Portuguese · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 4 of 12
Feelings and relationships
Sentimentos e relacionamentos
Talk about feelings in Portuguese: the subjunctive after fico feliz que and tenho medo que, reciprocal se, ficar + adjective, and advice to a friend.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- React to news with fico feliz que, que pena que + the subjunctive
- Say “each other” with se: a gente se conhece
- Say how you felt with ficar: fiquei triste
- Give a friend advice: não se preocupa, liga para ela
Listen
In a café in Juiz de Fora, Lívia notices that her friend Bianca looks sad. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Lívia
Oi, Bia. Que cara é essa? Aconteceu alguma coisa?
Hi, Bia. Why the long face? Has something happened?
Bianca
A Carol, minha melhor amiga, vai se mudar para Lisboa. Ela recebeu uma proposta de trabalho lá.
Carol, my best friend, is moving to Lisbon. She got a job offer there.
Lívia
Que pena! Mas para ela é uma ótima notícia, não é?
What a shame. But for her it's great news, isn't it?
Bianca
É, sim. Eu fico feliz que ela tenha essa chance, de verdade. Mas vou sentir muita saudade dela.
Yes, it is. I'm happy she has this chance, really. But I'm going to miss her a lot.
Lívia
Claro. Vocês se conhecem há quanto tempo?
Of course. How long have you known each other?
Bianca
Desde os seis anos. E ontem, quando ela me contou, eu fiquei chateada e não disse nada. Agora me sinto mal.
Since we were six. And yesterday, when she told me, I got upset and didn't say anything. Now I feel bad.
Lívia
Eu entendo. Mas não fica assim. Liga para ela hoje e fala o que você sente.
I understand. But don't be like that. Call her today and tell her how you feel.
Bianca
Eu sei. É que eu tenho medo que a nossa amizade mude com a distância.
I know. It's just that I'm afraid our friendship will change with the distance.
Lívia
Não se preocupa. Hoje em dia tem mensagem, chamada de vídeo… Vocês podem se falar todo dia.
Don't worry. Nowadays there are messages, video calls… You can talk to each other every day.
Bianca
Você tem razão. Que pena que Lisboa seja tão longe, mas fico feliz por ela.
You're right. It's a shame Lisbon is so far away, but I'm happy for her.
Lívia
E você pode visitar a Carol nas férias. Uma amizade de vinte anos não acaba assim.
And you can visit Carol in the holidays. A twenty-year friendship doesn't end like that.
Bianca
Com certeza. Vou ligar para ela agora mesmo. Obrigada, Lívia.
Definitely. I'm going to call her right now. Thanks, Lívia.
Understand
Fico feliz que… + subjunctive
When you react to something with a feeling (happiness, sadness, fear, worry), the verb after goes into the present subjunctive: (I'm happy she has this chance). (It's a shame Lisbon is so far away).
If the person who feels and the person who acts are the same, use the infinitive instead, with or : (I'm happy to have you here), (I'm afraid of losing the friendship). In careful writing keeps its before too: .
| Expression | Example |
|---|---|
| (I'm glad you're well.) | |
| (What a shame you can't come.) | |
| (It worries me that he works so much.) | |
| (I'm afraid the friendship will change.) |
Each other, and ficar for feelings
(and for ) can mean “each other”: (How long have you known each other?), (We'll talk tomorrow), (They love each other). The pronoun goes before the verb, as always in Brazilian speech.
To say how you became or got (sad, upset, happy), use + adjective: (I got upset), (he got sad), (I'm happy about it). describes the state, the change: (I'm sad), (it made me sad).
Advice to a friend: não fica assim
With friends, Brazilians usually give commands in the everyday form, the form of the present (A2): . In the negative they often keep this form too: (don't be like that), (don't worry).
The standard negative uses the subjunctive: , . It's what you'll read and hear in more careful speech, and it's never wrong.
| Everyday | Standard | English |
|---|---|---|
| don't worry | ||
| don't be like that | ||
| call her | ||
| talk to her |
More in the grammar: Reflexive verbs: me chamo, me levanto · Ser, estar and ficar · The present subjunctive
New words
- Que cara é essa?Why the long face? What's wrong? · literally “What face is that?”
- mudar-seto move (house, city) · : she's moving to Lisbon
- receberto receive, to get · : she got an offer
- a propostaoffer, proposal · : a job offer
- ficar felizto be happy (about something) · : I'm happy for her
- sentir saudade deto miss (someone, something) · : I'll miss her
- chatear-seto get upset, to get annoyed · also /
- entenderto understand
- a amizadefriendship
- preocupar-seto worry · : don't worry
- a chamada de vídeovideo call
- as fériasholidays, vacation · always plural: : in the holidays
- acabarto end, to finish · : the friendship doesn't end like that
- com certezadefinitely, of course
Practise
1.Complete: “Fico feliz que você … aqui.”
2.Complete with the subjunctive of : “I'm afraid our friendship will change.”
I'm afraid our friendship will change.
3.Complete with in the preterite: “I got upset.”
I got upset.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.How long have you known each other?
5.Match the Portuguese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
6.Which one is the standard way to say “don't worry”?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Fico feliz que você esteja bem.
I'm glad you're well.
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.