“Ronaldo” is one of the first names that pop up when discussing Portugal, wherever you are in the world. Regarded as one of the most important football/soccer players of all time, he’s earned his place as not only a top Portuguese celebrity, but also as an important symbol of the country. Neither Rui nor Joel are fans of the ol’ sportsball, which made exploring the new vocabulary and expressions even more interesting! (Cue the hate mail, “futebol” purists!).
Cristiano Ronaldo: Assim Nasce Um Campeão!
Cristiano Ronaldo: A Champion is Born!
When to Use Dele/Dela vs. Seu/Sua
Dele vs seu? When forming 3rd person possessives in European Portuguese, how do we decide when to use dele, dela, deles, delas vs. seu, sua, seus, suas? Possessives formed with de are less ambiguous: they agree strictly with the subject, not with the object. In contrast, seu and its derivatives agree with the object, so […]
3rd Person Possessives: De + Pronoun
The Ambiguity of Seu, Sua, Seus, and Suas To review, the Portuguese possessive pronouns/determiners for the third-person forms are the following: Subject Possessive Pronoun/Determiner English Equivalent Ele, Ela, Você His, Her/Hers, Your/Yours(formal) Eles, Elas Their, Theirs As you can see, , , , , and all share the same exact possessive determiners! Since the determiners agree with […]
Introduction to Possessives
Possessive Determiners vs. Possessive Pronouns In this unit, we’re going to learn about possessive determiners and possessive pronouns in Portuguese, which both serve the function of expressing possession or ownership of something. In English, these are words like my, your, his, her, their, and our (possessive determiners) and mine, yours, his, hers, theirs, and ours […]
1st and 2nd Person Possessives
Mine, Yours, and Ours Let’s take a closer look at this first group of possessives: meu, teu, nosso and vosso, plus their feminine and plural forms. Subject Possessive Pronoun/Determiner (for masculine nouns) Possessive Pronoun/Determiner (for feminine nouns) Eu Tu Nós Vós, Vocês Gender and Number Agreement Remember that the pronoun/determiner has to agree in gender […]
Ser vs. Estar: Two Ways of Being
Are you familiar with the verbs and ? Even with a lot of practice, they are still easy to mix up! Don’t worry: in this unit you’ll learn more about when to use one versus the other. A Basic Distinction: Ser vs Estar Ser is typically used to describe permanent states or conditions. It refers […]
O Azulejo Português
The Portuguese Tile
Today we learn about one of the most important symbols of Portuguese culture, found all over the walls and buildings throughout the country – azulejos (tiles). As always, we explore new vocabulary and grammar, and correct more of Joel’s “pronúncia de estrangeiro!”
O Joel Vai Ao Hospital (2018, ANIMATED!)
Joel Goes to the Hospital (2018, ANIMATED!)
Update: January 12, 2018 – As a gift to us and all Practice Portuguese fans, our friend Wayne has turned this episode into a fully-animated cartoon. The video is free for everyone to watch, plus our supporting Members get access to a special version with subtitles for improving comprehension. ~~~ Getting sick can cause pain and […]
A Tartaruga Ninja
The Ninja Turtle
Our fabulously fictional Portuguese family is back (with peculiarly different voices 😂) and this time, they’re considering adding a new member. We explore new vocabulary surrounding food, animals and more, and also run into some new usage examples of the conjunctive and conditional moods. And just like in the last episode, Rui continues to help Joel identify some more of his “estrangeiro” pronunciation habits!
Update (April 12, 2018): After launching this episode, it was helpfully pointed out to us that keeping a turtle as a pet is irresponsible: They die earlier in captivity and live a miserable, unnatural life. They’re part of our wildlife heritage and need their protected, natural habitat to thrive. Instead, consider adopting a cat or dog from a shelter – surprisingly, they’re less work, and you’ll be doing some good! More details here and here. (Obrigado, Joanna!)
Feliz Natal e Boas Festas!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
What better way to celebrate the season than with a bit of snow and -11°C temperatures? Check out the holiday hijinx we got up to while almost freezing to death in Toronto, Canada this month… and learn a bit of seasonal vocabulary at the same time!
Can You Learn Portuguese in 3 Months?
Take a look at this post from the Fluent in 3 Months blog in which Holly Keenan finishes up month 3 of her learning Portuguese challenge (with a little help from Practice Portuguese!): How I Learned Portuguese in 3 Months: Mission Complete! You can also see how she did in Month 2 and Month 1. […]
A Rota da Cortiça
The Cork Route
In this episode, we learn about one of Portugal’s most important symbols and main exports: cork! We explore tons of new vocabulary, and later, for your benefit, Rui humbles Joel by tearing apart his pronunciation skills!
A Mãe Está Doente e o Pai Cuida da Família
Mother Is Sick and Father Takes Care of the Family
Today, our fictional Portuguese family is subjected to some of the grammar you’ll find around the B2 Intermediate level, including the “conjuntivo” verb mood. Since the mother is sick, the father has to improvise with preparing dinner himself, all while taking care of the kids. Will it be as easy as he thinks, or will it all go “por água abaixo”?
Resolver Um Problema Ao Telefone: Alô?!
Solving a Problem on the Phone: Hello?!
Update: April 10, 2018 – As a gift to us and all Practice Portuguese fans, our friend Wayne has turned this episode into a fully-animated cartoon. The video is free for everyone to watch, plus our supporting Members get access to a special version with subtitles for improving comprehension.
Telephone and Internet service companies are notoriously painful to deal with, and Portugal is no exception! In this dialogue, a pushy representative from “VOZ” calls in an attempt to recapture a former client. Have you had the pleasure of dealing with one of these services in Portuguese yet?
Common Household Items
The average home is full of all kinds of objects, pieces of furniture, and appliances. In this unit, we’ll explore the most common objects you’ll find in each room of your house. The Living Room – Sala de Estar The room where you’ll likely spend lots of time relaxing with your family and friends is […]