I definitely wish I could have had more help, which prompted me to put together this useful guide on how to navigate the magical world of infância (childhood) in Portuguese. You don’t have to be a parent to have a criança (child) in your life. You might be an aunt, uncle, grandparent, neighbor or even have a colleague at work who has childen. Showing that you care goes a long way in any relationship, and knowing how to express yourself in the language can be really helpful. Então venham comigo!

Sempre levo meus filhos no parquinho (Photo by Orione Conceição from Pexels)

parquinho | playground

escorregador, balanço, gangorra, caixa de areia | slide, swing, see saw, sand pit

• Levo meus filhos no parquinho todas às tardes | I take my children to the playground every afternoon .

pega-pega, pique-esconde | play tag, hide and seek

• Do you want to play tag or hide and seek with us? | Você quer brincar de esconde-esconde ou pega-pega com a gente?

chupeta | binkie, pacifier

• Chupetas são uma boa ideia para acalmar bebês | Pacifiers are a good ideia to calm babies down.

mamadeira | baby bottle

• É hora de alimentar o bebê, você pode pegar a mamadeira para mim? | It’s time to the feed the baby, can you get the baby bottle for me?

babador | bib

• Ainda bem que o bebê estava com o babador, ele se sujou todo de comida | Good thing the baby had his bib on, he good food all over himself.

Hora de trocar a fralda (Photo by Polina Tankilevitch from Pexels)

fralda, trocar fralda | diaper, change diaper

• Oh, as fraldas do Jimmy estão fedendo! Acho que é hora de trocar a fralda | Oh, Jimmy’s diapers stink! I think it’s time for adiaper change.

amamentar | to breastfeed

• A amamentação oferece muitos benefícios para a saúde, tanto para a mãe quanto para a criança | Breastfeeding offers a lot of health benefits both for the mother and the child.

carrinho de bebê | stroller

• Estou levando minha filha de dois anos ao parque em um carrinho de bebê porque ela é nova demais para andar muito | I’m taking  my two-year-old to the park on a stroller because she is too young to walk around for long.

boneca | doll

• Eu tive várias bonecas Barbie quando era criança | I had several Barbie dolls when I was a kid.

bichinho de pelúcia, ursinho | stuffed animals, teddy bear

• Luke está chateado porque ele esqueceu seu ursinho de pelúcia favorito no jardim de infância | Luke is upset because he forgot his favorite teddy bear in the kindergarten.
• A cama de Lisa está cheia de bichinhos de pelúcia de todos os tamanhos e cores | Lisa’s bed is covered in stuffed animals of all sizes and colors.

engatinhar | to crawl

• Minha filha começou a engatinhar ontem! Em breve ela estará dando seus primeiros passos | My baby daughter started crawling yesterday! Soon she will be taking her first steps.

fazer xixi na cama | wet your bed

• Reduzir a ingestão de líquidos à noite pode ajudar as crianças a parar de fazer xixi na cama | Reducing the intake of fluids at night can help children stop wetting their beds.
  

  O jardim de infância é um bom lugar para fazer amigos (Photo by cottonbro from Pexels)

creche, jardim de infância | day care, kindergarten

• No início, meu filho não parava de chorar quando o deixava na creche. Depois ele acabou se acostumando! | At first, my son couldn’t stop crying when I dropped him off at day care. Then he got used to it!
• Nos mudamos para esse parte da cidade porque eles tem jardins-de-infância melhores| We moved to this part of town because they have better kindergartens .

crescer | grow up

• Eu cresci em Boston | I grew up in Boston.
• Aproveite esses momentos, eles crescem tão rápido! | Enjoy these moments, they grow up so fast!

And first things first! Before infância (childhood), comes gravidez (pregnancy). If you’d care to learn more about this life stage, confira abaixo or see our related posts here and here:

Being pregnant in Portuguese

WARNING: As of today, the Portuguese blog will be discontinued. I would like to thank all readers. It has been great writing about my language as culture over the years. Hope you enjoyed it too!

