Dialogue

Vocabulary

Learn New Words FAST with this Lesson’s Vocab Review List

Get this lesson’s key vocab, their translations and pronunciations. Sign up for your Free Lifetime Account Now and get 7 Days of Premium Access including this feature.

Or sign up using Facebook
Already a Member?

Lesson Notes

Unlock In-Depth Explanations & Exclusive Takeaways with Printable Lesson Notes

Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.

Or sign up using Facebook
Already a Member?

Lesson Transcript

INTRODUCTION
Hello and welcome to Portuguese Survival Phrases brought to you by PortuguesePod101.com, this course is designed to equip you with the language skills and knowledge to enable you to get the most out of your visit to Brazil. You will be surprised at how far a little Portuguese will go.
Now, before we jump in, remember to stop by PortuguesePod101.com and there, you will find the accompanying PDF. If you stop by, be sure to leave us a comment.

Lesson focus

In Brazil, riding the bus is one of the best ways to get around both locally and long-distance. However, there is another mode of transportation, that if used properly, can save you lots of time and money. Depending on the region of the country you're in, the name changes so let's assume you're in Brasília where it's called lotação.
Let's set up the situation. You're at the bus stop in Brasília, the bus you want to take hasn't shown up when a large van pulls up, the side door opens and a man starts shouting something you don't understand but you catch the name of your destination, Taguatina. What is going on?
These vans are the lotação I mentioned earlier. They are "independent local companies that act as auxiliaries to the buses." They are similar modes of transport but they have different rules. For example, the guy shouting is the cobrador, just like in the buses. You pay him to get on.
So you hear him shout your destination. What do you do? You should ask him how much it is to your destination, in our situation Taguaginga.
You ask this by saying, Quanto custa para Taguatinga?
This is a great phrase for both the bus and these vans.
Let’s break this down: Quanto custa para Taguatinga?
And one time fast: Quanto custa para Taguatinga?
We've already learned the first two words in the lesson on "How much." These words are quanto and custa.
Quanto custa
These words together mean, "How much does it cost?"
Quanto custa
Quanto custa
The next word, para, means, "to."
para
para
Then we just add on our destination, Taguatinga.
Let's break down this word and hear it one more time: Taguatinga
And, Taguatinga
So all together we have, Quanto custa para Taguatinga?
Literally, this means, "How much does it cost to Taguatinga?"
Now, you've found the right van, found out how much to pay, and are now on your way, but how do you get off? There's no cord like on the buses.
There is a simple phrase you say to the cobrador that will get you off at the next stop.
Próxima parada, which means, "next stop."
Próxima parada
Let’s break it down: Próxima parada
And one time fast: Próxima parada
The first word, is próxima, which in Portuguese is "next."
próxima
próxima
The next word, parada, which means, "stop."
parada
parada
So all together, we have Próxima parada.
Literally, this means, "Next stop."
A quick note about this phrase is that it will change from region to region and even from person to person. You might hear Próxima desce, which means, "I will get off at the next stop," or próximo ponto, which means, "next point" (in the sense of the next stopping point), or sometimes they shorten the phrase and it becomes próxima, or even just próx, which both mean, "next." But they all mean the same thing, "Let me out at the next stop."
In Brazil, there are many modes of transportation, both public and private, and every state will be a little different. In Brasília for example, you can catch a bus, the lotação, metro, taxi, and even a carona. Carona means "to get a ride with someone for free." Or in São Paulo, a very large city, you can find all of these plus a Moto-taxi, which is just like a taxi service except you will be on a motor bike instead of a car. Electric buses, helicopters (if you have that kind of money), and a random mixture of several other things are available too.
CULTURAL INSIGHTS
In São Paulo, the fastest way anywhere is the Moto-taxi. The main reason why these are so fast is that these motor bikes drive between the lanes of traffic and they do it a lot. Since they do that in Brazil the police can't really pull them over because the traffic is too thick and the Moto-taxi drivers are always at full throttle. Now I won't recommend taking Moto-taxi because the obvious...umm...health risks, but lots of people in Brazil do it. So it must work at least some of the time.

Outro

Okay, to close out this lesson, we'd like you to practice what you've just learned. I'll provide you with the English equivalent of the phrase and you're responsible for saying it aloud. You have a few seconds before I give you the answer, so boa sorte!
"How much does it cost to Taguatinga?" - Quanto custa para Taguatinga?
Quanto custa para Taguatinga?
Quanto custa para Taguatinga?
"Next stop." - Próxima parada.
Próxima parada.
Próxima parada.
Alright, that's going to do it for today. Remember to stop by PortuguesePod101.com and pick up the accompanying PDF. If you stop by, be sure to leave us a comment.

Comments

Hide