais juntos.

Question 53

O que é que sua mãe /pensa disso?/

Answer 53

Prepositions, prepositions… Americans spend their whole life learning it is supposed to be pensar em (to think about) and now we hear pensa disso. What’s going on?Actually, here we have an interesting meaning of this verb: pensar de means to have an opinion or evaluation about something or someone.

Question 54

(…) já é o quarto ou quinto namorado /com/ quem ela vai /viver/ e abandona

Answer 54

This structure can be challenging for non-native speakers: the preposition com(with) appears at the beginning of the embedded clause. In English, one would say something like, “boyfriend who she has lived with and then left”.

Question 55

on one hand & on the other hand

Answer 55

In Portuguese we have the pair: por um lado X por outro lado (on one hand X on the other hand).

Question 56

a) (…) /fico/ pensando que toda a sua família está em São Paulo, não?

Answer 56

Ficar (usually “to stay”) is a very interesting verb in Portuguese: among other meanings, it can be “to keep on”–which is the case here, “I keep on thinking.” Another meaning for this verb is “to become”: Fico com sede/com fome/com frio/com sono (I become thirsty/hungry/cold/sleepy).

Question 57

Eu acho que /deveria/ voltar para São Paulo

deve, devia, deveria

Answer 57

It’s tough for English speakers to catch on to the conditional of the verb dever. In English we don’t have a way of saying “would” in front of “should.” In Portuguese,
the distinction between deve, devia and deveria is related to different levels of politeness: from the least to the most polite.

Question 58

Olha, eu fui às compras.

Answer 58

Nice Brazilian syntax and forms: iràs compras (to go shopping). It focuses more in the action of shopping itself, rather than in the things bought. Another option could be fazer compras.

Question 59

Poxa! (Poha)

Answer 59

This is an interjection that expresses happiness, admiration, annoyance, consternation. It’s a variation of Puxa!

Question 60

pra matar a saudade das coisas

Answer 60

Brazilians use the phrase matar as saudades (“to kill your homesickness” or “satisfy our longing”) to talk about the powerful feeling that comes over you when you miss
something or someone. There are other uses for matar: matar a sede ; matar a fome; etc.

Question 61

Olha, o pessoal diz que é /vagabundo/, mas pra mim não tem comparação…

Answer 61

This is a perfect example of a difference in range of meaning than in English. Vagabundo has several meanings in Portuguese: “stray, crook, scoundrel”–when used for a person; “shoddy”–when used for things.

Question 62

O /que/ mais /que/ você trouxe aí?

Answer 62

A beautiful example of the syntax in Portuguese. It adds emphasis and is very used in the oral and informal speech.

Question 63

Eh, não, eu sinto uma falta dessas coisas, um kibezinho frito…

Answer 63

Sentir falta or sentir saudade… Good phrases to use when you miss something or someone… But add the word uma with the right intonation and your falta/saudade will be even bigger!

Question 64

kibezinho, cafezinho, regiminho

diminutives again

Answer 64

Brazilians love to add diminutive endings to words, not only to express small size, but to give them an endearing quality and/or add emphasis. In this dialog, we can see
several examples, and regiminho is a subtle and special one. Eat a little fatty food, and do a little regiminho afterwards…

Question 65

opa, garantida.

Answer 65

Opa is an interjection that can express happiness, admiration, annoyance or consternation. It is like “oh!, wow!, whoop!” In this example, it is more like “for
sure,” expressing Denise’s excitement about the certainty of having picanha to grill. Garantida is another interesting word here: Denise makes it clear that the picanha is
all set for the churrasco, since it would never be the truly Brazilian churrasco without it… “A picanha tá garantida.” (Picanha(best part of meat) is arranged, for sure).

Question 66

eu quis trazer um monte de coisas.

queria vs quis

Answer 66

It is sometimes challenging to catch the subtle difference in meaning between the imperfect queria and the preterite quis. Often queria simply coincides with the
English “wanted”, with the same normal features of the imperfect past. Quis, however, sometimes equates more with the English “attempt” or “tried” and followed the typical preterite characteristic of a completed action. In the negative form, não quis, sometimes means something similar to “refused”. Here Valdo is saying that he tried to bring a whole lot of things for the party.

Question 67

Joia…

Answer 67

Again, another great example of a word with different meanings in Portuguese… Although “joia” can be translated as “jewelry”, it is not the case in this dialog. Here it is an informal expression for “all good”, “cool”.
It also can be used as an adjective to refer to a very good or interesting person or thing: O filme é joia (The movie is cool); Esse professor é joia (This teacher is cool).

Question 68

/Deixa/ eu dar uma olhada…

Answer 68

What a great Brazilian Portuguese structure! In English we’d say “Let me take a look”, always with the objective pronoun. In Portuguese, although the grammar
books would say this is a wrong structure – the “right” one should be deixe-me dar, this deixa eu dar or deixa eu + verb in the infinitive is regularly used by Brazilians.
There is even a song by Ivan Lins which says:

Deixa, deixa, deixa
Eu dizer o que penso dessa vida 
(…) 
Você não tem direito
De calar a minha boca...

Question 69

A gente faz no forno pra não ficar muita fritura…

Answer 69

Nice Brazilian syntax and forms! Denise suggests baking the kibe, so there would not be a lot of fried food, or, in other words, to avoid too many fatty foods: pra não ficar
muita fritura. Ficar here is something like ter or haver (there be). The phrase means, roughly, “We’ll bake it in the oven so that we don’t end up having too many fried
foods.”

Question 70

/Pega leve/ pra depois eles poderem comer mais picanha.

Answer 70

What a great dialog, full of slangs and informal expressions! Here we have another one: pega leve, something like “take it easy” or “do not push too much.” In this case, Denise is suggesting that they start off light so the guests could still enjoy the meat after all of the appetizers.

Question 71

ah, eles vão adorar!

Answer 71

Notice the use of the verb adorar instead of amar. Yeah, this is a good–and very common–way to say “They’ll love it!” in Portuguese. However, in Portuguese
speakers can use either adorar or amar to talk about the people and the things that they love.

Question 72

…lá /não tem/, lá não, lá eles /não têm/ isso aí não…

Answer 72

This is a great example of verb ter with two very distinct meanings. In the first case,
we see lá não tem (…) isso aí, which corresponds to “there is not this one over
there.” In the second case, lá eles não têm isso aí, it means “they don’t have this one
over there.” Although Portuguese has the verb “haver” for “there is/are,” ter is the
verb most commonly used in oral and informal language.

Question 73

eu vou /botar/ mais queijo…

Answer 73

If you only learn Portuguese through textbooks, you will probably say: eu vou pôr mais queijo… As a good Brazilian, however, Denise says botar. Literally botar
means “to lay” as in the way that chickens lay eggs. However, Brazilians almost always expand that meaning to including the verb “to put” in general.

Question 74

Pô, esqueceu?

Answer 74

This is an interjection that expresses happiness, admiration, annoyance,
consternation. It’s a short version of Poxa!

Question 75

Ótimo, muito bem pensado.

Answer 75

Notice that in English we need prepositions here, “you thought about that a lot” or “you’ve thought that out well.” You don’t need them in Portuguese: bem pensado!

Question 76

/Daqui a pouco/ eu vou volto… Daqui a cinco minutos eu volto.

Answer 76

Daqui a (…) is one way to express future time in Portuguese. Daqui a pouco: “in a while,” daqui a cinco minutos: “in five minutes.”

Question 77

/Você chegando/ daqui umas duas horas /dá tempo/, né?

Answer 77

What a nice example of Brazilian syntax! The gerund here (Você chegando) is used with a total different effect, more than just “-ing.” Here it takes on the meaning of
“if you arrive,” almost like the English “upon arriving”. And here we also have another interesting use of verb dar: dar tempo = “to have enough time.

Question 78

Vai chover hoje!

expression

Answer 78

What a great expression in Portuguese! Here we have an example of a metaphorical use of this expression, and in this case it does not mean literally “It is going to rain.” Andréia is very surprised to meet Antônio at the gym, and this is the reason she says: Vai chover hoje, rapaz! It is a way to express that this is something that she was really not expecting to see happening. It’s a big surprise.

Question 79

Olha as /desculpas aí, ó!/

Answer 79

Check out all the excuses Antônio is giving as he tries to explain his absence from the gym… And this is exactly what Leandro is focusing on when he says “Olha as
desculpas aí!” Olha aí or Olha X aí is a very common expression in Portuguese used to put something or someone on focus and maintain the interaction between
speaker/listener: Olha ele aí, gente! It can also be used as a way to try to have the agreement of the listener about what is being said, reinforcing the speaker’s point of
view: Olha aí, tá vendo? (See, can you see?) Also note the use of ó at the end of the sentence: it is a short version for olha, and, again, it is a way to ask for the listener’s attention and agreement.

Question 80

/Quando se trata de/ malhação…

Answer 80

A non-native speaker can have a hard time with this one: Quando se trata de… (Talking about…). This is an expression that you cannot take literally!

Question 81

achei meio chato.

Answer 81

Antônio has tried working out before, but he got bored. Note the way he express it in Portuguese: “achei meio chato.” Chato is the best Portuguese adjective you can use to describe something or someone as “boring”. It is also very commonly used to express “to get bored,” in this case along with the verb achar (to think, to consider).
Notice also the use of the word meio. Although one possible meaning of this word can be “half,” it is not the case here: Antônio got kind of bored…

Question 82

Eu vou /largar isso de mão./

Answer 82

Once more, another really interesting Brazilian expression that you cannot take literally. Nothing to do with you hand… Largar de mão is a way to say “to give up.” It can also be largar mão de. Either version would be fine.

Question 83

É… eu já tô fazendo já faz uns seis meses. Tô fazendo esteira, faço a bicicleta, e também faço natação duas vezes por semana.

verb fazer

Answer 83

Ok, here comes the wonderful and neat verb fazer again… Fazer exercício/academia (to work out), fazer esteira (to walk/jog on the treadmill), fazer bicicleta (to ride the bike), fazer natação (to swim)… Use fazer to describe some of your physical activities and you’ll sound like a real Brazilian!

Question 84

Tá /toda/ em forma aí!

Answer 84

You can use todo, toda as a mean to say “all, complete, entire”: Estou todo suado! (I’m all sweat!) But it is also a way to emphasize things, meaning approximately “very,
“really”: Você tá toda linda / brava! (You are very pretty / really mad!). And this is the case here: Antônio points out that Andréia is really in good shape. Ela tá toda, toda!

Question 85

’Bora nessa!

Answer 85

What a great dialog, full of slangs and informal expressions! Here is an interesting one. The expression ’Bora nessa! (Come on, let’s go!) is the mix of the very short version for Vamos embora (’Bora) and Vamos nessa (both of them meaning “let’s go”). ’Bora nessa, gente!

Question 86

Tá me cheirando a enrolada…

Answer 86

Cheirar a enrolada–what a great way to say that something seems suspicious, causing you to think that someone is being dishonest. Poor Antônio! Leandro “smells fishy” and he is not buying his excuses…

Question 87

Eu não senti firmeza…

Answer 87

Andréia, just like Leandro, is not buying Antônio’s excuses; she não sente firmeza(literally “does not feel steadiness”) about what he’s just told them. She is not
feeling it…

Question 88

Conversa fiada!

Answer 88

Here is another expression that cannot be taken literally. Although the original meaning of fiado(a) was “trusting, confiding” in the context of something sold on credit, note that here we have a very different meaning: conversa fiada is the Brazilian expression for idle talk, humbug, baloney. You will also sound very Brazilian if, in this situation, you’ll say: papo furado! or conversa mole!

Question 89

você vai demorar muito aí ainda?

Answer 89

Non-native speakers can struggle with this structure: Vai demorar? (Are you / Is something going to be much longer?). Note that the structure is totally different in
both languages. Be aware of it, use it, and this way mastering it não vai demorar!

Question 90

mas eu já tô de saída.

Answer 90

Estar de saída: “being about to leave.” Notice that here we have another expression with totally different structures in Portuguese and in English. In English we express the same idea by saying something like “I’m about to leave.”

Question 91

Dá licença, um pouquinho?!

diminutive

Answer 91

“Excuse me, please / a sec.” The diminutive again… Note that, in the case here, the expression um pouquinho is a way to soften the request, with an interesting pragmatic effect. Denise asks for “permission” to pass between Valentino and the equipment, trying not to be impolite.

Question 92

Você pode me dar uma ajudinha aqui?

diminutive

Answer 92

Tired of diminutives? Don’t be! You need them a lot in Portuguese! In her request, Denise asks for uma ajudinha and she could also have said uma mãozinha. “Could
you give me a hand here?” Notice also the word order here: pode me dar uma ajudinha. The pronoun me
usually comes before the verb (dar) in spoken language. Speakers of Spanish may find this unusual, where me puede dar or puede darme are more standard. In
Portuguese, however, the indirect object pronoun easily goes between the two verbs.

Question 93

Ai, tô toda atrapalhada aqui!

Answer 93

Denise feels herself a little lost and confused setting up and using the equipment; she is not so sure about what she needs to do. She is toda trapalhada, “kind of
confused.”

Question 94

Não sei direito ainda muito bem o que fazer…

Answer 94

Denise is still “not very sure” about what she is supposed to do while setting up and using the equipment. Note the difference between the Portuguese and English structures. Here is another expression you cannot take literally, não saber direito = “not being very sure.”

Question 95

Vocês vêm sempre aqui? Como é que é?

Answer 95

This is a beautiful example of Brazilian wording and phrases. The equivalent English phrase would be “How does this all work?” Notice, however, the Brazilian flow to a phrase like Como é que é? It’s almost like saying, “how is it that this all works?”

Question 96

Se eu pudesse, eu morava na academia!

Answer 96

Here we have a very special meaning to the verb morar, that usually means “to live” (but not in this case). Here Sílvia points out that she loves so much working out
that, if she could, she’d be at the gym all the time! In this case, morar means “to be at some place all the time.”
One more thing here: when learning how to use the verb tenses in Portuguese, keep in mind that you cannot rely on the structures you have in English. In the case
here, you might want to say “Se eu pudesse, eu moraria” (If I could, I’d live). Note that although grammarians do not ‘approve’ that, the subjunctive didn’t trigger the
conditional (moraria). Brazilians prefer to use the Imperfect (morava) in cases like this one.

Question 97

… eu saio daqui toda doída…

Answer 97

Non-native speakers might struggle with this structure… What a great way to say “when I leave the gym I’m really sore all over”! Note the Brazilian wording: toda(o) doída(o).

Question 98

Então eu intercalo…

verb intercalar

Answer 98

This is an interesting verb in Portuguese: intercalar (alternate), which means to insert something at intervals among other things. It can sound a little fancy, but actually in Portuguese it is not … Here it means something like “So I change things up.”