Portuguese · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 7 of 12
Culture and traditions
Cultura e tradições
Talk about festivals and customs in Portuguese: the June festivals, impersonal a gente, dizem que and se come, and relative pronouns que, quem, o que and onde.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Describe customs with a gente, dizem que and se: aqui se come milho
- Link ideas with que, quem, o que and onde
- Recognise the formal o qual / a qual
- Talk about the festas juninas and their food
Listen
In Campina Grande in June, Dona Socorro explains São João to Jonas, her son's German partner. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Jonas
Dona Socorro, por que tem bandeirinhas em todas as ruas?
Dona Socorro, why are there little flags in every street?
Socorro
É o São João, meu filho. Aqui em Campina Grande, é a festa mais importante do ano.
It's São João, dear. Here in Campina Grande, it's the most important festival of the year.
Jonas
O Lucas me disse que vocês comemoram o mês todo.
Lucas told me you celebrate the whole month.
Socorro
É verdade. Dizem que é o maior São João do mundo. O Parque do Povo é o grande arraial da cidade, e tem forró todas as noites.
That's true. They say it's the biggest São João in the world. The Parque do Povo is the town's big festival ground, and there's forró every night.
Jonas
E o que se come numa festa junina?
And what do people eat at a June festival?
Socorro
Quase tudo é feito de milho: pamonha, canjica, milho assado na fogueira… Aqui se come muito milho.
Almost everything is made from corn: pamonha, canjica, corn roasted on the bonfire… Here people eat a lot of corn.
Jonas
E a quadrilha? O Lucas falou de uma dança, mas eu não entendi o que ele quis dizer.
And the quadrilha? Lucas talked about a dance, but I didn't understand what he meant.
Socorro
A quadrilha é uma dança em grupo que conta a história de um casamento no interior. Todo mundo dança com roupa xadrez e chapéu de palha.
The quadrilha is a group dance that tells the story of a country wedding. Everyone dances in checked clothes and a straw hat.
Jonas
E com quem eu vou dançar? Eu não sei dançar forró.
And who am I going to dance with? I can't dance forró.
Socorro
Com o Lucas, claro. E a minha sobrinha, que dá aula de dança, pode te ensinar a dançar.
With Lucas, of course. And my niece, who teaches dance, can teach you how to dance.
Jonas
E o que se toma? Em São Paulo me falaram do quentão. Aqui também tem?
And what do people drink? In São Paulo people told me about quentão. Do you have it here too?
Socorro
O quentão é mais do Sul e do Sudeste. Aqui a gente toma um licor ou um cafezinho, e dança até de manhã.
Quentão is more from the South and Southeast. Here we have a liqueur or a little coffee, and dance till morning.
Understand
Talking about customs: a gente, dizem que, se come
To say what people in general do, Portuguese has several options. In conversation the most common is (we, people like us): . The form with no subject means “they, people”: (They say it's the biggest São João in the world).
+ the form of the verb also means “people, one”: (What do people eat at a June festival?). In speech goes before the verb: . In writing, a sentence doesn't start with , so it goes after the verb: . In writing the verb also agrees with a plural noun: .
- No São João, a gente come muito milho.At São João, we eat lots of corn.
- Dizem que a festa começou há muitos anos.They say the festival started many years ago.
- Como se diz isso em português?How do you say that in Portuguese?
Que, quem, o que, onde
Relative pronouns link two ideas about the same thing. is the everyday one, for people and things: , . After a preposition, use for people: (the person I dance with). Note that Portuguese never ends a sentence with the preposition, as English does.
means “what” in the middle of a sentence: (I didn't understand what he meant). is for places: (the park where the festival takes place). In formal writing, / / / often follow a preposition: (the city in which I was born).
| Relative | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| people and things | ||
| people, after a preposition | ||
| “what”, an idea | ||
| places | ||
| / | formal, after a preposition |
More in the grammar: Relative pronouns · The passive and se
New words
- a bandeirinhalittle paper flag · strings of them decorate the streets in June
- o São Joãothe June festival (Saint John's Day) · 24 June; : the June festivals
- comemorarto celebrate
- o arraialplace where a June festival is held
- o milhocorn, maize
- a pamonhasweet or savoury corn paste cooked in the husk
- a canjicasweet corn dessert · in the Northeast a creamy corn pudding; in the Southeast a sweet of white corn with milk
- a fogueirabonfire
- a quadrilhathe June festival square dance
- o interiorthe countryside, small towns inland · : in the countryside
- a roupa xadrezchecked clothes · also means “chess”
- o chapéu de palhastraw hat
- ensinarto teach · + infinitive:
- o quentãohot drink of cachaça, ginger and spices · typical of June festivals in the South and Southeast
Practise
1.Complete: “É a cidade … eu nasci.”
2.Complete: “Who is the friend you're dancing with?” (with whom)
Who is the friend you're dancing with?
3.Complete with the pronoun that means “people” in general: “What do people eat at a June festival?”
What do people eat at a June festival?
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.They say it's the biggest São João in the world.
5.Match the Portuguese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
6.“I didn't understand what he said.” Which is correct?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
O que se come numa festa junina?
What do people eat at a June festival?
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.