Small Talk

In this episode, Joel and Rui compare how people interact with their neighbors in Portugal and Canada—everything from awkward elevator silence to strangers weighing in on what’s in your shopping bag. They go through some common Portuguese greetings and goodbyes like “bom dia,” “até logo,” “vai-se andando,” and “haja saúde,” and talk about when you’d […]

Caught at a bus stop with a talkative stranger, Ana patiently contributes to the one-sided chat using simple comments that say “I’m listening”, without saying much at all. Coincidentally, this is also helpful for language learners who want to keep the conversation flowing, despite not having much to say yet… 😉

Mafalda has a pleasant chat with her neighbour.

Joel tells Luís about his friends’ travel plans.

Coworkers João and Camila chat about family responsibilities and routines on their way into the office.

D. Maria and Catarina have a pleasant chat in the supermarket. Language focus: formal and informal “you” Cultural note: D. is an abbreviation for Dona, which is an honorific, similar to Ms. or Mrs. You may hear some Portuguese speakers use Dona to respectfully address a middle-aged or older woman who is a homemaker, or […]

José and Diogo watch the game together. Keep an eye (or ear) out for irregular verbs in the present tense, such as ter, poder, querer, and ir, plus many common conversational phrases.

Sofia and André talk about everything they did yesterday with their friends. Notice how different forms of the past tense are used throughout the dialogue.

Two friends talk about cats and an upcoming wedding.

Rodrigo reminisces about his favourite tavern: Tasquinha do Zé Pipo. Notice how the imperfeito do indicativo (past continuous) is used throughout the dialogue.

Senhor Esteves stops by to say hello to Dona Graça and her daughter, Carla. Since it’s almost lunchtime, they invite him to stay for a meal. Notice the different levels of formality used among the different speakers.

Ricardo recognizes an old classmate at the gym. Explore the variety of uses of the verb andar throughout their conversation.