Portuguese in Six Weeks

Hi, welcome to day 1.

Before we learn the basic greetings we are going to start with vowel sounds.

The audio files throughout these lessons are done in short snippets so that the learner doesn’t get ‘lost’. Simply listen and repeat. Try to just imitate what you hear as you read. Remember that you can listen to the recording as many times as you like.

Audio

Getting the vowel sounds correct in the initial stages is of great advantage. Remember they will not always sound as above, the sound can vary depending on where they fall in the word. For example an ‘o’ at the end of a word has a short ‘oo’ sound. (This is a rough guide, pronunciation will come with time)

Basic greetings

This is something many people have difficulty grasping, possibly because we hear many forms of greetings, making them difficult to identify. It is good to learn them as well as possible to avoid any future doubts. You can choose the form you prefer, but remember, you might hear any of the others.

1: The traditional one

Audio

Bom dia, como está? – good morning, how are you?

Bom dia. Estou muito bem, obrigado. E você? – I am very well, thank you. And you?

Estou muito bem, obrigado. – I am very well, thank you.

Note: Estou = I am. (more on that later on)

2 : The use of ‘bom / boa’ (good) instead of ‘bem’ (well)

Audio

Está bom? – Are you good? (asking a man)

Estou, obrigado. E você? –  I am, thank you. And you?

Está boa? (asking a woman)

Estou, obrigada. E você?

Note : woman says obrigada (thank you); man says obrigado (thank you). (general rule)

3: Is all well?

Está tudo bem? – is all well? (not: are you well?)

Está. E consigo? – it is. And (with) you?

Está, está tudo bem! – it is, it is all well

4 : The easy one

Tudo bem? – All well?

Tudo. E consigo? – All. And (with) you?

Está tudo bem, também. – all is well, as well.

5: The abbreviated versions (coloquial)

Audio

Bom dia. Como ‘tá? = Bom dia. Como está?

‘Tou bem = Estou bem

‘Tá tudo bem? = está tudo bem?

‘Ta, ‘ta. ‘Ta tudo bem = Está, está. Está tudo bem.

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Está bem can also mean, okay.

Está bem, está bem… – okay, okay…

Você está bem? –  are you okay?

Estou bem – I am okay

Saying hello!

Audio

Olá – hi / hello

Bom dia –  good morning or good day!

Used up until lunchtime

Boa tarde – good afternoon

This is said from after lunch, right up to nightfall

Boa tarde, como está!? – good afternoon. How are you?

Boa noite – good evening / good night

This can be used to greet somebody and to say goodbye to them.

Boa noite! Como está? – good evening! (goodnight) How are you?

Boa noite. Até amanhã!  – goodbye. (goodnight) See you tomorrow

NOTE: In the word ‘amanhã’ the ‘h’ sounds like a ‘y’. the sound of the ‘nh’ is like the sound of the ‘ni’ in the word ‘onion’.

Saying goodbye 

Audio

Adeus – goodbye

Tchau – we all know what that means. Brazilian, but widely used.

Até logo – see you later (even if we might not see them later)

Até amanhã – see you tomorrow ( even if we are not seeing them tomorrow)

Até a próxima – until next time

Mini dialogue: 

Audio

– Boa tarde, como está? 

– Estou bem, obrigada. E você?

– Estou muito bem, obrigado. Até amanhã!

– Até amanhã!

Write the above out by hand (old school) in your notebook (A real paper one!). This is a very important part of learning, of course, this is optional but you will get much more out of the course by making notes. You will get to know the accents, spelling, word order and pronunciation.

Listen to the audio below and write down what you hear in your notebook. Check your answers in the next lesson!

Audio