     

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Por que você está tão séria? (Photo by Karolina Grabowska)

The phrase fala sério is used as an interjection to express indignation or frustration and can be roughly translated as “seriously” or “come on”:

• O motorista do Uber cancelou a viagem de novo! Fala sério! | The Uber driver canceled the ride again! Come on!
• Ah fala sério! Perdi o ônibus por uma questão de segundos! | Oh come on! I missed the bus by a matter of seconds!

“tirar alguém do sério” as in to drive someone crazy, to get on someone’s nerves

• Essa internet lenta está me tirando do sério! | This slow internet connection is getting on my nerves!
• É impossível encontrar um lugar para estacionar nessa região, isso me tira do sério | It’s impossible to find a parking spot in this area, it drives me crazy.
  

  Ninguém me leva à sério na empresa (Photo by Tim Gouw from Pexels)

“levar a sério” as in to take something seriously

• Quando encontrei com o advogado, ele estava de bermuda, não dá pra levar ele a sério | When I met the lawyer, he was wearing shorts, you can’t take him seriously.
• Ninguém me levava à sério quando eu era só uma estagiária, agora todos me respeitam | Nobody took me seriously when I was just an intern, now everybody respects me.
• Se não começar a levar seus estudos à sério, você nunca vai poder fazer faculdade | If you don’t start taking your studies seriously, you’ll never be able to go to college.

“cara séria” as in looking serious, sulking

Brazilians are usually very friendly and like to smile. So if you’re not really in a cheerful mood as we so often are, you will likely hear this phrase.

• Nossa, que cara séria! Aconteceu alguma coisa? | Wow, you look so serious! Did anything happen?
• Por que seu pai está com uma cara tão séria durante a viagem toda? | Why has your been father so serious during the whole trip?

Are you curious about how the use the word ‘cara’ too? Check out this post:

How to use the word ‘cara’ in Portuguese

And as a bonus treat for learners, here is a classic song from the 2000s featuring Brazilian popular rap group Charlie Brown Jr. and R&B singer Negra Li, Não É Sério, so you can boost your language skills as you sing:

     

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Por que você está tão sério? (Image by Ольга Бережна from Pixabay )

First of all, sério means the same as in English, as in something bad, severe or as a person who is quiet and not into jokes:

• – E então, doutor? É sério? | – So doctor, is it serious?
• Esse problema é sério, precisamos resolvê-lo agora | This is a serious problem, we need to solve it now.
• Por que você está tão sério? Estamos em uma festa, aproveita! | Why do you look so serious? We’re at a party, enjoy it!

Remember that “sério” as an adjective should therefore be modified according to gender and number:

• Entrei no quarto das minhas filhas para brincar com elas, mas elas estavam tão sérias fazendo o dever de casa! | I went into my daughters’ room to play with them, but they were all serious doing their homework!

Você está falando sério? (Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels)

sério as really or seriously

• – Consegui a bolsa de estudos! – Sério? Parabéns! | – I got the scholarship! – Oh really? Congratulations!
• – Meu pai está no hospital porque quebrou a perna ontem – Sério? Que pena! | – My dad is in the hospital because he broke his leg yesterday – Really? That’s too bad!
• É sério que você se demitiu? Não acredito! | Did you really quit your job? I can’t believe it!

You can even go a little further and try sério mesmo, which is a little more emphatic but also a bit informal and can be translated as for real:

• – Você viu que o preço da gasolina está a sete reais o litro? – Sério mesmo? Que péssimo! | – Did you see that gas prices are going for 7 reais per liter? – For real? That’s terrible!
  

