Fun new blog I've found

My now-moved-away Portuguese tutor Gabby used to show me music videos and ask me to translate music.  

I just stumbled on a WordPress blog that I find great

https://lyricalbrazil.com

No more crappy lyric translations using Google Translate. 

T. Out. 

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/

Acabar + De construction in Portuguese

I have felt my grasp of the present / past perfect tenses improve.  However, today I struggled translating this sentence:  

He just finished the book.

I incorrectly translated the sentence into:

Ele tinha terminado o livro recentemente.

To my half surprise, DuoLingo gave me this as the correct answer:

Ele acabou de terminar o livro.

Which led me to have an "aha" moment, which led me to google, which brings us together on Sunday Portuguese (thanks for reading Gabby)

The construction "acabar" (translated) + "de" + other verb (infinitive) conveys the meaning of just having finished some action.  

Here's some examples:

Acabamos de entrar 

We just came in (actually just entered)

Acabam de partir 

They just left

Acabo de fazer 

I just did (it)

Eu acabo de beber dois litros de leite de uma vez só, e agora estou me sentindo mal

I just drank two liters of milk in one go, and now I'm feeling sick

Acabo de terminar de comer

I just finished eating

Ok, now read this page:.  

What you just read about is that the construction of "acabar + de" carries slightly different meaning depending on what tense the verb "acabar" is translated into.  If you the verb is translated in the present tense, then the sentence further delivers the meaning that something "just happened".  If you translate the sentence using the preterite tense, you convey a construction to the present perfect (i.e. I / he / she / you has just done something)

Examples (there's more examples on the Italki page listed below): I have read the BOTH these con

Ela acabou de fazer o jantar

She has finished preparing the dinner 

In this example, this event could have occurred 5 minutes or two days ago.  The meaning is still relatively recently.

Ela acaba de fazer o jantar

She just finished preparing the dinner

In this example, she just (right now) finished preparing dinner

Eu acabo escrever esta pagina.  

Sources:

http://tatoeba.org/eng/sentences/search/page:2?query=acabar+de&from=por&to=eng

http://www.nativlang.com/po/qg_verbs_acabarde.htm

http://www.italki.com/question/69050

Poder or Conseguir - which to chose.

I had this question today.  Found a usefu response online. 

http://www.italki.com/question/199837

'Poder' as a verb means be able to/ can do something. 

'Conseguir' means achieve, obtain, get what you want. 

Almost same meaning, but "conseguir" is used for when you want something deeply and it is deeper than 'poder'. If you have a goal, you want to obtain it, make it true. "Poder" is for common things, "conseguir" for importants things.

Poder.
- Eu posso falar agora que todos estão ouvindo.
I can speak now everybody is listening.
- Eu posso fazer esse trabalho sozinho, mas prefiro pedir ajuda.
I can do this work alone, but I prefer asking for help.

Conseguir.
-Eu consigo conversar com minha namorada agora, ela está mais calma.
I can talk to mu girlfriend now, she is calmer.
- Eu consigo aprender o que quero.
I can/ am able to learn what I want. 

Iphone Apps that can supplement learning.

So I like to think I've tried almost every type of study medium.   Until very recently I was pretty bearish on iphone language apps.  I found them poorly organized and too entry level.  I kept thinking that Rosetta Stone needed to migrate to the Iphone in a " content light" version.  However, some good apps are now available.  Here's two:

1- Duo Lingo. 

Great for sentence formation. Starts basic, but allows you to test out is easy levels until you reach more intermediate sentences.  

2 - Memrise

Great for vocabulary with high quality, crowd sourced content.  

Give them a whirl.  Great tools for train / plane rides and such.  

Haver - the Lost Verb

Definition of "Haver" - (verb) - to have, posses, be.  Full conjugation here

Seems pretty simple right?  Not really.  Seems like the colloquial usage of the verb has changed, particularly in Brazilian Portuguese.  After some thorough Internet research (I think), I've aggregated the various uses of the verb.

Usage #1 - Concept of "exist". Literal translation of "there is" / "there are".

When haver is used in the 3rd person, a majority of the time it means "there is" / "there are".
The use of the third-person "haver" conjugation is impersonal; in other words there is no explicit subject in the sentence.

