Dar para + (eu / voce / a Maria ) + portuguese verb

Ran into this construction today in my studies.

Dar + para = to be able to (or a form of it).

Instead of straight copying another blog, I'll just save myself the effort and link to a great write up on how to use this construction.

Conjugation App - Verb Trainer Portuguese

Continuing with short / sweet posts - check out this verb conjugation app. (Portuguese Verb Trainer). Its user interface is very simple, which I like.  It doesn't have all verbs....its just a useful time saver from booting up Verbix (or some other conduction website) on your mobile.



App screenshots:

Forvo - tool native speaker pronunciation

Check out this site - Forvo

That is all!

Auxiliary Verbs and Participles

Lets chat about auxiliary verbs and participles

Auxiliary verbs and participles are used together to form compound verbs.  A good basic explanation can be found at Learning Portuguese.  Examples in English are:

Auxiliary verb / participle

I was eating yesterday when my mom called
I had been running all day
I had taken the test at the point

It is noteworthy to mention that we use compound verb forms in colloquial English much more than Portuguese speakers do.  When mentally trying to translate, I often try to force a phrase into a compound form when an imperfect / preterite substitute would work.

O.K.  Now lets break this stuff down.

What is a participle?  Participles are comprised of gerunds (present participles) and past participles.  Gerunds are formed by replacing the "r" in any verb with "-ndo".  The equivalent in English is adding "ing" to a verb.  

Falar "to speak" --> Falando "speaking"
Fazer "to do" --> Fazendo "doing"
Ir "to go" --> Indo "going"

The gerund in Portuguese is typically used with the present and imperfect form of estar to form the continuous and past continuous tenses.  The gerund is also frequently used with the verb "Ir" (and a few other Examples:

Continuous present tense --> Estou esperando a reposta dela  --> I'm waiting for her answer"

Past continuous tense --> Ele estava assistindo televisão quando eu cheguei --> He was watching television when I arrived  ***see my awesome rules of preterite / imperfect usage***

Example with "Ir" + gerund --> Pode ir fazendo as malas que nós vamas viajar --> You can keep packing the bags because we're going on a trip

Note that unlike English, the gerund (present participle) is NOT used as an adjective.  Ex:  "hiking boots" --> "botas para caminhar"

MOST part participles are formed by replacing the final "ar" / "er" / "ir" of a verb with "ado" / "ido" / "ido" respectively (-"er" / -"ir" endings are treated the same).

Falar "to speak" --> falado "spoken"
Comer "to eat" --> comido "eaten"
Decidir "to decide" --> decidido "decided"

Past participles are more tricky than gerunds, for a few reasons:

1.  Past participles CAN be used as adjectives.  Example:

Um relógio quebrado --> A broken watch
Casas alugadas --> Rented houses
Apartamentos construídos --> Built apartments

2.  Verbs can have more than one participle, which is dependent on the auxiliary verb used:

The basic rule is that when the auxiliary verb used is either "ter" or "haver", you use the regular past participle.  When the auxiliary verb is "ester", "ser", or "ficar", the irregular form is used (if the verb has  both a regular and irregular past participle) (more on auxiliary verbs in a moment).

Examples of the auxiliary verb determining the participle (using the verb "acender"):

Ela tinha acendido as luzes --> She had turned the lights on
As luzes estavam acesas --> The lights were on

Verb	Past Participle Regular	Past Participle Irregular	Translation
Aceitar	Aceitado	Aceite	Accepted
Acender	Acendido	Aceso	Switched on
Eleger	Elegido	Eleito	Elected
Emergir	Emergido	Emerso	Immersed
Entregar	Entregado	Entregue	Delivered / Handed over
Envolver	Envolvido	Envolto	Involved Wrapped
Expulsar	Expulsado	Expulso	Expelled
Exprimir	Exprimido	Expresso	Expressed
Extinguir	Extinguido	Extinto	Extinguished
Imprimir	Imprimido	Impresso	Printed
Isentar	Isentado	Isento	Exempted
Matar	Matado	Morto	Killed
Morrer	Morrido	Morto	Dead
Prender	Prendido	Preso	Arrested
Romper	Rompido	Roto	Torn
Salvar	Salvado	Salvo	Saved
Secar	Secado	Seco	Dried
Soltar	Soltado	Solto	Released
Suspender	Suspendido	Suspenso	Suspended

