Talk Portuguese - Talking about yourself
How to talk about your nationality, where you live, the languages you speak and your job
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Personal info 1
People are asked where they're from and what languages they speak at the Marchas de Lisboa, an annual festival for town districts.
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Personal info 2
People from the Lisbon area talk about where they live and what they do for a living
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Where I work
IT and hi-tech in modern Portugal seen through the eyes of entrepreneur and surfer João Capucho
- ±Ê´Ç°ù³Ù³Ü²µ³Üê²õÌýEnglish
- ³§´Ç³Ü… **I'm...
- ¾±²Ô²µ±ôê²õEnglish (if you're a man)
- inglesa *English (if you're a woman)
- ±ð²õ³¦´Ç³¦Ãª²õScottish (if you're a man)
- escocesa *Scottish (if you're a woman)
- ²µ²¹±ôê²õWelsh (if you're a man)
- galesa *Welsh (if you're a woman)
- ¾±°ù±ô²¹²Ô»åê²õIrish (if you're a man)
- irlandesa *Irish (if you're a woman)
- ±·Ã£´Ç sou inglesa, sou escocesaI'm not English, I'm Scottish
- De onde é? **Where are you from?
- Sou de... **I'm from...
- Sou de Londres **I'm from London
- Onde mora?Where do you live?
- Moro em LisboaI live in Lisbon
- Moro numa residência de estudantesI live in a student residence
* Pronunciation guide
- Inglesa, escocesa, galesa, irlandesa
An s between vowels sounds like z in English maze.
** Grammar notes
- Sou...
Sou, é, somos are forms of the verb ser, to be.
Sou means I am, as in Sou escocesa, I'm Scottish (f).
É is the equivalent of he is, she is and also you are, so É ¾±²Ô²µ±ôê²õ means He is English or You are English.
Somos means we are, as in Somos galesas, We are Welsh (f).
This can become a question, as in É ±è´Ç°ù³Ù³Ü²µ³Üê²õ?ÌýAre you Portuguese? or Is he Portuguese? - De onde é?
To mention where you're from use Sou de, I'm from. It can be followed by the name of a city, as in Sou de Londres, I'm from London.
Most countries require 'from the' depending on the gender of the country: do for masculine, as in Sou do PaÃs de Gales, I’m from Wales and da for feminine, as in Sou da Inglaterra, lit. I’m from (the) England, Sou da Escócia, I’m from Scotland, Sou da Irlanda, I’m from Ireland.
- ±Ê´Ç°ù³Ù³Ü²µ³Üê²õÌýEnglish
- Que lÃnguas fala?What languages do you speak?
- ¹ó²¹±ô´Ç…I speak…
- ¾±²Ô²µ±ôê²õEnglish
- ±è´Ç°ù³Ù³Ü²µ³Üê²õPortuguese
- ´Ú°ù²¹²Ô³¦Ãª²õFrench
- ²¹±ô±ð³¾Ã£´ÇGerman
- espanholSpanish
- italianoItalian
- Falo um pouco de...I speak a little bit of...
- Fala ¾±²Ô²µ±ôê²õ?Do you speak English?
- Sim *Yes
- ±·Ã£´ÇNo
- O que faz?What do you do for a living?
- Sou estudante **I am a student
- Sou pescador **I am a fisherman
- TrabalhoI work
* Pronunciation guide
- Sim
S at the beginning of a word sounds like s in English sun.
** Grammar notes
- Sou estudante, sou pescador
When talking about jobs, sou is followed directly by the job title, as opposed to the English I am a ...
One of the most colourful events in Lisbon is the Marchas de Lisboa, a regular summer parade that takes place each June. The various marching groups are judged on their singing, costumes and floats.
Step-by-Step guide
1. Watch the videos
2. Kick off with key language
3. Listen and repeat essential phrases
4. Practise the language and try a quiz
5. Check out the cultural notes
Useful resources
Transcript:
See the transcript of each video
For tutors on Â鶹Éç Active: Unit 2
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