Portuguese · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 7 of 12
Education and learning
Educação e aprendizagem
Talk about school and regrets in Portuguese: devia ter feito, quem dera, como se with the subjunctive, and the Brazilian school system.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Express regrets with devia ter, deveria ter and arrepender-se de
- Make wishes with quem dera and compare with como se
- Understand the Brazilian school system: ensino médio, ENEM, vestibular
- Discuss study choices with a teacher
Listen
Rosângela meets Professor Alberto, the coordinator at her son Davi's public school in Teresina, to talk about his choice between regular secondary school and a technical course. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Alberto
Bom dia, dona Rosângela. Pode se sentar, por favor. A senhora queria conversar sobre o Davi, não é?
Good morning, Mrs Rosângela. Please have a seat. You wanted to talk about Davi, didn't you?
Rosângela
Isso, professor. Ele termina o nono ano agora e não sabe se escolhe o ensino médio normal ou um curso técnico. E eu também não sei o que dizer a ele.
That's right. He's finishing ninth year now and doesn't know whether to choose regular secondary school or a technical course. And I don't know what to tell him either.
Alberto
O Davi é um ótimo aluno. Nunca repetiu de ano, e em matemática e informática é o melhor da turma. O curso técnico em informática do Instituto Federal combinaria muito com ele.
Davi is an excellent pupil. He's never had to repeat a year, and in maths and IT he's the best in the class. The IT technical course at the Federal Institute would suit him very well.
Rosângela
Mas, se ele fizer o técnico, ainda vai poder fazer o ENEM e entrar numa faculdade pública?
But if he does the technical course, will he still be able to take the ENEM and get into a public university?
Alberto
Vai, sim. No Instituto Federal, o técnico é integrado ao ensino médio: ele estuda as matérias normais e as técnicas ao mesmo tempo. E no último ano ainda pode fazer estágio.
Yes, he will. At the Federal Institute, the technical course is combined with secondary school: he studies the normal subjects and the technical ones at the same time. And in the last year he can also do an internship.
Rosângela
Quem dera eu tivesse tido essa oportunidade. Eu larguei os estudos aos dezesseis anos para trabalhar, e me arrependo até hoje.
If only I'd had that opportunity. I dropped out of school at sixteen to work, and I still regret it today.
Alberto
Muita gente da sua geração passou por isso. Mas a senhora sabe que nunca é tarde para voltar a estudar, não sabe? Tem a EJA aqui na escola, à noite.
Lots of people of your generation went through that. But you know it's never too late to go back to studying, don't you? There's the adult education programme here at the school, in the evenings.
Rosângela
Eu sei, mas agora a prioridade é ele. Eu devia ter ajudado o Davi a pensar nisso antes. Ele fala como se tivesse que decidir a vida inteira agora.
I know, but right now he's the priority. I should have helped Davi think about this earlier. He talks as if he had to decide his whole life now.
Alberto
É normal. Com quinze anos, eles acham que cada escolha é para sempre. Eu mesmo teria gostado que alguém me orientasse nessa idade.
That's normal. At fifteen, they think every choice is forever. I myself would have liked someone to guide me at that age.
Rosângela
E o vestibular? Ainda existe? No meu tempo, era tudo por vestibular.
And the vestibular? Does it still exist? In my day, everything was by entrance exam.
Alberto
Algumas universidades ainda fazem vestibular, mas hoje a maioria das faculdades públicas usa a nota do ENEM. Por que a senhora não traz o Davi aqui na semana que vem? A gente conversa os três juntos.
Some universities still hold an entrance exam, but nowadays most public universities use the ENEM score. Why don't you bring Davi here next week? The three of us can talk together.
Rosângela
Ótima ideia, professor. Ele vai gostar. Muito obrigada pela atenção.
Great idea. He'll like that. Thank you very much for your time.
Understand
Regrets: devia ter feito
To say what you should have done, use or + participle: (I should have helped Davi). is the everyday form; sounds a little more careful. For what you shouldn't have done, add : .
(to regret) is followed by a noun or by + participle: . + infinitive, or + imperfect subjunctive, says what you would have liked.
- Eu devia ter estudado mais.I should have studied more.
- Você não deveria ter desistido.You shouldn't have given up.
- Me arrependo de não ter feito faculdade.I regret not going to university.
- Eu teria gostado de estudar música.I would have liked to study music.
Quem dera and como se
means “if only”. With the imperfect subjunctive it's a wish about now; with the pluperfect subjunctive, a wish about the past: (If only I had more time), (If only I'd had that opportunity).
(as if) always takes the subjunctive: the imperfect for the same time, the pluperfect for something earlier. ; (She acts as if nothing had happened).
The Brazilian school system
School is divided into and . Public schools and universities are free; private ones are called . At the end of , most students take the , a national exam whose score is used to apply to most universities.
| Portuguese | What it is |
|---|---|
| primary and lower secondary school, 1st to 9th year (about 6 to 14) | |
| upper secondary school, three years (about 15 to 17) | |
| vocational course, alongside or after | |
| national secondary school exam, used for university entrance | |
| a university's own entrance exam | |
| , | public (free) / private university or college |
| , | to move up a year / to repeat a year |
More in the grammar: The imperfect subjunctive
New words
- o ensino médioupper secondary school · masculine
- o curso técnicotechnical or vocational course · masculine; often just
- o aluno / a alunapupil, student
- passar de ano / repetir de anoto move up a year / to repeat a year
- a turmaclass, group (of students) · : the best in the class
- a informáticaIT, computing · feminine
- o ENEMnational secondary school exam · masculine;
- a matériaschool subject · feminine
- largar os estudosto drop out of school, to give up studying
- arrepender-se deto regret ·
- nunca é tarde para…it's never too late to…
- como seas if · + imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive
- orientarto guide, to advise · : someone to guide me
- o vestibularuniversity entrance exam · masculine
Practise
1.You didn't study enough for an exam, and you regret it. What do you say?
2.Complete with the imperfect subjunctive of : “If only I had more time.”
If only I had more time.
3.Complete with the imperfect subjunctive of : “He talks as if he knew everything.”
He talks as if he knew everything.
4.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.I regret dropping out of school.
5.Match the Portuguese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
6.Which sentence means “She acts as if nothing had happened”?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Eu devia ter pensado nisso antes.
I should have thought about this earlier.
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.