3.  Some verbs are irregular (I love to memorize!!!!).  (see the table above)

4.  Past participles are regularly used to form a passive voice.

5.  Past participles must have gender/number agreement

There are five main auxiliary verbs that are used in Brazilian Portuguese:

1.  Haver - to have

2.  Ter - to have - used to form the perfect tenses - there are several Duolingo lessons devoted strictly to portuguese perfect tenses (where I found these examples.....I know Duolingo sentences are awkward sometimes)

Present Perfect - Formed with indicative present tense conjugation of the auxillary verb "ter" + regular masculine singular participle

1. Eu tenho ido à praia --> I have been going to the beach

2. Os chineses têm vindo de barco --> The Chinese have been coming by boat

3. Ela tem sabido como comer bem  --> She has known how to eat well

4. Eu tenho esperado por isto --> I have been waiting for this

5. O garoto tem jogado muito bem --> The boy has been playing very well

6. Muito se tem pensado sobre essas regiões --> There has been much though about those regions

Past perfect - Formed with indicative impertect tense conjugation of the auxillary verb "ter" + regular masculine singular participle

1. Eu nunca tinha me acahdo velho até aquele momento --> I had never though myself old until that moment

2. Ele já tinha tido dois carros --> He already had two cars

3. Ele tinha voltado da China --> He had returned from China

4. Os planos tinham mudado --> The plans had changed

5.  Voce tinha cortado a laranja --> You had cut the organge

6. Tínhamos falado sobre este assunto  com o senhor deputado Boge --> We had spoken about this with Mr Boge. arl.europa.eu

Future perfect - Formed with indicative future tense conjugation of the auxillary verb "ter" + regular masculine singular participle

1. Ela terá dito alguma coisa --> She will have said something 

2. A policial terá vindo ao museu --> The police will have come to the musuem

3. Eu terei dado um caro para o meu filho --> I will have given a car to my son                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

4. Eles terão pensado na partida --> They will have thought about the match

5. Elas terão feito o edificio em dez anos --> They will have made the building in ten years 

Conditional perfect - Formed with conditional mood conjugation of the auxillary verb "ter" + regular masculine singular participle

1.  Os jornais disseram que o bispo teria passado por aqui --> The newspapers said that the bisonp would have passed by here

2. Eu teria tido uma doença --> I would have had a disease

3. Teria havido algum sinal --> There would have been any sign

4. Eu teria precisado de luz --> I would have needed light 

5. Ela não teria feito isso --> She would not have done it

3.  Ficar - to be located / to stay
4.  Estar - to be (impermanent) - participle must agree in gender and plurality with object of sentence

1. "Ele está cansado"

2. "Ela está cansada"

3. "Eles estão cansados"

[CHECK ON REG / V. IRREGULAR PARTICIPLELS]

5.  Ser - to be (permanent) - used to form a passive voice - participle must agree in gender and plurality with object of sentence.  Also construction must be formed using [conjucated form of "ser"] + [participle with gender / plurality agreement] + [the preposition "por"].  Remember some participles have irregular forms that are used with ser / estar / ficar auxillary verbs.

Note: Not all the examples I have listed below hae the preposition "por" in them....there may be a couple lose translations (I'll work on this).

Past passive (indicative preterite form of "ser")

1. A mesa foi posta pelas empregadas --> The table was set by the maids

2. Os livros foram escritos pelas poetas --> The books were written by the poets

3. As portas formam fechadas --> The doors were closed

4. O ladrão foi pego --> The thief was caught

Past passive (indicative imperfect form of "ser)

5. Antes, esse trabalho era feito em regiões longínquas 

--> 

Before, such work was done in far away regions

6. E grande parte dos seus esforços era feita no entido de prolongar a vida e assegurar a saude --> A large part of his efforts were directed to the end of prolonging life and insurring health.

7.  30 vidas australianas eram perdidas, em média --> 30 australian lives were lost, on average

Present passive (indicative present form of "ser")

8.  Os apartamentos são contruídos --> The apartments are built

9   Como pessoa famosa, ele é reconhecido todos os dias --> As a celebrity, he is recognized every day

10. Todo esforço é feito para garantir a exactidão de todas essas informações --> Every evert is made to ensure the accuracy of all such information

11.  Nos somos feitos para a bondade --> We are made for goodness

Future passive (indicative present form of "ser")

12.  O aniversário dele será comemorado no restaurante --> His birthday will be celebrated in the restaurant

13.  Quando é que serei contactado pelo meu professor? --> When can I expect to be contacted by my professor

14.  Se eu precisar abandonar o curso antes do término, serei reembolsado? --> If I have to terminate my classes before the course ends, will I be reimbursed?