  Essa conexão está me tirando do sério! (Photo by energepic.com from Pexels)

“falar sério” as in to be serious, to mean something

• Meu pai prometeu que ia levar toda a família pra Disney no meu aniversário, mas acho que ele não estava falando sério | My dad promised he’d take the whole family to Disney for my birthday, but I don’t think he meant it.
• – Ah não, acho que esqueci meu telefone no ônibus! – Você está falando sério? E agora? | – Oh no, I think I left my phone on the bus! – Are you serious? Now what?
• – Joguei na loteria e ganhei mil reais! – Você não pode estar falando sério | – I played the lottery and I won a thousand reais! – You can’t be serious.

É sério que já acabou? But don’t worry, there is more to come next week! Tenham uma ótima semana.

     

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Quem seguir nas redes sociais (Image by Biljana Jovanovic from Pixabay)

They are certainly all helpful in their own way. But today my plan is to introduce you to a more unusual way to expand your conhecimento (knowledge): by using redes sociais (social media). I’ve rounded up as melhores contas (best accounts) on Instagram, Youtube and TikTok that produce some interesting, amusing and educational conteúdo (content) about Portuguese language and Brazilian culture. And if you’re not too big on social networks, don’t worry! You don’t have to be active or even criar uma conta (create an account) to browse, so you can still have some fun while you aprende (learn). So if you want to hear more about quem seguir (who to follow), check out below.

Olga do Brasil

With over half a million seguidores (followers), Olga started her canal (channel) about two years ago. The Russian Youtuber offers viewers her overall impressions and reactions – in Portuguese!- about random assuntos (topics) related to Brazilian culture, celebrations, food, music, language and vida cotidiana (daily life). It is also entertaining to watch her compare certain aspects between Brazilians and Russians. We are vastly different, but we do have a lot more in common than we think. Watch her videos here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/OlgaDoBrasil

Aprenda português na internet (Image by Erik Lucatero from Pixabay)

Greengo dictionary

Literally speaking, it should be a dictionary for estrangeiros (foreigners), but one might even argue that this page only makes sense for Brazilians. And Greengo dictionary is definitely hugely popular among us, with its deliberately traduções ruins (poor translations) of English phrases that refer to our country’s current events, history, celebrities, public figures, geography and memes. Sounds like a lot to take in? I bet their clean layout with imagens (pictures) and a short translated text could help you entender (understand) a little better what is going on, even if it is a little mais avançado (more advanced). Either way, Greengo dictionary could be enlightening or just confusing, but it is worth a shot.

https://www.instagram.com/greengodictionary/

Eduardo Tristão Girão

Now for some local color, Eduardo Tristão Girão’s perfil (profile) is an Instagram hidden gem, mandatory for anyone even mildly interested in Brazilian culture and comida (food). Girão is an award-winning journalist and food critic, but his whole ideia is to keep things simple. He focuses primarily on regional cuisine, artisan production and traditional ingredients, especially queijos (cheese). Navigate his older stories for truly mesmerizing series on typical pratos (dishes) and onde e como (where and how) they are made.

https://www.instagram.com/eduardotristaogirao/

Veja contas interessantes para seguir (Image by Thomas Ulrich from Pixabay)

Gringos no Brasil

To wrap it up, TikTok and Instagram are not short on accounts of gringos (our slang for foreigners) to talk about what it is like to viver (live) in Brazil. With lots of piadas (jokes) and a wonderful sense of humor, these creators use TikTok’s characteristic fast-paced video style to share their experiences and give dicas (tips) on traveling and speaking Portuguese. Plus, you can passar horas (spend hours) watching without even noticing. Confira aqui:

https://www.tiktok.com/@ondestaoadam

https://www.tiktok.com/@spencersabe

https://www.tiktok.com/@paulcabannes_

https://www.tiktok.com/@thegringoinbrazil

https://www.instagram.com/chrisgringo/

Who do you like to follow on social media? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

     

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Let’s now shift our attention to Manuel Bandeira, whose poetry was received with both enthusiasm and rage by the clapping and booing público (audience) during a reading of “Os Sapos” in Semana de Arte Moderna. The modernist author had a funny, provocative and iconoclastic style, which we will get to know today with his best-known poem, Vou-me embora pra Pasárgada. Below you can find the original stanzas in Portuguese, followed by minha tradução (my translation) in italics.

But first, how about brushing up on your listening skills? Ouça (listen to) the poem here, narrated by the author himself!

Vou-me embora pra Pasárgada
Lá sou amigo do rei
Lá tenho a mulher que eu quero
Na cama que escolherei

I’m leaving for Pasargada
There, I am a friends witi the king
There, I have the woman I want
In the bed that I choose

Vou-me embora pra Pasárgada
Aqui eu não sou feliz
Lá a existência é uma aventura
De tal modo inconsequente
Que Joana a Louca de Espanha
Rainha e falsa demente
Vem a ser contraparente
Da nora que nunca tive

I’m leaving for Pasargada

Leia poesia para aprender português (Photo by cottonbro from Pexels)

Here, I am not happy
There, existence is an adventure
in such an inconsequential way
May Joana the Madwoman of Spain
Queen and falsely demented
Come to be a distant relative
From the daughter-in-law I never had

E como farei ginástica
Andarei de bicicleta
Montarei em burro brabo
Subirei no pau-de-sebo
Tomarei banhos de mar!
E quando estiver cansado
Deito na beira do rio
Mando chamar a mãe-d’água
Pra me contar as histórias
Que no tempo de eu menino
Rosa vinha me contar
Vou-me embora pra Pasárgada

And how I will exercise
I will ride a bike
I will ride a wild donkey
I will climb the greasy pole
I will bathe in the sea!
And when I am tired
I will lie down by the river
I send for the mother of the waters
To tell me the stories
That when I was a child
Rosa would tell me
I’m leaving for Pasargada

Em Pasárgada tem tudo
É outra civilização
Tem um processo seguro
De impedir a concepção
Tem telefone automático
Tem alcaloide à vontade
Tem prostitutas bonitas
Para a gente namorar

In Pasargada there is everything
It’s another civilization
It has a safe process
to prevent conception
It has automatic telephones
It has alkaloids at will
It has beautiful prostitutes
for us to date

E quando eu estiver mais triste
Mas triste de não ter jeito
Quando de noite me der
Vontade de me matar
— Lá sou amigo do rei —
Terei a mulher que eu quero
Na cama que escolherei
Vou-me embora pra Pasárgada.

And when I’m at my saddest
Saddest beyond reason
When at night I feel
like killing myself
— There I am friends with the king —
I will have the woman I want
In the bed that I choose
I’m leaving for Pasargada. (1930)

Feeling inspired? We have more poems for you! Check them out here:

Celebrate Library Card Month with Poetry

Poetry in Portuguese | “Círculo Vicioso” by Machado de Assis

Brazilian Profile: Carlos Drummond de Andrade

Canção do exílio

     

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Desastres naturais acontecem no mundo todo (Image by Keli Black from Pixabay)

You might have heard about the tragic desabamento de rochas (rockfall) in the touristic city of Capitólio last month. The incident made the international headlines, featuring a striking video where you can see a large cliffside rock formation collapsing onto three barcos (boats). Ten people were mortas (killed) and 32 others left feridas (injured) as a result of the impact. Firefighters believe that the continuously heavy chuva (rain) affecting the area might be largely responsible. If you want to read more about it, find further information in Portuguese here or in English here.

Although recent climatic adversities have been linked to the effects aquecimento global (global warming), desastres naturais (natural disasters) have always been a part of history. Today’s post will expand on this one from 2012 with a few different phenomena and other examples. Vamos nessa!

drought – seca

• Israel has been suffering from its longest drought on record | Israel está passando pela sua seca mais longa já registrada.

