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O Joel Inscreve-se Num Ginásio

Joel Signs Up at a Gym

The Canadian’s back! Joel still lives in Lisbon and this time he wants to sign up for a gym membership. Has his Portuguese improved?

Updated November 10, 2015 – As a gift to us and all of the other Practice Portuguese fans, fellow member Wayne has turned this episode into a fully-animated cartoon. You can watch this one with the Premium Features, whether you are a member or not.

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  • 00:00:01As conversas que se seguem são baseadas em factos verídicos, as personagens não são
  • 00:00:09ficção e o nível de português pode ser assustador. Este é o verdadeiro teste.
  • 00:00:21Joel: Olá, boa tarde!
  • 00:00:23Rececionista: Boa tarde! Bem-vindo ao Sempre em Forma. Em que posso ajudá-lo?
  • 00:00:26Joel: O meu nome é Joel. Eu ando à procura de um ginásio para treinar e um amigo disse-me
  • 00:00:31para visitar este.
  • 00:00:33Rececionista: Ah… que bom! Que bom que decidiu treinar e que bom que nos veio visitar. Não quer sentar-se
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o animal de estimaçãopet BalneáriosLocker rooms os cacifoslockers comerciaissalespeople espreitarto take a look at, to peek, to take a glimpse FidelizaçãoLoyalty period, minimum length of contract GravilhaGrit (a kind of soil made of little gray stones, less fine than sand) inscreverto enroll, sign up, register IrrecusávelUndeniable MensalidadeMonthly fee o mergulhodive MimarTo treat or spoil someone or ourselves MusculaçãoWeight lifting, bodybuilding PermitirTo allow o pisofloor prosseguirto proceed RelvadoGrass field rodeadosurrounded sing.,masc. secadorhair dryer a vedaçãofence
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A hora de pontaRush hour Algo que não dá vontadeSomething that discourages you Ora nem maisJust like that Estamos a falar a mesma língua"Speaking the same language", being on the same page Mas se calharBut maybe A tecnologia de pontaCutting edge, state-of-the-art technology Acabado de chegarJust arrived A não perderNot to be missed Quando a esmola é demais o pobre desconfiaIt's too good to be true
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Segredos da Pronúncia Nativa
Um Dia na Praia
No Metro e Na Escola
Saudade
O Joel Vai ao Supermercado
O Joel Apanha o Avião
Artigo 4 – É Portugal o Melhor Destino?
portuguese logo
Anúncio Especial!

Comments

  • Hi Joel and Rui,
    I am very much enjoying your course and indeed your sense of humour.

    I have a few questions arising from this episode.

    (1) In the heading, you have “Será que o português dele melhorou?” which Google translates as: “Has his Portuguese improved?”
    I would have expected this to be: “Will it be that his Portuguese has improved? Elsewhere, you have “Será possible?” translated as “Is it possible?” My question is simply whether this use of the future tense is common in Portuguese?

    (2) My second question is about the use of the verb ‘Andar’, e.g. as in “Eu ando à procura” = “I’m looking for” I know Portuguese uses ‘Estar’, ‘Ser’ and indeed ‘Ficar’ for the verb “to be” but I am a little puzzled about’ Andar’. How is its use different to ‘Ficar’?

    Many thanks

    Declan
    🙂

    • That use of the future is very common indeed. ‘Será que’ is added to questions to give them more of a rhetorical, introspective twist, similarly to how ‘I wonder if…’ or ‘Could it be that…’ are used in English. It happens to be conjugated in the future tense, but the related action or event can happen at any point in time, past, present or future.

      As for ‘andar’ vs. ‘ficar’ as they relate to the verb “to be”,’ficar’ is usually used either to indicate a location or to express a transition or change, (become):
      – The store is in the corner. = A loja fica na esquina. (location)
      – Don’t be sad if she cancels. = Não fiques triste se ela cancelar. (don’t become sad)

      On the other hand, ‘andar’ gives off a sense of vague continuity, which is why it relates particularly well to the present/present perfect/etc continuous. It’s used for actions or events of uncertain duration that were, are or will be happening for at least a while.
      – What are you doing? = O que andas a fazer?
      – He has been sick. = Ele tem andado doente / Ele anda doente.
      – We were traveling a lot. = Nós andávamos a viajar muito.

      This is just a short explanation, but hopefully it’ll give you a quick intro of how these verbs are used in these contexts.

      (Ps. Sorry for delay, I wanted to get some help with putting this reply together to make sure it would be as accurate as possible 🙂

    • Wondering if you can explain whqt the references to (A), (B), (C), etc are? Are there footnotes somewhere?

      Obrigada O Sr. Joel!!

      • Sure, no problem! Those references referred to the old way we used to present the vocabulary and expressions pages… We’ll have to get those references cleaned up in these earlier episodes. Sorry for the confusion!

  • In Question 1 on the quiz, is the question worded properly? I would have expected it to say, “Qual é o nome do ginasio”. Do you not need to put the “é” in there?

    • Hi! Both versions are acceptable in Portuguese: “Qual o nome do ginásio?” and “Qual é o nome do ginásio?”. By the way, this type of verb omission happens more often in writing (mostly formal writing, such as a school test or a news article) than in speech.

  • That is hilarious.. especially as I have worked in gyms over many years. Very valid! lol. LOVING these podcasts and shorties, well done!

  • Sorry for being a nerd, I love your podcast very much but I love being a nerd as well. In the “expressions” section you have “it’s too good to be truth”. Shouldn’t it be “true” instead?

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