Geared toward Absolute Beginners, this course gives you a solid start and foundation to build upon.
This is an introductory course to the Portuguese language as spoken in Portugal. Throughout the course, we will focus on the Portuguese sound system and basic Portuguese grammar.
You will also learn how to introduce yourself and day-to-day, useful phrases. Finally, we will discuss learning resources and strategies to support your learning journey.
After the course, you will have a basic understanding of European Portuguese pronunciation and grammar. You will also be capable of engaging in simple, short oral interactions. Last but not least, you will be aware of a variety of learning resources and strategies to help you succeed at learning the language.
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Beginners A2
This intensive course is for language learners striving toward the A2 level.
This intensive course is for language learners striving toward the A1level.
If you have just started your learning journey, you may find this course too challenging. Consider enrolling for the Clean Slate A0 instead (if available).
There are plenty of interesting options for our accommodation. It will most likely be a countryside house near Tavira.
I haven't booked it yet because I want to get a better idea of the group's composition (how many couples/singles) and your preferences before I do so. That will for instance help me understand how big a house we might need.
I look forward to soon talking to you about this and much more. Até breve, p
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Demonstratives are those words that help with pointing out a person or object as well as their location in relation to both speaker and hearer.
Portuguese demonstratives work along the same lines as the English, that is, they indicate whether something is closer or further away, either in time or space:
Esta mesa aqui é de vidro, essa aí é de madeira. This table here is made of glass; that one is made of wood.
Estes tempos de agora são complicados do que aqueles de outrora. These present times are more complicated than those from before.
Now, Portuguese demonstratives are more nuanced than the English. This is partly because they also agree with the noun’s gender, and partly because there is a neuter form that disregards both number and gender.
Also, there is a third variant of demonstratives encoding a specific spatial relationship between speaker, hearer, and object that English misses altogether.
Finally, let’s not forget that Portuguese demonstratives merge with a few prepositions, meaning that you have to keep track of a more varied word morphology compared to English.
We’ll soon look into all that in more detail. But for now, here are the Portuguese demonstratives in anutshell:
VARIABLE (more specific; agree with the noun’s gender and number)
INVARIABLE (neuter) (less specific; no regard to either gender or number)
this/these near the speaker
este (s/m)* esta (s/f) estes (p/m) estas (p/f)
isto
that/those near the hearer
esse (s/m) essa (s/f) esses (p/m) essas (p/f)
isso
that/ those (over there) far from both
aquele (s/m) aquela (s/f) aqueles (p/m) aquelas (p/f)
aquilo
* s – singular; p – plural; m – masculine; f – feminine
Variable vs. invariable demonstratives
In Portuguese, demonstratives come in two flavors, variable and invariable (neuter).
Variable demonstratives are specific in that they conform to both number and gender of the nouns they refer to.
Invariable demonstratives, on the other hand, don’t attend to either number or gender and are, therefore, more general.
Variable
Variable demonstratives change their endings to agree with the noun’s gender and number they refer to:
singular/feminine
Esta pera é saborosa. (a pera) This pear is tasty.
plural/masculine
Estesmelões são saborosos. (os melões) These melons are tasty!
Also, they can be used either as stand-alonepronouns (substituting for the noun altogether) or adjectivally as determiners:
as a determiner
Estasmaçãs não prestam! These apples are no good!
as a pronoun
Estas não prestam! These are no good!
Invariable
Invariable demonstratives don’t conform to either gender or number. They are less specific and always used as pronouns:
Isto é saboroso. This is tasty.
We often use them to either speak concisely or in more abstract terms (compared to variable demonstratives):
More abstract vs. less abstract
Isto é teu vs. Estacaneta é tua This is yours vs. This pen is yours
Leva isto contigo vs. Leva estes livros contigo Take this with you vs. Take these books with you
Isto é complicado vs. Esta situação é complicada This is complicated vs. This situation is complicated
Demonstratives and space
In Portuguese, there are 3 categories of demonstratives according to the spatial relationship between the speaker and hearer, and the things they talk about.
