The Ultimate Resource For Learning Everything About Portuguese & Brazilian Culture
October 2, 2011 Leave a comment
How do you express the idea that you don’t care, or that something doesn’t matter to you in Brazilian Portuguese? Here are some common expressions:
“Eu não ligo com essa coisas.” [Insert hand gesture here] I don’t care about that stuff.
“Não me importa.” – “i don’t care”
“Não tô nem aí.” – “i don’t give a s***,” “i don’t care”
“Tanto faz.” – “whatever”
“E eu com isso?” – “I don’t care,”
September 20, 2011 1 Comment
Maya Gabeira (born April 10, 1987 in Rio de Janeiro) is a professional big wave surfer from Brazil, already a two-time winner of Best Female Surfer in the world.
o surfista – surfer
a prancha de surfe (or just prancha) – surfboard
pranchão – long board
cera para a prancha, parafina – board wax
leash (pronounced “lésh” in “surfistês brasileiro” – brazilian surfer language), or cordinha – board leash
roupa de neoprene (known more commonly in brazil as a “long john“) – wet-suit
tubo – barrel
parede – shoulder, or face
crista (da onda), a parte mais alta da onda – lip (the highest part of the wave)
espuma – whitewater, foam
ressaca – the surf, undertow (this word also means “hangover” in brazil – “estou de ressaca” – “i’m hungover.”)
terral – offshore winds
maral – onshore winds
cavada – bottom turn
rasgada – re-entry
batida – off-the-lip
pegar um tubo, entubar – tube ride / barreling
drop – take-off
joelinho, golfinho, furar a onda – duck dive
tartaruga – turtle roll / eskimo roll
-Cera é importante para manter o equilíbrio na prancha. – Board wax is important to help balancing on the board.
-Se tomar um caldo, a cordinha impede que você perca a prancha. – If you wipe-out, the leash prevents the loss of the board.
-Caso planeje começar a surfar, precisará de um long john. – If you plan on taking up surfing, you will need a wet-suit.
-Pegar um tubo é o ponto alto do dia do surfista. – Getting barreled is the highlight of a surfer’s day.
-Conforme o surfista entra na onda, ele passa a mão livre na parede. – As the surfer drops in, he puts his free hand in the face of the wave.
-Manobras na crista da onda são estilosas. – Turns on the lip of the wave are stylish.
-A parte branca da onda é chamada de espuma. – The foamy part of a wave is the whitewater.
-O terral produz ondas perfeitas no oceano. – Offshore winds make perfect ocean waves.
-O maral não oferece boas condições para o surfe. – Onshore winds do not offer good surfing conditions.
-A cavada é uma das manobras mais importantes. – The bottom turn is one of the most important maneuvers.
-Na rasgada, o surfista desce de volta com a espuma. – In a re-entry, the surfer comes back down with the white.
-Para a batida, você quase sai da onda e, daí, vira rápido e volta. – For an off-the-lip, you almost exit the wave and then quickly turn around to get back.
-Pegar um tubo é uma manobra que pontua alto em competições. – The tube ride or barreling is a very high scoring trick in competitions.
-Antes do drop, observe a etiqueta do surfe para ver se a onda é sua. – Before taking off, observe surf etiquette to see if the wave is yours.
-Para o joelhinho, o surfista precisa remar com velocidade ao se aproximar da onda. – To duck dive, the surfer needs to paddle quickly when approaching the wave.
-Num pranchão, os surfistas usam a tartaruga para remar e passar a rebentação. – On a long board, surfers use the turtle roll to paddle out and get past the breaking point.
-“Tirar Onda” – means to show off
–“Tem que ir na onda” – “you have to go with the flow”
-“Segurar a Onda” – literally means to hold on to the wave. But when used in a conversation, it means to deal with a situation without losing one’s composure. In English, we’d translate it as “hanging in there” or “sticking it out,” since it means to put up with something you don’t want to put up with. Basically it means to deal with something difficult.
Examples:
Vai segurando a onda ai com a criança que a mãe já está a caminho. – Just hang in there with the kid, since her mother is on the way.
Acho que é melhor segurar a onda até a empresa falir. – I think it’s better to wait it out until the business goes bankrupt.
A menina não conseguiu segurar a onda, e acabou ligando para o pai dela pedindo para buscá-la. – The girl couldn’t stick it out, and ended up calling her dad to ask him to pick her up.
Quanto tempo você consegue segurar a onda sem comer chocolate? – How long can you go without eating chocolate?
It’s also helpful to see the expression in its literal form, with this news report about surfing in Rio de Janeiro:
September 20, 2011 Leave a comment
Brazilians are very serious about their beaches, partially because they have so many beautiful ones to choose from. From Amapa to Rio Grande do Sul, there are thousands of miles of coastline. I have visited so many stunningly beautiful beaches in Brazil, but still have many left to see, including those on Fernando de Noronha island, rumored to be the best in the country. I have so many favorites it’s impossible to chose, but I think some of the best states to beach hop in are Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, and Bahia.
Fernando de Noronha island, brazil
a praia – the beach
a barraca de praia – beach hut, cabana
a cadeira de praia – beach chair
a casa de praia – beach house
o guarda-sol – umbrella
o biquini – bikini
maiô – bathing suit
a bermuda – swimming shorts for guys
a sunga – men’s speedo
a duna – sand dune
o salva-vidas – lifeguard
a areia – sand
o castelo de areia – sand castle
o mar – ocean
a onda – wave
o tubarão – shark
o sol – sun
the famous beaches of rio de janeiro
os óculos (de sol) – sunglasses
o protetor solar – sunscreen / sun block
o isopor – a cooler (made of styrafome)
mergulhar – to go under water / to dive
nadar – to swim
boiar – to float
“tomar um banho de sol” – to sunbathe
bronzear – to tan
queimar – to get tan / burn
canga – sarong
festa na praia – beach party
festa na praia
“farofeiro” – this is a slang word used for sort of a low income tourist from the interior who goes to the beach for a day trip, suually they come in groups by bus or van. They come bringing everything they need to survive on the beach for a day, usually large quantities of food (including a bag filled with farofa), drinks and clothes, so that they do not have to spend any money.
“pegar um bronze” – slang for the verb “se bronzear”
Examples:
“nossa! hoje só tem farofeiro na praia.” – “Jesus! today there’s only farofeiros on the beach”
“domingo vamos fazer uma fartofada na praia o Morra em Guarapari”
“rato de praia” – you know those types of people who like to go to the beach every day, and stay there all day. In Brazil we call them “ratos de praia,” sort of like a “beach bum.”
“amor de praia não sobe a serra” – this is a common Brazilian expression literally saying “beach love doesn’t go up the mountain” it’s meaning is along the lines of: “summer love doesn´t last.”
“nadar, nadar e morrer na praia” – this expression is said of someone who worked their fingers to the bone, almost succeeded, yet was defeated just as they were about to see victory .” Those who are unlucky enough to be shipwrecked (naufregar) – they may “swim, swim, swim” to the shore, only to “die on the beach.” The expression in Brazil is frequently used to talk about soccer teams (the archetypical example for American sports teams would be the Boston Red Sox).
“não é a minha praia” – this one has nothing to do with the beach. it means: “it’s not my cup of tea”
“tirar onda” – this is a great portuguese slang expression, which means “to show off.” For example: “Peguei o carro do meu tio emprestado e fui tirar onda na avenida com os amigos.” – “I borrowed my uncle’s car and went to show it off in the street with my friends.”
Though Brazil is a highly stratified society, one thing Brazilians pride themselves on is the democracy of their beaches. Unlike other locations like restaurants, clubs, and stores, the beaches are open to all, and all beaches in Brazil are considered public. The beach is supposedly a place where people of any social class can feel welcome.
Just as a side note, although Cariocas of all social classes feel comfotable at the beach, they usually go to specific beaches and sometimes even specific points on the beach. In Ipanema, for example, Posto 9 is known for being the spot for the young and wealthy, while farther down the beach in Arpoador, the crowd is mostly working class.
So, this was the only vocab word that i could think of for this section:
praia de nudismo – nudist beach
…i accidentally walked into one of these when i was in Florianopolis. There are many.
altinha – stand in a circle and keep a soccer ball off of the ground, using everything but your hands…i wrote a whole post about this Here
frescobol – this beach paddle ball game played with small ping-pong-like rackets is a very popular activity on the beach in brazil (it’s “the #1 sport played on the beaches throughout Brazil,” according to frescobol.com)
frescobol
futevôlei – beach volleyball with no hands
“bater uma pelada” – slang, for playing soccer on the beach
fazer parapente, voar de asa-delta – to go hanggliding, parasailing (parapente is a parasail)
Also…
Click Here for portuguese surfing vocab
Click Here for a list of aquatic animals in portuguese
September 19, 2011 Leave a comment
Most Brazilian lullabies and children’s songs are scary as hell. Some of them are not exactly child-appropriate. Or human-appropriate.
Check out this hit parade:
You don’t need to have a PhD in Psychology to realize you might want to keep your kids away from these songs. “nana neném” is the one that personally I heard the most of. Here is a YouTube video of a Cuca monster singing the lullaby “nana neném” on the brazilian children’s program”Sítio do Picapau Amarelo”…:
The main refrain of the lullaby goes:
nana* nenem sleep baby
que a cuca vai pegar because the cuca’s gonna get you
mamãe foi pra roça mommy went to the country
papai foi trabalhar daddy went to work
desce gatinho come down, little cat
de cima do telhado from the roof
pra ver se a criança to see if the child
dorme um sono sossegado is sleeping peacefully
*the word “nana” means sleep when you are talking to a child (nanar – to sleep). Children in Brazil sometimes get their own special verbs. For example, instead of saying “comer” – to eat, when talking to a child you can also say “papar” (“vamos papar?” – “lets eat?”)
this is a cuca...
... not to be confused with the brand of pre-made caipirinhas, "cuca fresca"
So what is a “Cuca”? It’s the creature that’s singing “Nana neném” in the Youtube video above. While there are a number of Brazilian legends, one of the best known is that of the cuca, a mythical character popularized in Brazilian culture. The cuca, which originally came from the Portuguese coca, a dragon legend, was brought to Brazil in colonial times. The cuca is an ugly old woman who appears in the form of a crocodile and robs disobedient children. The cuca only sleeps once every seven years, and parents sometimes use this element of the legend to scare children who don’t want to go to sleep, telling them that the cuca will get them if they don’t go to bed. The Cuca legend was adapted for TV on the Globo show Sítio do Picapau Amarelo beginning in the 1970s. The TV cuca had a blonde wig, lived in a cave, and made magical potions. The cuca was also popularized in music, including the lullaby “Nana nené.”
Saci Pererê is another terrifying figure of early childhood in Brazil.
that's saci (pronounced "sassy") on the left. i chose this picture because he looks friendly. that is usually not how he is portrayed, and usually depictions of him are pretty shockingly racist
He’s black and has only one leg. He is always depicted smoking a large pipe. He wears a red pointed hat, which gives him magical powers, like the ability to appear or disappear whenever he wants to. He supposedly comes out of nowhere and will trick you if you ever find yourself alone in the forest.
September 15, 2011 Leave a comment
Here’s the Portuguese word of the day! If you have any words that you would like to nominate for this word of the day series, let me know! portugueseblogger@gmail.com
indenização – n. indemnity, reparation, restitution, compensation that you receive for damages (of pain and suffering, such as libel or slander OR for physical damages involving loss, such as in a flood)
Examples:
“Ele processou a empresa por danos morais e ele recebeu R$ 41 mil de indenização” – “He sued the company for damages of pain and suffering and received R$ 41 thousand in indemnity”
“Ex-empregada de supermercado vai receber R$ 1 milhão de indenização por queimaduras” – “Ex-employee of supermarket will receive R$ 1 million in compensation for burns.”
August 26, 2011 Leave a comment
Here’s the Portuguese word of the day! If you have any words that you would like to nominate for this word of the day series, let me know! portugueseblogger@gmail.com
“CAMELÔ”
camelô – n. street vendor
August 15, 2011 1 Comment
In Brazilian Portuguese, an internship is called an estágio. Like in other countries, it’s an opportunity for students or young people to gain experience in a company, either unpaid or with a small stipend or salary. In Brazil, interns are called estagiários, and to participate in an internship is to estagiar. In Brazil, internships are competitive, but some also opt to do internships abroad. In some cases, applicants have to take an entry exam, like you would have to for a civil service job.
Here’s a recent news segment from Globo’s Fantástico program about estágios:
And here’s a video from VEJA magazine, giving advice about how to prepare a resume, called a CV or currículo.
…And Here’s Some More Useful Portuguese Vocabulary:
carta de apresentação – cover letter
currículo – resume, CV
August 15, 2011 Leave a comment
Espírito Santo (literally means “Holy Spirit”) is a small state on the coast, squished between Bahia, Rio de Janeiro & Minas Gerais. It’s a state a lot of people say has no accent really, because each part of the state borders another state with such strong cultural and linguistic traits that it makes it difficult to have it’s own identity.
Capixabas is the name for Brazilians who come from the state of Espírito Santo. Like every other state in Brazil, Espírito Santo has its own sayings and expressions (capixabês)! Below are some popular words and expressions from Espírito Santo (first is the word in capixabês, and then the mainstream Portuguese word, and then the English translation). Please comment on this post if you can think of more!
Guarapari, Espirito Santo - Where all the Mineiros go on vacation
pocar – quebrar/estourar/pipocar – to break, explode
pocar fora – sair correndo, picar a mula – run away, peace out
sentir gastura – estar agoniado/a – to feel weasy
iá – estar supreso/a com algo – to be surprised, receive interesting news.
pão de sal – pão francês (para os paulistas), cacetinho (para os sulistas) – small loaf of bread, popular all throughout Brazil, but with different names in different states!
esburrar – estar cheio – to be full of/filled with
chapoletada – acidente de carro – car accident
saltar – desembarcar, descer (do onibus) – to get off at, from a bus/train
se injuriar – se estressar – to become stressed/annoyed
Capixaba is a word from the indigenous language, Tupi, which means “clean land for growing”, and the indians who lived in what is today Espírito Santo, called the land they planted their milho & mandioca on, capixaba. With this, the settlers in Vitória (the state’s capital), started to call these indians as such and the name passed on to those who live in the region today!
