50 Ways to Improve your Portuguese: Teach Yourself

Helena Tostevin, Manuela Cook

• Publisher: Teach Yourself
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781444110678
• eBook ISBN: 9781444132311
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Languages
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Do you have a working knowledge of Portuguese, but want to improve? Allow this book to come to your rescue and eliminate basic errors and slips of the pen. Each one of 50 top tips for improving your spoken and written Portuguese is presented and analysed across a whole double page, with explanations as to where and why people sometimes go wrong. The tips are grouped into grammar, spelling, false friends, pronunciation and cultural faux pas sections. There's even free downloadable audio content available to help you with your pronunciation. Polish your Portuguese with this brand new series from Teach Yourself - the No. 1 brand in language learning. 50 ways to improve your Portuguese touches all essential bases and is divided into the following easily digestible sections: Only got a minute?
A 60-second introduction to Portuguese to get you started. Only got five minutes?
Get to grips with Portuguese and its common pitfalls even if you're short of time. Only got ten minutes?
Use your free time wisely to learn something about the Portuguese language. Insights
Instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on Manuela Cook and Helena Tostevin's many years of experience. Test yourself
Tests online to keep track of your progress. Articles
Extra information to keep you motivated. Summaries
Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts. Grammar
Easy-to-follow building blocks to give you a clear understanding. Pronunciation
Don't sound like a tourist - polish your pronunciation before you go. Audio
Downloadable audio support online to help with key areas - iPod/MP3 compatible.
For your free audio download please visit: www.hodder.co.uk/TYLfreedownloads

Getting the structure right

11a Eu viajo frequentemente entre o Brasil e Portugal I travel frequently between Brazil and Portugal (The definite article)

In English, the definite article is the, but in Portuguese it changes according to whether the noun it is related to is masculine or feminine, singular or plural.

For English-speaking learners pitfalls arise from the fact that the Portuguese definite article is much more widely used than its English counterpart.

Look carefully at the following examples where the article is used.

• continents:

A África é maior que a Europa.	Africa is larger than Europe.
A Europa é um continente relativamente pequeno.	Europe is a relatively small continent.

• many countries (though not Portugal and some other Portuguese-speaking countries – Angola, Cabo Verde, Moçambique, São Tomé e Príncipe, Timor – and Cuba, Israel, Marrocos and a few others):

O Brasil é o país mais vasto da América do Sul.

Brazil is the largest country in South America.

In some cases, however, it may or may not be used.

A Inglaterra faz parte do Reino Unido.	England is part of the United Kingdom.
Ele vai para (a) Inglaterra.	He is going to England.

• generally, with place names where the name also has a general meaning:

O Porto fica no norte de Portugal.	Porto is in northern Portugal.
(porto as a common noun means port, harbour.)
A Guarda é uma cidade portuguesa.	Guarda is a Portuguese town.
(guarda as a common name means guard.)
Os Açores são ilhas do Oceano Atlântico.	The Azores are islands in the Atlantic Ocean.
(açor as a common name means goshawk)

• often with the names of languages:

O Português é falado em várias partes do mundo.

Portuguese is spoken in several parts of the world.

• with nouns used in a general sense:

A água não deve ser desperdiçada.

Water should not be wasted.

• with the names of meals:

Por favor, fique para o jantar.

Please stay for dinner.

• with the names of seasons:

O verão é a minha estação favorita.

Summer is my favourite season.

• with the names of religious and other festivals:

Este ano a Páscoa é cedo.	This year Easter is early.
Vou passar o Natal em casa.	I’m going to spend Christmas at home.

• with the days of the week:

Para mim o domingo é o melhor dia da semana.

For me Sunday is the best day...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Meet the Authors
• Only got a minute?
• Only got five minutes?
• Only got ten minutes?
• How to use this book
• Sounding right: pronunciation and spelling
• Getting the structure right
• Choosing the right words
• Glossary of grammatical terms
• Index
• Credits
• Copyright