Near the speaker
The demonstratives in this group refer to people or things near the speaker. They correspond to the English demonstratives this/these:
VARIABLE
Singular
Plural
Masculine
este
este navio this ship
estes
estes homens these men
Feminine
esta
esta companhia this company
estas
estas fotografias these photographs
INVARIABLE
isto this
Adverb aqui
Note that the sense of proximity to the speaker conveyed by these demonstratives is often reinforced by the adverb of place aqui (here):
este navio aqui this ship here
estes homens aqui these men here
istoaqui this here
Contractions
These demonstratives merge with the prepositions de and em:
de + (este; esta; estes; estas; isto)
em + (este; esta; estes; estas; isto)
deste (s/m) desta (s/f) destes (p/m) destas (p/f) disto
neste (s/m) nesta (s/f) nestes (p/m) nestas (p/f) nisto
Here’re a few sentence-examples:
de
em
Gostaste deste filme? (gostar de) Did you enjoy this movie?
Estou farto desta canção. (estar farto de) I am tired of this song.
Preciso disto aqui. (precisar de) I need this.
Entrei nesta loja mesmo agora. (entrar em) I just came into this shop.
Ninguém pode viver nestas condições! (viver em) No one can live in these conditions!
Não penses nisto agora. (pensar em) Don’t think about this now.
Gostas desse vestido? (gostar de) Do you like that dress?
Estou cansado dessas tuas desculpas. (estar cansado de) I am tired of those excuses of yours.
Preciso disso aí. (precisar de) I need that.
Pensei muito nesse assunto. (pensar em) I thought a lot about that matter.
Trabalho nessas condições! (trabalhar em) I work in those conditions!
Não penses nisso. (pensar em) Don’t think about that.
Far from both
The demonstratives in this group refer specifically to people or things far from both the speaker and hearer.
In English, this third spatial relationship is not encoded with any specific demonstrative word. Instead, we leave it to the context and continue to use that/those (as in the previous group):
VARIABLE
Singular
Plural
Masculine
aquele
aquele banco that stool
aqueles
aqueles pratos those plates
Feminine
aquela
aquela mesa that table
aquelas
aquelas janelas those windows
INVARIABLE
aquilo that
Adverb ali
The sense of distance from both the speaker and hearer conveyed by these demonstratives is often reinforced by the adverb of place ali (over there):
aquele quadro ali that painting over there
aquelas flores ali those flowers over there
aquiloali that over there
Contractions
These demonstratives merge with the prepositions de, em and a:
Gostas daquela casa? (gostar de) Do you like that house?
Hoje lembrei-me daqueles dias maravilhosos de verão. (lembrar-se de) Today I remembered those wonderful summer days.
Preciso daquilo agora. (precisar de) I need that now.
Deitei-me naquele sofá e adormeci. (deitar-se em) I lay on that couch and fell asleep.
Vivo naquela casa ali. (viver em) I live in that house over there!
Não penses naquilo. (pensar em) Don’t think about that thing.
Vou àquele restaurante. (ir a) I am going to go to that restaurant.
Pedi ajuda àqueles senhores. (pedir ajuda a) I asked those gentlemen for help.
Queres assistir àquilo? (assistir a) You want to watch that thing?
Demonstratives and time
Demonstratives are not only relatable to space but also to time. For instance, este(s), estas(s), and isto refer to the present time:
Estes tempos são difíceis. These times are difficult.
Both esse(s), essa(s), isso and aquele(s), aquela(s), aquilo refer to the past time:
Esses tempos foram difíceis. Aqueles tempos foram difíceis Those times were difficult.
In a past time-context, the difference between using esse(s), essa(s), isso or aquele(s), aquela(s), aquilo is very subtle.
If someone was talking about a past event and I were to comment upon it, I would probably go with esse(s), essa(s), isso. Otherwise, aquele(s), aquela(s), aquilo might be preferable.
Reading tips! As you’ve noticed, Portuguese demonstratives have specific forms for masculine vs. feminine and singular vs. plural nouns. But they are far from being the only word class affected by gender and number. Learn more about it: