One of the most common adverbs of time is , which at its core means in this moment. Like all other adverbs of time, já is always invariable. It is one of the most frequently used adverbs, and possibly one of the most confusing for non-native speakers! The meaning of já in Portuguese varies quite […]
Adverbs of Time: Já
Uma Ida Ao Supermercado
A Trip to the Supermarket
While making her way through her lengthy shopping list (containing useful food vocabulary, of course), Sra. Rosa shares her elderly wisdom with a young employee who is eager to help.
Special Guest: Eliana Silva
Polite Expressions
Just like its people, the Portuguese language is very courteous. Below are just some of the many polite phrases used to express basic, everyday courtesy in Portuguese. A little kindness goes a long way, especially when you’re struggling to communicate in a new language! This guide covers the most important phrases, but there are also […]
Saying Goodbye in European Portuguese
Let’s learn how to say goodbye in Portuguese! There are many options, depending on who you are talking to, the time of day, or how long it will be until you see them again. Take a look at the infographic below for a quick guide:
Um Canadiano em Portugal
A Canadian in Portugal
Currently living in Portugal and learning the language, Joel bumps into a helpful local.
Maria Encontra os Colegas
Maria Meets Up With Her Colleagues
Maria is looking for a pen, but ends up chatting with Pedro and shares some snacks with him.
Um Turista Perdido
A Lost Tourist
A tourist struggles to find his way to his hotel… but not as much as he struggles with understanding Portuguese expressions.
Cabelos, Tesouras e Desilusões
Hair, Scissors, and Disappointments
Salvador and Mariana (– no, Adriana! –) visit a hair salon to freshen up their looks, but quickly find themselves in a hairy situation! In this episode, you’ll learn lots of new vocabulary and expressions that should come in handy the next time you find yourself going under the scissors…
Parte II: À Caça de Casa
Part II: Hunting for a House
Today we revisit Diálogo 29 to discuss some of the vocabulary and expressions surrounding the Portuguese housing market. There’s also an extra listening challenge waiting for you in the second half, so stick around!
Musculação Rural com o Rui Sénior
Rural Bodybuilding with Rui Senior
In the peak of summer, fitness expert Rui Sénior takes a few minutes to show us how he stays in better shape than everyone else, even while on vacation… No excuses!
Episódio 1 (2018, ANIMATED) – Fotografar Comida em Restaurantes / O Sono e o Álcool
Episode 1 (2018, ANIMATED) - Photographing food in restaurants / Sleep and Alcohol
Talk about a callback… This video is a brand new animated version of our very first podcast episode, from way back in 2013! By comparing the audio of this episode to our newer ones, you’ll hopefully notice not only a massive evolution in not only our production quality and comfort on the mic, but also […]
As Sardinhas Que Fumavam
The Sardines That Smoked
Hoping for a calm, vegetarian dining experience at a local Portuguese restaurant, Sr. John gets thrown off guard by unprofessional service and a problem with his order! Find out how he deals with these challenges, and learn lots of vocabulary and expressions to use the next time you’re dining out.
Como Falam Os Algarvios? (Conversa com Eliana)
How Do Algarvians Speak? (Conversation with Eliana)
After our very challenging Diálogo, dedicated to the Algarvian dialect, we decided to record a follow-up discussion with Eliana, (who voiced the Algarvian characters).
She will help us understand a bit better some of the difficult terms and expressions that came up in that episode, and how they’re typically used in the region.
Lavar a Loiça Com a Avó Odete
Washing the Dishes with Grandma Odete
Avó Odete is back! She teaches us lots of new vocabulary while chatting, singing, and washing the dishes, (with Rui’s “help” 🙈). Rui even attempts to get her saying “asneiras” (bad words!) Watch now to see if he succeeds!
Um Café em Lisboa
A Coffee in Lisbon
This episode is a collaboration featuring Tatiana Ribeiro, a Portuguese teacher (and fan of the project) from Brazil, currently living Italy! She recorded with us and also wrote the dialogue, which takes place in a café in Portugal.
