Suplementos—Unidade 1—Parte A
Suplementos—Unidade 1—Parte A
Gramática—Os pronomes retos
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Gramática—Os pronomes retos. Authored by: Craig stokes. License: CC BY: Attribution
To understand who is doing an action, we must have a working set of personal pronouns, known in Portuguese as “promomes retos.”
Here is a complete set of singular and plural personal pronouns:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| eu (I) | nós (we) |
| tu (you, familiar) | *vós (very formal and obsolete) |
| você (you, familiar) | vocês (you, familiar) |
| o senhor (you, formal, masculine) | os senhores (you, formal, masculine) |
| a senhora (you, formal, feminine) | as senhoras (you, formal, feminine) |
| ele (he) | eles (they, masculine) |
| ela (she) | elas (they, feminine) |
At first glance, Portuguese has many more pronouns than English and even Spanish. However, we will try to reduce this list to a more manageable set.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| eu (I) | nós (we) |
| a gente (we) | |
| tu (you, familiar) | |
| você (you, familiar) | vocês (you, familiar) |
| ele (he) | eles (they, masculine) |
| ela (she) | elas (they, feminine) |
Although we would like to know how to address someone formally, the formal pronouns meaning “you” will not be practiced in this textbook. Luckily, if you know the verb conjugations that agree with “você” and “vocês,” they are the same for the more formal address types.
Examples
Você é do Brasil. (You are from Brazil.)
O senhor é do Brasil. (You are from Brazil.)
The plural pronoun “vós” has fallen out of use and will only appear in ancient texts, perhaps in church readings, etc. We will never use that form.
A gente
Living languages evolve and continue to simplify their linguistic systems. It has become widespread in Brazil to use an innovative plural pronoun, “a gente,” instead of “nós.” The phrase meaning “the people” has come to mean “we.” Of course, the verb forms will be different, but we will discuss that later.
Examples
Nós somos do Brasil. (We are from Brazil.)
A gente é do Brasil. (We are from Brazil.)
You
The informal “tu” will be given throughout the text, although we will use “você” as the principal subject pronoun to mean “you.” The only plural form is “vocês.”
The use of “tu” is prevalent in Portugal and certain regions of Brazil. However, many Brazilian speakers will mix “tu” and “você” indiscriminately. A speaker may address you as “você” but use the possessive adjectives or object pronouns corresponding to “tu.”
Note from Professor Stokes: I distinctly remember a Brazilian friend addressing me as “você” but greeting me with “Bom te ver. (Good to see you.)” The direct object pronoun “te” corresponds to “tu.”
Non-binary pronouns
Non-binary language in the Portuguese-speaking world is in development. There are no standardized non-binary pronouns or adjectives. Here is a good resource on non-binary language.
The Bate-Papo textbook sometimes uses non-binary pronouns (“elu” and “elus”) and you will hear them in some of the audios.
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Gramática—o verbo SER
Licenses and attributions
Gramática—O verbo SER. Authored by: Craig stokes. License: CC BY: Attribution
The verb SER (to be)
The most essential verb in the Portuguese language
| SER (to be) | |
|---|---|
| eu sou (I am) | nós somos (We are) |
| tu és (You are, singular) | a gente é (We are) |
| você é (You are, singular) | vocês são (You are, plural) |
| ele, ela é (He, she is) | eles, elas são (They are) |
The most essential verb in the Portuguese language is the verb SER. The word “essence” itself comes from the same Latin root. Therefore, we will use the verb for the most basic and important functions in the language.
Names
- Como é o seu nome? (What is your name?)
- Meu nome é Bebeto. (My name is Bebeto.)
Origin
- De onde você é? (Where are you from?)
- Eu sou dos Estados Unidos. (I am from the United States.)
Days and dates
- Hoje é sexta-feira. (Today is Friday.)
- Meu aniversário é no dia 21 de abril. (My birthday is April 21.)
Telling time
- Que horas são? (What time is it?)
- São cinco e dez da tarde. (It is ten after five in the afternoon.)
Descriptions
- A jaqueta é verde. (The jacket is green.)
- Eles são simpáticos. (They are nice.)
Nacionality and professions
- Ela é brasileira. (She is Brazilian.)
- Eu sou professor. (I am a professor.)
Exercícios
Prática 1
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Prática 2
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Prática 3
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Prática 4
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Prática 5
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Prática 6
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Prática 7
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Prática 8
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Prática 9
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Prática 10
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Prática 11
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Prática 12
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Prática 13
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Prática 14
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Prática 15
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Prática 16
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Prática 17
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Prática 18
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Prática 19
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Revisão de vocabulário
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
Original exercise created by Craig R. Stokes
