🌀 Trooper
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Portuguese for the perplexed
27-05-13, 19:33
#1
http://www.economist.com/blogs/johns.../05/brazilians
Portuguese for the perplexed Inspired by a popular guide to Understanding the British, I've put together a few entries in a Foreigners' Guide to Understanding Brazilians. Portuguese speakers and Brazilianists are invited to add more in the comments. Hat tip to Brazil-based journalists Andrew Downie and Dom Phillips, who contributed items, and Olivier Teboul, a Frenchman living in Belo Horizonte whose list of "Brazilian curiosities" (in Portuguese) has generated a huge response from amused, and sometimes bemused, locals. What Brazilians say: Yes (Sim) What foreigners hear: Yes What Brazilians mean: Anything from yes through perhaps to no What Brazilians say: Perhaps (Talvez) What foreigners hear: Perhaps What Brazilians mean: No What Brazilians say: No (Não) What foreigners hear (on the very rare occasion a Brazilian says it): No What Brazilians mean: Absolutely never, not in a million years, this is the craziest thing I've ever been asked What Brazilians say: I'm nearly there (Tô chegando) What foreigners hear: He's nearly here What Brazilians mean: I've set out What Brazilians say: I'll be there in ten minutes (Vou chegar em dez minutinhos) What foreigners hear: He'll be here soon What Brazilians mean: Some time in the next half-hour I'll get up off the sofa and start looking for my car keys What Brazilians say: I'll show up later (Vou aparecer mais tarde) What foreigners hear: He'll be here later What Brazilians mean: I won't be coming What Brazilians say: Let's stay in touch, ok? (A gente se vê, vamos combinar, ta?) What foreigners hear: He'd like to stay in touch (though, puzzlingly, we don't seem to have swapped contact details) What Brazilians mean: No more than a Briton means by: "Nice weather, isn't it?" What Brazilians say: I'm going to tell you something/ Let me tell you something/ It's the following/ Just look and you'll see (Vou te falar uma coisa/ Deixa te falar uma coisa/ É o seguinte/ Olha só pra você ver) What foreigners hear (especially after many repetitions): He thinks I'm totally inattentive or perhaps mentally deficient What Brazilians mean: Ahem (it's just a verbal throat-clear) What Brazilians say: A hug! A kiss! (Um abraço! Um beijo!) What foreigners hear: I've clearly made quite an impression—we've just met but he/she really likes me! Waht Brazilians mean: Take care, cheers, bye What Brazilians say: You speak Portuguese really, really well! (Você fala português super-bem!) What foreigners hear: How great! My grammar and accent must be coming on a lot better than I thought What Brazilians mean: How great! A foreigner is trying to learn Portuguese! Admittedly, the grammar and accent are so awful I can barely understand a word... but anyway! A foreigner is trying to learn Portuguese! |
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tony
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27-05-13, 19:42
#2
What Brazilians say: NEMLI
What foreigners hear: He didn't read it What Brazilians mean: HUEHUEHUEHUEBRBRBR |
Trooper
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27-05-13, 19:43
#3
woiheiohewqiohiowhqio spoon fdp
Curti, é tudo verdade aí, especialmente o do "quase chegando" e derivados |
Trooper
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27-05-13, 19:46
#4
eu sou especialista nesse "tô chegando"
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Trooper
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27-05-13, 20:08
#5
OAEOHAEOHEAOHEAO
pq conca, voce nao sai de casa rapido? : / |
Trooper
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27-05-13, 20:15
#6
eu moro longe pra caralho e tenho sérios problemas com procrastinação e distração
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Trooper
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27-05-13, 20:22
#7
não tem coisa mais engraçada do que vc tá no busão e escuta alguém no celular, olha tô quase chegando, tô na rua tal, tal, tal. e vc olha pela janela e vê que está há pelo menos uns 30 minutos do local que o camarada falou!
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Trooper
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27-05-13, 20:41
#8
Kkkkkkk
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Trooper
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28-05-13, 09:35
#9
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Trooper
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29-05-13, 11:07
#10
ehauohi mto bom
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