Oi/Olá Pessoal

In Portuguese we have verbs with different meanings but FICAR is probably the verb with more diverse utilizations.

FICAR (stay, to remain, to be, become, to keep, get)

Joana fica em casa. / Joana stays at home.

Não quero ficar para trás. / I don’t want to be left behind.

Não entendi. Fiquei na mesma! / I didn’t understand. I stayed the same!

Fica com isso! / Keep it!

Ela ficou calada depois do telefonema. She kept quiet after the phone call.

Tiago fica com medo sempre que vê uma aranha./ Tiago is always  scared when he watches a spider.

Ele ficou triste com o presente. / He was sad with the present.

Fico contente por ti. / I’m glad for you.

A casa fica junto ao mar. / The house is by the sea.

O apartamento dele fica no centro da cidade. / His house is in down-town.

Ele ficou em terceiro lugar. / He got third place.

Essa saia fica-te mesmo bem! / That skirt really becomes you!

Ele ficou de me ligar. / He was suposed to call me.

Se a 9 tirares 5, restam 4. / If you take 5 from 9 , 4 remains.

Coloquial Expressions with FICAR

Fico-me por aqui. / I won’t go further.

Em que ficamos então? / What are we going to do then?

Ficar de pé. / To stand.

Isto ficou por fazer! / This was left undone!

Estou a ficar velha! / I’m geting old!

I hope this verb could be useful!

Até à próxima!

Tudo bem Pessoal!

Today’s post will teach you how to get you to talk to people.

So imagine you are meeting someone you have met before and obviously you need to show enthusiasm because you are seeing that person again.

So, you must get to them and say some Portuguese phrases like:

Não acredito!	I can't believe it!
Nossa, há quanto tempo!(Br) Ei ! Há quanto tempo!(Pt)	Long time no see, hein...
Seis meses, né?(Br)/ Seis meses, não é?(Pt)	It's been 6 months, right?
O tempo voa, né!(Br)/ O tempo voa, né!(Pt)	Time flies, doesn't it?
Você continua ótimo/ótima!	You still look great!

They might start telling you a story about something. Unless your Portuguese is already good to sustain a long conversation in Portuguese, you may want to keep them talking while you listen. Yes, fake it until you make it! ;-)

If the conversation goes silent, you may spark it again by saying:

Então, o que você tem feito?	So, what have you been up to?
Como vão as coisas?	How's everything going?
Você ainda trabalha no mesmo lugar?	Are you still working at the same place?
Como está o pessoal lá em casa?	How's everyone at home?
A gente precisa de se ver mais vezes.	We need to get in touch more often!

By then, you might need to leave. So you might say...

Eu te ligo!(Br)/ Eu ligo te!(Pt)	I'll call you!
Você ainda está com o mesmo número?	Do you still have the same number?
Tudo bem, me dá seu novo número .(Br) Tudo bem, me dá seu novo número .(Pt)	OK, so please give me you new number.
Valeu, tchau. (Br)/Está bem, tchau. (Pt)	OK, bye.

You see, it's not difficult to start talking to people. And we don't need to know much about the language...All we need is determination and know-how.

So, now, get out there and practice it today. If you don't have anyone to practice this with today, do it with yourself in front of a mirror.

Até à próxima!

Oi, Olá!

Although most of the vocabulary is the same as in Portugal or Brazil, there are some differences, many due to the influence of several languages spoken in Angola. Each area has different lexicon originating from the distinctive languages of diferents tribes.

 In the capital, Luanda, a very standard Portuguese is spoken, and tribal culture and languages are practically nonexistent. Still, there are several Kimbundu influences (It is one of the most widely spoken tribal languages in Angola,)

These words are not used in documents or business, for example, as it is mostly seen as slang, but there are exceptions. Most of this lexicon is mostly used by younger Angolans and Portuguese, similarly to younger African-Americans in the US.