Espirito Santo on the map - home of the Capixabas
August 15, 2011 1 Comment
Thanks to posts by Transparent :)… here are some suggestions for writing both formal and informal emails in Brazilian Portuguese:
gmail in portuguese
For those who need to learn Portuguese for work, this will come in handy…
1. Salutation / Greeting
A formal salutation to use is “Prezado Senhor” or “Prezada Senhora”, depending on the gender (senhor is male, senhora is female). You can also use Senhores, if you’re writing to more than one person.
If you don’t know who the e-mail is going to, you could just say “Bom dia,” or “Boa tarde,” or “Boa noite,”
2. Body of the e-mail
Here are some key phrases you might need:
-Quero agradecer (I’d like to thank you…)
-Encaminho em anexo (I’m sending you an attachment)
-Solicito essa oportunidade (I’m seeking this opportunity)
-Venho enviar a documentação (I’m sending you the documentation)
3. Ending
The most common way to sign off a formal email is with “Atenciosamente” (sincerely). Here are some other ones you can use:
Sem mais, agradeço desde já, (And with that, I thank you in advance)
Com meus cumprimentos, (Best regards)
Atentamente, Sinceramente (Sincerely)
So let’s look at a full example e-mail.
Prezado Senhor,
Somos uma empresa de representações em vendas e temos em nosso quadro funcional apenas vendedores altamente capacitados e profissionalizados.
Anexamos nesta oportunidade nosso portfolio para análise e manifestamos nossa intenção de representar sua empresa em municípios da região. Caso haja interesse por parte de sua empresa, nos colocamos à disposição para novos contatos.
Agradecemos a atenção.
Atenciosamente,
Sérgio Fernandes
These are the types of messages you’d send to co-workers, friends, or acquaintances.
1. Salutation / Greeting
First, look at This Post on informal greetings in Portuguese. And also, Here is a list of words for informally addressing your friends in Portuguese.
You can use “Querido” or “Querida” for dear, if it’s a loved one or a friend. The simplest salutation is just Olá or more commonly Oi (hello, hi). For co-workers who you may not know well, you could use “Prezado colega…” or “Estimado colega…” (Dear colleague) and these would be more formal salutations.
2. Body of the E-mail
Some key phrases for the body of the email:
–Tudo bem? or Tudo bom? (How’s it going?)
–Como estão as coisas? (How are things?)
–Tentei ligar para você (I tried to call you)
–Queria saber se (I wanted to know if)
–Bom final de semana! (Have a good weekend)
3. Ending
In an informal email, end by saying:
Um abraço (a hug)
Um beijo (a kiss)
Abraços (hugs)
Beijos (kisses)
Abs! (short for abraços) or Bjs! (short for beijos)
Até mais! (until later! / talk to you later!)
For co-workers and slightly more formal recipients, you can use:
Saudações (salutations)
Obrigado/a (thank you)
Aguardo sua resposta (I look forward to hearing from you)
Here’s an example of an informal email.
Oi Maria!
Tudo bem? Como estão as coisas em São Paulo? Aqui está fazendo muito calor, não aguento mais.
Liguei para você ontem para ver se recebeu os documentos que enviei por Sedex. Já chegaram? Posso te passar o número de rastreamento se quiser. O pacote era para chegar na segunda-feira, por isso queria saber.
Aguardo sua resposta. Até mais!
Saudações,
João
August 12, 2011 Leave a comment
I just watched a clip from Fantastico about how foreign words are integrated into the Brazilian vocabulary by taking on a whole new spelling that adapts to Portuguese orthography. I have already written a bit about this in my post on Portuguese words of English origin. Some words taken from other language keep their original spelling when they arrive in Brazil (i.e. pizza). Here are some foreign words that have taken on a new spelling, that have been “aportuguesadas.”
"Xou da Xuxa" - "Xuxa's Show"
drinque – drink
champanha – champagne
baguete – baguette
uísque – wiskey
beque – back (in soccer)
esqueite – skate
basquete – basketball
bangalô – bungalow
xampu – shampoo
If you have other word suggestions please contribute to the comments below. Here is the link to the video on this from Fantastico. The video basically concludes that either the foreign or the adapted Portuguese spelling of the above words is correct.
Portuguese Blog 