Examples:

Há - Present Indicative Tense - Third Person
Há um garoto aqui.  --> There is a boy here
"Há um livro na escrivaninha?" "Não, não há." --> Is there a book on the desk?  No there is not.
Há um pouco de verdade no que ele está dizendo. -->  There is a certain amount of truth in what he is saying

Havia - Imperfect Indicative Tense - Third Person

Havia um tempo em que havia uma ponte aqui.  --> One time there was a bridge here
Havia uma grande audiência no concerto. --> There was a large audience at the concert


Other 3rd person forms include:

houve - preterite indicative - there was / there were
haverá - furute - there will be
tinha havido - present perfect - there had been
haja - present subjunctive - there is / are
houvesse - imperfect subjective - there was / were
houver - future subjunctive - there will be
haveria - conditional - there would be

3rd person form examples:

É possível que haja uma reunião no mês que vem --> It is possible that there will be a meeting next month

Se houver alhum problema, lique para este número --> If there is any problem, call this number

Houve um debate acalorado no Senado --> There was a headed debate in the Senate

Havia mas de 30.000 pessoas no jogo de ontem --> There were more than 30,000 people at yesterday's game.

Deve haver uma soluçao --> There must be a solution

In colloquial spoken Brazilian Portuguese, any third person use of haver (when it means "to exist") can be substituted with the ver "ter".

Vai ter churrasco no domingo --> There's going to be a barbecue on Sunday
Tem leite na geladeira --> There's milk in the fridge
Tinha uma viatura da polícia parada na frente da casa deles -->  There was a police car stopped outside their house

Usage #2 - Concept of "for", denoting a period of time that started in the past and continues in the present

When the third person present indicative tense of haver is used ("há") combined with other verbs in the indicative present tense, the construction "for" is created: 

Moramos no Rio há cinco anos --> We've been living in Rio for five years
Você está aqui há muito tempo? --> Have you been here long?

When "há" is combined with other verbs in the indicative preterite, the meaning is changed to "ago"

Eles mudaram para os EUA há seis meses --> They moved to the USA six months ago
A empresa foi fundada há meio século --> The company was founded half a century ago
O escritor morreu há quinze anos --> The writer died fifteen years avon
Recebemos a noticia há alguns minutos --> We got the news a few minutes ago

Usage #3 - Haver + de + infinitive verb. 

Using haver + de + infinitive can express a future action.  From what I can gather, this form is rarely used today in spoken Brazilian Portuguese, however, it does exist.  Here are some examples.

Examples taken from Modern Brazilian Portuguese Grammar by John Whitlam - ISBN: 0-203-84392-4

"Assim" - how do you use it

Last night, I couldn't find a good explanation on how "assim" is used differently than "portanto".  Thankfully, this guy has a great Wordpress post on the topic.

According to On Learning Brazilian Portuguese, assim is best translated as "in this manner".  Lets test it (using random sentences from Tatoeba).

Random sentence 1

Meu irmão é muito importante. Ao menos ele pensa assim.
English translation of assim: "that he his" or "that this is true"

Random sentence 2

Ele deve estar muito bravo para dizer algo assim.
English translation of assim: "such a thing [in this way]"

Random sentence 3

Ela gostou do Charles assim que o conheceu.

English translation of assim: "as soon as"

In my mind, only example sentence 2 met the general "in this manner" definition of assim.  However, it is useful to point out that when "assim" is used with the preposition "que", that the phrase (assim + que) takes on the meaning "as soon as". Examples:

"Quero que você me escreva assim que você chegar lá." - I want you to write me as soon as you get there

"Virei assim que possível" - I will come as soon as possible

"Partiremos assim que estiver pronto" -  We will leave as soon as possible

"Eu te ligarei assim que puder" - I will call as soon as I can

When "assim" is preceded by a translation of the verb "ser", "[ser] + assim" takes a construction of "that way" or "in this way" or "in xyz manner" something happened.  (poor explanation I know)


"Foi assim que ele fracassou" - This is how he failed

"Não foi assim que aconteceu" - Thats not how it turned out
"É assim que costumo preparar peixe"  - This is usually how I cook fish
"Entendo, mas as coisas são assim"  - I understand, but this is how things are
"E assim que eu fiz" - This is how I made it

To get further help, I went to the WordReference forums.  Here's a few more great examples:

"Olha, é assim" - Look, it's like this

"Eu faço assim" - I do it like this

"É bom assim" - It's good like that
"Assim não dá" - It doesn't work like that / that way

Hope that helps.  I can tell this word will require some practice to get the loose hang of it.  Here's a Brazilian podclass that also addresses "assim".  

To Change: Mudar v. Trocar

In this post, we will address grammar related to two verbs that people often use interchangeably.  MUDAR & TROCAR

First the similarities.  Both are -AR verbs.  For the most part, both are regular verbs (few non-regular conjugations for TROCAR).  Conjugations here: (MUDAR / TROCAR).