Angola	Portugal	Brazil	Translation
anhara, chana	savana	savana	savanna
bazar	ir embora, bazar (slang)	ir embora, vazar (slang)	to go away/home
cacimba	poço	cacimba, poço	well
chuinga	pastilha elástica, chiclete	chiclete	chewing gum
farra	festa, farra	festa, farra	party
garina	rapariga, miúda, garina, gaja (slang)	garota, guria (in the south)	girl
jinguba	amendoim	amendoim	peanut
bunda	rabo, cu (slang)	bunda, rabo, cu (slang)	butt
machimbombo	autocarro	ônibus	bus
muceque	bairro da lata	favela	slum quarter

 Até à próxima!

Carta Comercial de Aniversário / Birthday Business Letter

Olá (Oi) Pessoal tudo bem !

Today our post is about Thanks Letters/ Cartas de Agradecimentos and this particular one was special request of one of my students.

        Carta Comercial de Aniversário / Birthday Business Letter

Prezado (a) Sr.(a) Permita-me expressar os nosssos sinceros votos de Feliz Aniversário. Desejamos ao (à) Senhor (Senhora) muitos anos de vida e esperamos que sua empresa possa desfrutar por muito tempo de sua inesgotável energia e força criativa. Atenciosamente,

Dear Mr.   (Ms) Please accept our very best wishes on your birthday. We wish you many more years of good health and trust that your company will enjoy your inexhaustible energies and creativity for a long time to come. Yours sincerely,

Até à próxima…..

Feliz Ano Novo de 2013

Feliz Ano Novo de 2013

Probably you made this goal for 2013: be fluent in Portuguese

Today I’m writing how to use some resources to help you with your Portuguese

When you're bored studying lists of vocabulary, try reading a book in Portuguese.

When you're bored with reading, try watching a movie.

When you're bored with that, try watching music videos.

When you're bored with that, try singing your favorite song in Portuguese.

When you're bored with that, try finding something funny to watch on youtube and read the comments on videos, because they're written in a very casual language, true to how people actually speak.

There are so many different avenues of learning today, especially with the internet, and I think the best way to learn a language is to utilize all of them.

Boa sorte com o estudo de Português e ...

Até breve!

Para todos um"Feliz Natal"!

Feliz Natal!

Merry Christmas! / Happy Christmas!

Feliz Natal, querida.

Happy Christmas, darling.

Feliz Natal, querido.

Merry Christmas, sweetheart.

Obrigado e Feliz Natal.

Thank you and Happy Christmas.

Desejo a todos um Feliz Natal.

I wish you a happy Christmas.

Feliz Natal para todos!

A Happy Christmas to everybody.

Feliz Natal e próspero Ano Novo!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Desejo a todos um Feliz Natal.

I wish you all a very Happy Christmas.

Muito obrigado, Senhor Diretor e Feliz Natal!

Thank you, Mr Director, and Happy Christmas!

Para terminar, desejo-vos um Feliz Natal.

Finally, I would like to wish you all a Happy Christmas.

Desejo a todos um Feliz Natal e oxalá que o Ano Novo seja melhor!

I wish us all a Happy Christmas and, I hope, a better New Year!

Para terminar, Feliz Natal e Bom Ano Novo a todos!
Lastly, I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Dar com a língua nos dentes...

Our post today brings a very cool Portuguese idiomatic expression: dar com a língua nos dentes. It basically means to spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag, give the game away. Let’s check out some examples:

Era para ser uma festa surpresa, mas ela deu com a língua nos dentes e estragou tudo.
It was supposed to be a surprise party, but she spilled the beans and ruined everything.

Se eu fosse você eu não confiaria nele; ele sempre dá com a língua nos dentes.
If I were you I wouldn’t trust him; he always spills the beans.

O que eu te contei é segredo, não vá dar com a língua nos dentes.
What I told you is a secret, don’t go spill the beans.

Hoje, não dê com a língua nos dentes ....

                                                           Até à próxima !