15.  Seremos julgados pelo bem que deixamos de fazer --> We will be judged for the good left undone

16.  As propostas recebidas que passem na avaliação serão ordenadas em termos de qualidade

17.  Todos vocês serão lembrados por centenas de anos --> All of you poeple will be remembered for hundres of years

Conditional passive (indicative present form of "ser")

18.  De acordo com esta opção, a directiva DME seria revogada --> Under this package, the DME directive would be repealed

19.  Eu pedi permissão para tomar notas de pesquisas para um artigo e assegurei que o nome dele não seria usado

20.  Mudanças posteriores são claramente possiveis, mas essas seriam anunciadas com a devida antecedência --> Changes later on are of course possible, but those would be announced with due notice.

[TO BE CONTINUED - 2.1.05]--------

Links

http://www.sonia-portuguese.com/language/grammar/verbs/#Subjunctive%20Compound%20Tenses

http://www.learn-portuguese-with-rafa.com/Learn_Portuguese_with_Rafa_Newsletter-portuguese-past-participle.html

https://books.google.com/books?id=xzppAwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA126&ots=hK5zkM_Pa5&dq=past%20participle%20gender%20agreement%20portuguese&pg=PA122#v=onepage&q=past%20participle%20gender%20agreement%20portuguese&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=qWFsBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT48&lpg=PT48&dq=past+participle+invariable+portuguese&source=bl&ots=xW5eR00D9a&sig=wyyDKoyZit1ItDwo9ihQXV453mc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=yjfFVICyNcaHsQSO4oLwDw&ved=0CCQQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=past%20participle%20invariable%20portuguese&f=false

http://www.netplaces.com/brazilian-portuguese/more-verbs/passive-voice.htm

Portuguese Word Frequency - Top 5000 Words

A legitimate tool to focus on pure vocabulary retention is to use word frequency lists.  

Here's is a .pdf copy to check out I found online.  

http://jons2580.free.fr/75%20livres%20d%27enseignement%20de%20langues/Frequency%20dictionary%20portuguese.pdf

I use this list to help build memory palaces for new words.  If the phrase "memory palace" is a new phrase, I would recommend this book.  Its an easy read (or Audible listen), and I found it interesting (both the practical application of the techniques discussed for language acquisition, but the historical examples the author uses to support the validity of the techniques discussed). 

http://www.amazon.com/Moonwalking-Einstein-Science-Remembering-Everything/dp/0143120530

Que or Qual

Googled this question this morning.  I enjoyed this post:

“O que” and “Qual” mean “What” and “Which”, respectively. These two Interrogative Pronouns are very easy but at the same time they are very confusing topics for Portuguese for foreigners’ students, because the rule is different in each language.

In order to help foreign people that want to learn Portuguese, here goes a cool tip:

• “O que” is used in general questions, when you don’t have options for the answer.

Ex: O que você vai fazer hoje à noite? (You can do anything you want)
O que é isso? (It can be anything)
PS: If there’s “o que” after a verb, you can use “o que” (more common, in this case) or “que”. If there’s a noun after the Interrogative Pronoun, you only can use “que”.

Ex: Que você vai fazer hoje à noite? or O que você vai fazer hoje à noite?
O que é isso? Ou Que é isso?

However,
Que barulho é esse? But no, O que barulho é esse? because ‘noise’ (barulho) is a noun.

 

• “Qual” is used in questions with answers that belong to groups.

Ex: Qual é seu nome? (group of names)

Qual é sua nacionalidade? (group of nationalities)
Qual é seu lugar favorito (group of places)
Qual é a melhor? (group of the best ones)
…

Attention: We also use “Qual” in the structure for questions:
“Qual dos/das” + number + complement?

Ex: Qual dos dois irmãos é médico?

Qual das quatro canetas é sua?

It’s not difficult, is it?

If you have an idea about a subject for our next post, write to Mundo Brasil!

http://cursomundobrasil.com/when-to-use-o-que-and-qual-2/