MUDAR is synonymous with: modify, transform, or alter

Examples (from Tatoeba)

1.  O ônibus mudou seu itinerário por causa da obra na avenida Beira Mar
• The bus change its route because of work on Beira Mar street
2. Quando ele viu o professor entrar, mudou rapidamente de assunto
• When he saw the professor enter, he quickly changed the subject 
3. Mudei os meus planos. Mudar de casa agora ficaria muito caro.
• I changed my plans.  Moving right now would be expensive
4. Seria divertido ver como as coisas mudam ao passar dos anos.
• Would be fun to see how things change over the years

TROCAR is synonymous with: switch or substitute

Examples (from Tatoeba)

1. Vamos trocar de lugar
• Lets me change seats with you
2. Você trocou ruim por péssimo
• You've traded bad for worse
3. As criaças trocaram presentes na festa natalina
1. The children exchanged presents at the Christmas party

Research Links

http://www.italki.com/question/58685

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=1887300

http://www.wiziq.com/tutorial/62602-trocar-e-mudar

Tão v. Tanto

Tão v. Tanto

Definitions

1.  Tão = adverb: So, as, that
2.  Tanto = adverb:  So, how ;  adjective:  Such

Tão intensifies the characteristic of something. It's about quality (Note: in the examples below "tão" modifies an adjective)

• Ela é tão bonita.
• O filme é tão chato.
• Ele é tão alto.
• Eu estava tão cansado.

"Tão" is placed before the adjective in a sentence: tão cedo, tão chato, tão bonito.

Other examples from Street Smart Brazil

• João é tão alto! = João is so tall! (modified adjective "alto")
• Este café está tão bom! = This coffee is so good! (modifies the adjective “bom”)
• Ana fala tão rápido! = Ana speaks so fast! (modifies the adverb “rápido”)
• Eu acordei tão cedo hoje = I woke up so early today (modifies the adverb “cedo")

Tanto intensifies an action/verb (in the examples below "tanto" is modifying a verb

Ela estudou tanto.

Comemos tanto que passamos mal.

Ela faz tanta falta.

Dormi tanto, mas ainda estou com sono.

Eu queria tanto umas férias.

Place "tanto" after your action: estudou tanto, queria tanto, falava tanto.

Other examples from Street Smart Brazil

• Ana fala tanto = Ana speaks so much
• Joana estuda tanto! = Joana stydies so much! (modifies the verb “estudar”)
• Léo comeu tanto na festa! = Léo ate so much at the party (modifies the verb “comer”)
• Eu ri tanto que minha barriga doeu = I laughed so much that my belly hurt (modifies the verb “rir”

Tanto also refers to a great amount, or a great number of something. In this case, we need to know if this something (noun) is femine, or masculine, countable or uncountable (i.e., do we use -tanto, tanta, tantos, tantas).  In this case, "tanto" is being used as a pronoun

Tem tantas pessoas aqui.

Ela tem tantos amigos.

Ela fala tantas línguas.

Tinha tanta comida.

Você faz tanto batulho.

Place tanto (masculine) or tanta (feminine) before uncountable(usually words with no plural): tanta gente, tanto barulho, tanta comida, tanto amor, tanto açucar, tanta bagunça.

Other examples from Street Smart Brazil:

• Eu coloquei tanto açúcar no café! = I put so much sugar in the coffee (modifies the noun “açúcar”)
• Carina tem tanta paciência com todo mundo! = Carina has so much patience with everyone (modifies the noun “paciência”)
• Clara tem tantos livros! = Clara has so many books! (modifies the noun “livros”)
• Maria tem tantas roupas! = Maria has so many clothes! (modifies the noun “clothes”)

Bringing this all home, more examples (of all the above) from Street Smart Brazil

• Mariana tem tanta sorte! = Mariana has so much luck. ('tanta' modifies the noun “sorte)
• Mariana é tão sortuda! = Mariana is so lucky. ('tão' modifies the adjective “sortuda”)
• Marta tem tanta paciência! = Marta has so much patience ('tanta' modifies the noun “paciência”)
• Marta é tão paciente! = Marta is so patient ('tão' modifies the adjective “paciente”)
• Tiago tem tanto talento! = Tiago has so much talent ('tanto' modifies the noun “talento”)
• Tiago é tão talentoso. = Tiago is so talented ('tão' modifies the adjective “talentoso”)
• Ana fala tanto = Ana talks so much ('tanto' modifies the verb “falar”)
• Ana fala tão alto = Ana talks so loud ('tão' modifies the adjective “alto”)
• Tem tanta gente aqui! = There are so many people here
• Ela tem trinta e tantos anos = She is thirty something (probably 35+)
• Quarenta e tantas pessoas vieram para nossa festa ontem à noite = Forty something people came to our party last night
• O almoço foi servido lá pelas tantas da tarde = Lunch was served sometime late in the afternoon
• Ontem eu vi um filme muito chato. Lá pelas tantas, as pessoas começaram a levantar e ir embora. = Yesterday I saw a very boring movie. At some point, people started to get up and leave.

Good video from Street Smart on this topic: 

The above is completely plagiarized from Clear Portuguese and Street Smart Brazil