LC Portuguese flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Skimming for genre

Identifying text type (crônica, notícia, edital, e-mail) before detailed reading primes expected structure, register, and where the main idea usually appears.

Tese in argumentative text

The author's central claim, typically stated after initial context and restated in the conclusion; distractors often quote supporting detail instead of the claim.

Fato versus opinião

Facts are verifiable events; opinions carry evaluative markers such as 'infelizmente', 'deveria', 'é provável'. Exam items ask you to classify or separate them.

Connector: portanto

Marks a conclusion or consequence, equivalent to 'therefore'. It signals that the following clause is inferred from what precedes, not contrasted with it.

Connector: embora

Introduces a concession meaning 'although' and requires the subjunctive: 'Embora chova, sairemos'. It weakens rather than negates the main clause.

Referential este/aquele

'Este/esta' typically points to the nearer or forthcoming referent; 'aquele/aquela' points to something already mentioned, distant, or previously established.

Inference must be text-supported

A correct inference answer is licensed by explicit textual evidence. Statements true in general knowledge but absent from the passage are wrong options.

Clitic placement PT-PT

European Portuguese defaults to enclisis, placing object pronouns after the verb: 'Ele deu-me o livro'. Pre-verbal proclisis ('Ele me deu') is typical of Brazilian Portuguese.

Personal infinitive

An infinitive that takes a subject and agrees: 'É importante fazermos isso'. It replaces English finite clauses after prepositions and impersonal expressions.

Future subjunctive

Form used in future conditional and temporal clauses: 'Se eu puder', 'Quando ele chegar'. English renders it with the present indicative.

Impersonal haver

In the sense 'there is/are', 'haver' is invariable: 'Havia muitos alunos'. Standard usage rejects 'haviam' with a plural object.

Estar a + infinitivo

European Portuguese progressive construction: 'Estou a ler' = 'I am reading'. Brazilian Portuguese prefers 'estou lendo'.

Obligatory contractions

Prepositions contract with articles and demonstratives: de+a=da, em+um=num, por+o=pelo, a+aquele=àquele. Omitting them is a grammatical error.

Subjunctive triggers

Expressions of doubt, wish, emotion, or purpose require the subjunctive: 'espero que venha', 'duvido que seja', 'para que funcione'.

Porque versus por que

'Porque' means 'because'; 'por que' asks 'why/for what' in questions; 'porquê' is a noun meaning 'the reason'; 'por quê' stands clause-finally.

False friend: atualmente

Means 'currently' or 'nowadays', not 'actually'. The English 'actually' is usually 'na verdade' or 'realmente'.

False friend: pretender

Means 'to intend' or 'to aim to', not 'to pretend'. 'To pretend' is 'fingir'. Common source of mistranslation.

Puxar and empurrar

'Puxar' means to pull and 'empurrar' means to push. Portuguese door signs read 'Puxe' and 'Empurre', the reverse of English intuition.

Idiom: pulga atrás da orelha

Literally 'a flea behind the ear'; means being suspicious or doubtful about something. Used informally as 'ficar com a pulga atrás da orelha'.

Polysemy of ficar

Covers 'to stay', 'to become' ('ficou triste'), 'to be located', and colloquially 'to keep'. Context determines which English verb applies.

Gender exceptions

Some endings mislead: 'o problema', 'o dia', 'o mapa' are masculine despite -a; 'a mão', 'a tribo' are feminine despite -o.

Tempo versus vez

'Tempo' means time or weather; 'vez' means occurrence or turn, as in 'uma vez' (once) and 'às vezes' (sometimes).

Translating personal infinitive

Render with an English finite clause or gerund: 'Antes de sairmos' becomes 'Before we leave' or 'Before leaving'. Choose by whether the subject is emphasized.

Translating haver de

Expresses obligation, intention, or expectation: 'Hei de voltar' means 'I shall return' or 'I will eventually return', not a literal 'have of'.

Já and já não

'Já' usually means 'already'; 'já não' means 'no longer'. 'Ainda' means 'still', and 'ainda não' means 'not yet'.

Se-passive translation

Constructions like 'Aluga-se' or 'Vendem-se casas' become English passives or impersonal forms: 'For rent', 'Houses for sale'.

Translating estar a ler

Renders as English present continuous 'I am reading'. Do not translate as a simple present, which would change aspect.

English would: two renderings

Conditional 'would' becomes 'faria'; habitual past 'would' becomes 'fazia'. Context decides which Portuguese tense is correct.

Gerund subject to infinitive

English gerund subjects become Portuguese infinitives: 'Swimming is healthy' renders as 'Nadar é saudável'.

There is/are in Portuguese

Use invariable 'há' or 'existe/existem'. Avoid literal 'tem' in formal prose, which is colloquial Brazilian usage.

Adjective placement shift

'Um grande homem' means 'a great man'; 'um homem grande' means 'a big man'. Position changes meaning with certain adjectives.

PT-PT versus PT-BR lexicon

Everyday pairs differ: autocarro/ônibus, comboio/trem, pequeno-almoço/café da manhã, casa de banho/banheiro. Exam passages may mix norms.

Orthographic Agreement differences

Both norms write 'ação', but PT-PT retains 'facto' and 'receção' where PT-BR writes 'fato' and 'recepção'. Consonants silenced in speech often drop in BR.