Terremotos podem ser devastadores (Image by Angelo Giordano from Pixabay)

hurricane – furacão

• Hurricane Katrina is said to be one of the worst catastrophes of the century | O furacão Katrina é considerado uma das piores catástrofes do século.

blizzard – nevasca

• Over 12 people were killed in the avalanche, caused by a blizzard | Mais de 12 pessoas morreram na avalanche, causada por uma nevasca.

heatwave – onda de calor

• The heatwave sweeping across Europe is predicted to reach France next week | A onda de calor passando pela Europa está prevista para chegar à França na próxima semana.

flood – enchente

Secas ocorrem em climas quentes (Image by Sven Lachmann from Pixabay)

•  All meteorologists agree that heavy rain and floods can be expected this season | Todos meteorologistas concordam que chuvas fortes e enchentes podem ser esperadas nesta estação.

earthquake – terremoto

• The 2011 earthquake in Japan claimed tens of thousands of lives and over 300 billion in property damage | O terremoto de 2011 no Japão custou dezenas de milhares de vidas e mais de 300 bilhões em danos materiais.

landslide – deslizamento de terra

• The school’s roof caved in during the landslide | O telhado da escola desabou durante o deslizamento de terra.
  

  Chuvas intensas causam enchentes (Image by LucyKaef from Pixabay)

volcanic eruption – erupção vulcânica

• A volcanic eruption warning has been issued in Iceland | Um alerta de erupção vulcânica foi emitido na Islândia.

wildfire – incêndio florestal, queimada

• A large portion of the area’s native greenery was destroyed in the wildfire | Uma grande parte da vegetação nativa da área foi destruída na queimada.

hailstorm – tempestade de granizo

• The southern provinces of Chine were hit by a severe hailstorm, which brought serious losses | As províncias do sul da China foram atingidas por uma forte tempestade de granizo, que trouxe sérias perdas.

Do you know how to falar sobre o tempo (talk about the weather) in Portuguese? Don’t miss out on these previous posts:

Talking about the weather in Portuguese

Weather in Portuguese

     

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The story behind it is quite touching, actually. The jogo (game) took the world by storm, although it was originally intended as love gesture designed by engineer Josh Wardle, who wanted to create something unique for his word-game-loving girlfriend. And it was somehow out of passion, in this case for the Portuguese language, that tech developer Fernando Serboncini came up with our very own version, Termo (term in English).

Fiquei feliz com o meu resultado (Screen capture by author)

Como jogar | How to play

Termo works pretty much like Wordle does. Os jogadores (players) must find out a palavra certa (the right word) and they have seis tentativas (six attempts). They start out by typing any 5-letter-word into the grid. When they press ‘enter’, some letras (letters) might change. If they turn amarelo (yellow), it means that the letter belongs in the word, but it is na posição errada (in the wrong position). The ones that turned verde (green) both belong in the word and are in the right position. The cinzas (grey ones) do not belong in the word and should be avoided when you adivinhar (guess) again. So all you have to do is keep on trying until you get a resposta correta (the right answer). Simples assim!

It’s not just highly viciante (addictive), it’s also very educational too! And if you’re wondering whether your Portuguese nível (level) is good enough to suceed at (or have fun with) this game, maybe you could see it as an opportunity to expand seu conhecimento (your knowledge) by using an online dictionary. I would recommend Michaelis, Priberam or Dicio. And no, it’s not trapaça (cheating) if you’re still learning the language! It can help you conhecer novas palavras (get to know new words) while, well, increasing your chances of ganhar (winning) as well. No harm in that!

And don’t worry about desperdiçar seu tempo (wasting your time). New words are available only uma vez por dia (once a day), meaning that, no matter how tempting it is, you’ll only be able to play it once and then try again the next day. Feel like practicing Portuguese or testing your skills in the language? Hit the link below:

Termo: https://term.ooo/.

Want to learn more about Wordle? Don’t take my word for it! You can read what Gary has to say about it here:

The Addictive Word Game – Wordle

And, of course, don’t forget to compartilhar (share) your results!

     

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