Portuguese · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 2 of 12
Opinions and reasons
Opiniões e razões
Give and defend your opinion in Portuguese: acho que and não acho que with the subjunctive, reasons with porque, como and já que, and polite disagreement.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Give your opinion with acho que
- Say what you don't think with não acho que + the present subjunctive
- Give reasons and results with porque, como, já que and por isso
- Agree and disagree politely
Listen
Over lunch in Curitiba, Felipe and his colleague Renata talk about the city's plan to close part of the centre to cars. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Felipe
Renata, você viu a notícia? A prefeitura quer fechar parte do centro para os carros.
Renata, did you see the news? The city council wants to close part of the centre to cars.
Renata
Vi, sim, li hoje de manhã. Acho que é uma ótima ideia.
Yes, I read it this morning. I think it's a great idea.
Felipe
Sério? Eu não acho que seja uma boa ideia.
Really? I don't think it's a good idea.
Renata
Por que não? Em muitas cidades funciona muito bem.
Why not? It works very well in lots of cities.
Felipe
Porque muita gente mora longe e precisa do carro para trabalhar. E duvido que o comércio venda mais sem os carros.
Because lots of people live far away and need the car to get to work. And I doubt the shops will sell more without the cars.
Renata
Pelo contrário. Como as pessoas andam mais a pé, elas compram mais nas lojas do centro.
Quite the opposite. Since people walk more, they buy more in the shops in the centre.
Felipe
Pode ser. Mas a cidade não tem ciclovias suficientes, então muita gente não tem outra opção.
Maybe. But the city doesn't have enough cycle lanes, so lots of people have no other option.
Renata
Nisso você tem razão. A prefeitura precisa fazer mais ciclovias antes de fechar o centro.
You're right about that. The council needs to build more cycle lanes before it closes the centre.
Felipe
E tem outra coisa: em Curitiba faz frio demais no inverno para andar de bicicleta.
And there's another thing: in Curitiba it's too cold in winter to ride a bike.
Renata
Não é bem assim. Eu vou de bicicleta para o trabalho o ano todo.
That's not quite right. I cycle to work all year round.
Felipe
Bom, eu concordo que o trânsito no centro está terrível.
Well, I agree that the traffic in the centre is terrible.
Renata
Viu? No final você vai concordar comigo.
See? In the end you're going to agree with me.
Understand
The present subjunctive
Portuguese has a second set of present-tense forms, the “present subjunctive” (). It isn't a tense for another time. It's used after certain expressions, when a sentence is about doubt, wishes or feelings rather than plain facts. You'll meet these expressions one by one in B1.
You already know how to make it, because it's built like the standard imperative from A2 (). Take the form of the present, drop the -o and swap the vowel: -ar verbs take -e, -er and -ir verbs take -a. Irregular forms carry over: → , → , → .
| Person | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| / / / | ||||
| / / |
Acho que… / Não acho que…
After (I think that…) use the normal present, the “indicative”: . When you say you don't think something, or that you doubt it, the verb after goes into the subjunctive: , . states a fact, so it takes the indicative: . In relaxed speech you may hear , but the subjunctive is the standard and always correct.
These common verbs have irregular subjunctive forms. You know several of them from the imperative.
| Infinitive | Subjunctive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (I don't think it's expensive.) | ||
| (I don't think she's at home.) | ||
| (I doubt he'll go.) | ||
| (I don't think he knows.) | ||
| (I doubt she wants to come.) | ||
| (I don't think there's enough time.) | ||
| (I doubt there are any places.) |
Reasons, results and reactions
(because) usually comes after the main idea. (as, since) goes at the start of the sentence: . (since) can go in either place. and (so, that's why) introduce a result. Careful: (two words) is “why” in questions.
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| / | I agree. / I agree with you. |
| I disagree. | |
| You're right. | |
| Maybe. / Could be. | |
| It depends. | |
| That's not quite right. | |
| Quite the opposite. |
More in the grammar: The present subjunctive
New words
- a notíciapiece of news · : the news
- a prefeituracity council, town hall · the or is the mayor
- fecharto close · : to close the centre to cars
- venderto sell
- o comércioshops, local businesses; trade
- pelo contrárioon the contrary, quite the opposite
- a cicloviacycle lane, bike path
- suficienteenough · agrees in number:
- ter razãoto be right · : you're right about that
- antes debefore · + infinitive: : before closing the centre
- demaistoo, too much · after the word: (too cold), (too expensive)
- o trânsitotraffic
- concordarto agree · : to agree with someone
- discordarto disagree · : I disagree with you
Practise
1.Complete: “Não acho que … uma boa ideia.”
2.Complete with the subjunctive of : “I doubt the shops will sell more.”
I doubt the shops will sell more.
3.Complete with : “I think you're right.”
I think you're right.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.I don't think it's expensive.
5.Match the Portuguese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
6.Which word fits at the start? “… as pessoas andam mais a pé, elas compram mais.”
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Não acho que seja uma boa ideia.
I don't think it's a good idea.
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.