PARA COMEÇAR... 2
For Starters... 2
>>European Portuguese | Switch to Brazilian Portuguese

*When you see "B "P, this means that you can click to hear how the word or phrase sounds in Brazil (Brazilian dialect) and Portugal (European dialect).*

This lesson is a continuation of the Para começar introductory lessons. Please link back to the Portuguese Online Lessons page to view all of the lessons offered on this site.

Setting:
It's Roberto's first day of college. He made a new friend today, Ana, but it is now time for him to go to class. A stranger approaches him as he hurries off. The man seems harmless enough and Roberto, always the people-friendly extrovert, stops for a moment...

(Note: O senhor means mister or sir, or even the man in a respectful manner.)

You should already be familiar with much of the dialogue, but let's look at the rest:

• Bom dia! means Good day! and is a more formal greeting during the morning and daytime. Consider it a way to say Hello! in less relaxed situations.
• Muito bem! You've seen both of these words before. Bem means well and muito means very. Muito has a few translations in English, all representing quantity: much, many, very, a lot.
• Desculpe is a new word. It means excuse me or sorry in most any situation where these two phrases apply in English.
• Não and sim are also new to you here, but you'll pick them up very quickly. Sim means yes and Não means no. Não is even more important than sim because it is the general negative in Portuguese: no, not, don't, etc.
• Como? is what you ask when you don't understand something or are fishing for something to be repeated. What? Exactly.
• Muito obrigado! or Muito obrigada! is how we say thank you very much.
• Não faz mal! can respond to something like excuse me or I'm sorry. It means It's o.k.! or don't worry!
• Não tem de quê! is a selfless response to a thank you and means don't mention it or no problem.

MAIS PERGUNTAS E RESPOSTAS
More Questions and Answers

In the last lesson, we built several neat, compact tables that would help us manage a beginner's conversation in Portuguese. When we finished, we could greet, introduce ourselves, give our name and place of origin, and even ask the same of someone else. Let's take those tables and fatten them a little.

Greetings

Asking someone's name

Asking someone's place of origin

Excusing, interrupting and apologizing

Responding to yes-no questions

Thanking someone

Saying Goodbye

PRONUNCIATION (Gluing Vowels Together)

You're still not finished learning how to pronounce your new language. In fact, you're missing some integral pieces. One of them is the diphthong, a fancy Greek name for sticking more than one vowel together and pronouncing them as a "single" sound.

In most cases, it just means that a "y" or a "w" sound comes before the or after a syllable's main vowel (sometimes called the "nucleus"), and we usually spell those sound in Portuguese with the letters i and u.

"ai" like ei in height
>example pai

"au" like ou in out
>example auto

"ei" like ey in they
>example deito

"eu" has no English equivalent, but is as the e in they followed by a "w" sound
>example eu

"oi" like the oy in boy
>example oito

"ou" like the o in boy
>example sou, ou

"ou" like the wee in weep
>example muito

In general, an o or e before or after another main vowel (the "syllable nucleus") is pronounced like a "w" (o) or a "y" (e).
>example candeeira, lições, compreender
>example voar, voo, doer

Keep these diphthongs in mind, because you will meet more of them as you learn the language. Listen to the sound files you come across and pay special attention to them, the same special attention you've been giving to the nasal vowels. Right? Good...

A. O senhor e você The Stranger and You

Now it's your turn to have a conversation with o senhor that Roberto met earlier. He still can't find the bathroom! Please pay attention to the phrases he uses to greet you and introduce himself, and give the best response you can. Use the blanks and punctuation as a guide.

Answers (no peeking!):
- Bom dia!
- Bem (or Muito bem, obrigado/a or Muito bem or Bem, obrigado/a). E você?
- Não faz mal.
- Como?
- Oh, sim.
- De nada or Não tem de quê. Adeus!
- Adeus!

B . DIPHTHONGS... Again

Pronounce each of the words below without referencing the Understanding the Language section. Pay close attention to any diphthongs. After you have finished pronouncing a word, listen to the sound file.

muito pai sou oito auto eu deito

(This section is a repeat from the last lesson, only because I want to emphasize its importance. You will read through your first "true" Mundo Luso section in the next lesson.)

The Lusophone World is a fancy way of saying "The Portuguese-speaking world". Like speakers of any other language, Portuguese speakers enjoy a unique culture and history. Beneath this one Lusophone culture, you will come to understand and even interact with the many cultures and subcultures of the many Portuguese-speaking countries around the world.

As you advance through the lessons, you will find some necessary information and a few delightful nuggets about your new culture as a speaker of the language, all tucked away in these short sections. I recommend that you also take the time to appreciate this culture outside of these Mundo Luso boxes. Listen to the many genres of music unique to Brazil, Portugal, and other Lusophone countries. Read jornais newspapers. Find the things that interest you, and do them in Portuguese. The links pages offer a decent variety and are a great starting point.

You should have focused on a few key points in this lesson:

• Some new basic phrases that expand your conversations in Portuguese, including sorry, yes, no, and no problem.

• What a diphthong is. You should now be capable of pronouncing ai, au, ei, eu, oi, ou, and ui, even if you can't for the life of you pronounce the word diphthong.

• A rereading of the previous Mundo Luso section. This time, I urge you to search through the site's links pages and elsewhere on the internet. Find a few selections in Portuguese, and pronounce the words out loud. Actively pursuing your new language will go a long way in helping you learn it.

This lesson was rather short and easy to swallow, so I advise you to reread it a few times, and we'll see you in the next lesson!

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