Since we all know jokes are funnier after they’re explained in exhaustive detail, Rui and Joel discuss the key vocabulary and expressions used throughout. But rather than making it easy on you by switching to English, we decided to keep the entire conversation in Portuguese!
But don’t worry – For the first time ever, members using the podcast player on our website can now enable English translations at any point in this episode, to make sure you don’t miss a single “palavra”.
We’re excited to hear what you think!
Update, August 11, 2017: Shortly after launching this episode, we were invited on Tatiana’s radio show for an interview. We’ve released an edited version of this interview with transcript if you’d like to have a listen!
European Portuguese Greetings
Let’s start with the basics! One of the simplest Portuguese greetings is and one of the simplest ways to say goodbye is , or the slightly more formal . However, it’s also very common to say hello or goodbye with a more specific greeting based on what time of day it is. Portuguese Greetings Throughout […]
A Lenda da Rapariga com Pés de Cabra
The Legend of the Girl with Goat's Feet
In this Lenda (tale), we explore a famous Portuguese tale of a woman… with goat feet! She manages to keep the secret hidden her entire life, until a nobleman falls in love with her and learns the truth.
(special thanks to Luís Relógio for writing this episode!)
Portugal Campeão (Part 2)
In this second half of “Portugal Campeão“, we continue to celebrate Portugal’s futebol victory!
Just like the last few episodes, we discuss vocabulary and grammar useful in every day life, even if (like us) you don’t follow sports! Make sure to listen until the end where Rui gets a little bit hyper… and musical! (Too much galão, perhaps?)
(00:55 Slow reading, 07:31 Discussion, 26:38 Fast reading, 31:02 Outro)
Portugal Campeão (Part 1)
Portugal the Champions (Part 1)
We celebrate Portugal’s futebol victory with a play-by-play of how it all went down, including tons of useful expressions and vocabulary, soccer/football related and otherwise.
With Rui and Joel’s lack of sports knowledge (sports experts, you’ve been warned), we hope this episode is as educational as it is wacky!
Show up for the multiple musical outbursts, stay for the in-depth analysis of Ronaldo and his pet moth!
(Photo courtesy of Leticia De La Fuente)
A Família Vai Ao Supermercado
The Family Goes to the Supermarket
Marco and Ana take their kids to the “supermercado”, giving us an opportunity to learn some new vocabulary surrounding food.
First, Rui reads the entire article all the way through, then Rui and Joel split the text into sections to discuss vocabulary, Portuguese culture, and useful expressions you’ll hear on a daily basis while in Portugal. Rui also corrects some of Joel’s “estrangeiro” pronunciation mistakes that you might be making too!
Video: Uma Família Portuguesa, Com Certeza!
Video: A Portuguese Family, For Sure!
At our house, there’s plenty of excitement! In this video, Avó Odete creates chaos by trying to explain Christmas and the end of the year. Can you guess her resolutions for 2016?
Like this special video-only episode? Tell us in the YouTube comments!
(Attention: Level of difficulty = MAXIMUM)
• Because of the difficulty level and the nature of the episode, this will NOT appear in the Podcast feed or in iTunes as an audio-only episode.
• Premium Members, make sure to log in to see the version with subtitles.
Uma Família Portuguesa, Com Certeza!
A Portuguese Family, For Sure!
Na nossa casa, animação não falta! Neste vídeo, a avó Odete cria o caos ao tentar explicar o que é o Natal e o fim do ano. Consegues adivinhar as suas resoluções para 2016?
Like this special video-only episode? Tell us in the YouTube comments!
(Atenção: Nível de dificuldade = MÁXIMO)
• Because of the difficulty level and the nature of the episode, this will NOT appear in the Podcast feed or in iTunes as an audio-only episode.
• Premium Members, make sure to log in to see the version with subtitles.
Para Onde Vai o Cocó do Avião?
Where Does Airplane Poop Go?
Listen to what my grandmother thinks about my profession and how she manages her money — “x para aqui, x para acolá”!
Saudade
Longing
“Saudade” — a word without translation. What word would you use to express this feeling?