Portuguese · Beginner (A1) · Chapter 6 of 12
My home
Minha casa
Name the rooms and furniture in a home, say where things are with estar and words like em cima de, and describe things by colour.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Name rooms and furniture
- Say where things are with estar, and choose between ser and estar
- Use no, na, do, da and words like on, under, next to
- Describe things by colour
Listen
In Salvador, Pedro is about to leave for work, but he can't find his phone and his keys. His wife Aline helps. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Pedro
Aline, cadê o meu celular?
Aline, where's my phone?
Aline
Não está na mesa da cozinha?
Isn't it on the kitchen table?
Pedro
Não, não está. E não está no banheiro.
No, it isn't. And it isn't in the bathroom.
Aline
Olha, está aqui na sala, em cima do sofá.
Look, it's here in the living room, on the sofa.
Pedro
Obrigado. E cadê as minhas chaves?
Thanks. And where are my keys?
Aline
Não estão no quarto, na estante?
Aren't they in the bedroom, on the shelves?
Pedro
Não. E não estão na mochila preta.
No. And they aren't in the black backpack.
Aline
E na mochila vermelha, embaixo da mesa?
What about the red backpack, under the table?
Pedro
Estão aqui, dentro da mochila vermelha. Obrigado, Aline.
They're here, inside the red backpack. Thanks, Aline.
Aline
De nada. Até logo.
You're welcome. See you later.
Understand
Estar: where things are
is the second verb for “to be”. Use it to say where things and people are right now: In chapter 4 you met for buildings and places that don't move () and for “there is” ().
In everyday speech, Brazilians often ask …? instead of …? (Where is…?): It's informal and never changes.
| Person | (to be) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| / / | ||
| / / |
Ser or estar?
Portuguese has two verbs for “to be”. (chapter 1) says what someone or something is: name, origin, job and qualities that last. says where someone or something is and how they are now, a state that can change.
Compare (The kitchen is big: it always is) with (The kitchen is clean: right now). How you feel is a state too: (I'm fine), (Are you OK?).
| (origin) | (where I am now) |
| (a calm person) | (tired now) |
| (what it's like) | (where it is) |
On, under, next to: em, de and the article
means “in”, “on” or “at”. Many words for position end in (of): (on, on top of), (under), (next to), (in front of), (behind), (inside). means “between”.
, , (to, at) and (through, for) join with (the) to make one word: + = , + = . You know from chapter 4; and come back with times in chapter 7. can also join with / : , (both and are correct).
| Preposition | + | + | + | + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (in, on, at) | ||||
| (of, from) | ||||
| (to, at) | ||||
| (through, for) |
- O celular está em cima do sofá.The phone is on the sofa.
- A mochila está embaixo da mesa.The backpack is under the table.
- A mochila está ao lado da cama.The backpack is next to the bed.
- A chave está entre o sofá e a mesa.The key is between the sofa and the table.
Colours and other adjectives
Adjectives (describing words) agree with the noun: -o for masculine, -a for feminine, and -s in the plural: , , . This also happens after and : (The kitchen is small), (The tables are white). Adjectives ending in -e, and most ending in a consonant, are the same for both: , ; the plural of is . , and never change: .
Most adjectives, and all colours, go after the noun: . A few very common ones, like / (good), usually go before: , .
An l at the end of a word sounds like a short “oo” in Brazil: sounds like “ah-ZOO-oo”, like “brah-ZEE-oo”.
| English | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
| black | ||
| white | ||
| red | ||
| yellow | ||
| green | ||
| blue | ||
| pink, orange, grey | , , | , , |
More in the grammar: Articles and contractions: o, a, no, do, pelo · Nouns and adjectives: gender and plural · Present tense of irregular verbs · Ser, estar and ficar
New words
- Cadê…?Where's…? / Where are…? · informal
- o celularmobile phone · masculine; in Portugal
- a mesatable · feminine
- a cozinhakitchen · feminine
- o banheirobathroom, toilet · masculine
- a salaliving room · feminine
- o sofásofa · masculine
- a chavekey · feminine
- o quartobedroom · masculine
- a estantebookcase, shelves · feminine
- a mochilabackpack · feminine
- preto / pretablack
- vermelho / vermelhared
- a camabed · feminine
Practise
1.Complete: “As chaves … na mesa.”
2.Complete with + : “The phone is on the table.”
The phone is on the table.
3.Complete: “a red backpack”. is feminine.
a red backpack
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.The backpack is under the table.
5.Match the words for position.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
6.Which is correct?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Cadê o meu celular?
Where's my phone?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.