School and Town in Brazilian Portuguese: a Escola, o Professor, a Praça

Most Portuguese words for people come in pairs: o professor for a man, a professora for a woman. Places are ordinary nouns: learn each with its article, because the article decides whether you go ao cinema or à escola.

• Ela é professora. - She is a teacher.
• Vou ao cinema. - I'm going to the cinema.

The whole system on one screen

The sentences: I'm at school; she's a teacher; where's the bank?; I'm going to the cinema; shall we go to the beach?

At school: o professor, a professora

A aula is one lesson, and also school in the sense of classes:

• Tenho aula hoje. - I have school today.

O dever de casa is singular, like English homework:

• Eu faço o dever de casa depois da aula. - I do my homework after class.

People: -o and -a, -or and -ora

A word for a man in -o swaps it for -a. A word in -or keeps it and adds -a:

Some words do not change at all, and only the article tells you who is meant:

• o colega, a colega - classmate, colleague
• o estudante, a estudante - student

For a mixed group, Portuguese uses the masculine plural: os alunos can be ten girls and one boy.

Jobs after ser: no article

With a job after ser, Portuguese drops the a that English needs:

12

1. 1Ela é médica.
2. 2Ele é professor.

Ela é médica (she is a doctor); ele é professor (he is a teacher). No um or uma in front of the job.

• Eu sou aluno. - I am a pupil.

Add the article only when you describe the person:

• Ela é uma professora muito boa. - She is a very good teacher.

Around town: a praça, o mercado, a estação

Learn the article with the word: it decides ao or à later.

Getting around

Long-distance buses leave from a rodoviária, which almost every Brazilian town has. O ônibus keeps the same form in the plural: os ônibus.

Where is it? Onde fica...?

Ficar is the verb for where a place is. Ask Onde fica a farmácia? (where is the chemist's?), and the answer comes back with fica:

Perto and longe take de before a place, and de merges with the article: perto da praia, longe do aeroporto. Two more you will hear:

• Fica ao lado do banco. - It's next to the bank.
• Fica em frente à igreja. - It's opposite the church.

For a person, or anything that moves, use estar:

• Onde está o professor? - Where is the teacher?

Going places: vou à escola, vou ao cinema

Going somewhere takes a, which merges with the place's article. Being somewhere takes em, which merges too:

12

1. 1Vou para casa.
2. 2Estou em casa.

Vou para casa (I'm going home); estou em casa (I'm at home). Home takes no article, so nothing merges.

Vou para a escola is also correct and very common in Brazil. Para is the usual choice for going somewhere to stay, above all home:

• Vou para casa. - I'm going home.

In fast Brazilian speech you will also hear vou na escola and vou pra praia: recognise them, and write à and ao.

• Aonde você vai? Vou ao supermercado. - Where are you going? To the supermarket.
• Onde você está? Estou na rodoviária. - Where are you? At the bus station.
• Você vai à praia hoje? Não, vou à biblioteca. - Beach today? No, the library.

Aonde (to where) is a plus onde. Many Brazilians say onde for both, and nobody minds.

Free time: futebol, cinema, praia

Jogar futebol takes no article, like English. In Portugal, o bilhete covers the show and the match as well, and a gig is more often o concerto.

Sorrir (to smile) and rir (to laugh) are short and irregular:

• Ela sorri e todo mundo ri. - She smiles and everybody laughs.

Todo mundo is Brazilian for everybody; Portugal says toda a gente.

A first day: a short scene

Júlia is new at school. The teacher introduces her to the class.

Mistakes English speakers make

What to do next

1. Name three places in your town with their articles, then say Vou ao... or Vou à... for each.
2. Revise the merging of a, de and em in Portuguese prepositions, and ficar in ficar.
3. Do the drill below, then carry on in the Portuguese course.