Portuguese · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 9 of 12
Directions and transport
Transporte e direções
Buy a bus ticket at a Brazilian bus station, choose your seat, find the platform and give and follow instructions with the imperative.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Buy a single or return bus ticket and choose a seat
- Understand information about departures, platforms and delays
- Give and follow instructions with the imperative: vire, siga, desça
- Know the everyday spoken imperative: vira, segue, pega
Listen
Sônia, in her fifties, buys a bus ticket to Ouro Preto at the ticket window of the bus station (rodoviária) in Belo Horizonte. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Sônia
Bom dia. Uma passagem para Ouro Preto, por favor.
Good morning. A ticket to Ouro Preto, please.
Ticket clerk
Bom dia. Só de ida ou de ida e volta?
Good morning. Single or return?
Sônia
De ida e volta. Eu vou hoje e volto no domingo.
Return. I'm going today and coming back on Sunday.
Ticket clerk
O próximo ônibus sai às dez e quinze. A senhora quer janela ou corredor?
The next bus leaves at a quarter past ten. Would you like a window or an aisle seat?
Sônia
Janela, por favor. Quanto fica?
Window, please. How much is it?
Ticket clerk
Cento e vinte e oito reais, ida e volta. A sua poltrona é a 12.
A hundred and twenty-eight reais, return. Your seat is number 12.
Sônia
Aqui está. E o ônibus sai de qual plataforma?
Here you are. And which platform does the bus leave from?
Ticket clerk
Da plataforma 8. Mas hoje ele está um pouco atrasado: o embarque é às dez e meia.
From platform 8. But it's running a bit late today: boarding is at half past ten.
Sônia
E onde fica a plataforma 8?
And where's platform 8?
Ticket clerk
Desça a escada, vire à esquerda e siga reto. E não esqueça a sua passagem.
Go down the stairs, turn left and go straight on. And don't forget your ticket.
Sônia
Muito obrigada.
Thank you very much.
Ticket clerk
De nada. Boa viagem.
You're welcome. Have a good trip.
Understand
Giving instructions: the imperative
The “imperative” is the verb form for instructions and directions. You already know some from A1: , . This standard form is used with , and , and it's the one you see in writing.
Start from the form of the present and drop the -o. -ar verbs then take -e; -er and -ir verbs take -a: → , → , → , → , → . Some spellings change to keep the sound: → . For , add -m: , .
A few verbs are irregular: → , → , → , → . For a negative instruction, put before the standard form:
The everyday spoken imperative
In everyday speech, Brazilians very often use a different form: the / form of the present. instead of , instead of . A1's (look) is one of these. You'll hear it between friends and family, and often from strangers too.
Both are fine. The standard form sounds a little more polite and careful, and it's the one used in writing and on signs.
| Infinitive | Standard | Everyday speech | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| turn | |||
| go on, follow | |||
| take (a bus) | |||
| go down, get off | |||
| go | |||
| come | |||
| do, make |
At the bus station
You buy tickets at (the ticket window) of the bus company. Seats are numbered and you choose one when you buy: (window) or (aisle).
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| a single ticket | |
| a return ticket | |
| the next bus | |
| platform, bay | |
| boarding | |
| late, delayed | |
| arrival |
More in the grammar: The imperative
New words
- a rodoviáriabus station (for long-distance buses) · feminine
- a passagemticket (for a journey) · feminine; : single, : return
- próximo / próximanext
- sairto leave, to depart · : the bus leaves at ten
- a janelawindow · feminine
- o corredoraisle; corridor · masculine
- a poltronaseat (on a bus or plane) · feminine
- a plataformaplatform, bay · feminine
- atrasado / atrasadalate, delayed
- o embarqueboarding · masculine
- a escadastairs · feminine
- desçago down, get off · imperative of ; spoken:
- não esqueçadon't forget · from ; spoken:
- boa viagemhave a good trip
Practise
1.Which is the standard imperative of for ?
2.Complete with the standard imperative of .
Take the ten o'clock bus.
3.Tell a friend to come here, the way Brazilians say it in everyday speech. Use .
Come here, please.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.Turn left and go straight on.
5.Match the Portuguese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
6.A sign says . What does it mean?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Uma passagem de ida e volta para Ouro Preto, por favor.
A return ticket to Ouro Preto, please.
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.