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Intermediate B1

This intensive course is for language learners striving toward the B1 level. The language of instruction is Portuguese. I will speak in English only if needed.

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My suggestion* for these two weeks is to focus on:

  • Perfeito vs. imperfeito / Subjunctive mood (intro)
  • Reading and listening comprehension
  • Conversation

*There's always room to adjust the course according to the group's preferences:

After this course, you'll have come closer to the B1 level and have the tools and strategies to get there and beyond.

Not sure if you should enroll in the A2 or B1 course?

Take this placement test

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Clean Slate A0

Geared toward Absolute Beginners, this course gives you a solid start and foundation to build upon. The language of instruction is almost entirely in English.

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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. The language of instruction is English/Portuguese, typically in a 35/65 ratio.

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My suggestion* for these two weeks is to focus on:

  • Prepositions
  • Past tense: perfeito vs. imperfeito
  • Listening comprehension and conversation

*There's always room to adjust the course according to the group's preferences:

After this course, you'll have come closer to the A2 level and have the tools and strategies to get there and beyond.

Not sure if you should enroll in the A2 or B1 course?

Take this placement test

Any questions?

Inquiry

Beginners A1

This intensive course is for language learners striving toward the A1 level. The language of instruction is English/Portuguese, typically in a 70/30 ratio.

If you've just started your learning journey, it may be that you will find this course a bit challenging. Nothing wrong with that.

However, if you think you'd have trouble coping with a challenging learning environment, consider enrolling for the Clean Slate A0 instead (if available).

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This is an all-round course, meaning that we’ll work on all aspects of language learning (at the A1 level):

  • Pronunciation
  • Listening comprehension
  • Reading comprehension
  • Conversation
  • Grammar

After this course, you'll have come closer to the A1 level and have the tools and strategies to get there and beyond.

Not sure if you should enroll in the A1 or A2 course?

Take this placement test

Any questions?

Inquiry

Surprise surprise!

Do you know what constipado means in Portuguese? Probably not what you are thinking...

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3

Tão vs. Tanto in Portuguese – Know the Difference

Portuguese language learners often struggle to distinguish between the adverbs tão and tanto. Are you one of them?

I totally get it! After all, both tão and tanto are modifiers used to intensify the meaning of other words. Also, both often give sentences a touch of unexpectedness, surprise, or excitement.

So, what’s the difference between tão and tanto?

Tão is used to intensify adjectives and other adverbs – it is the Portuguese equivalent of so. Tanto, on the other hand, is used to intensify verbs – it is the Portuguese equivalent of so much. 

Additionally, tanto is used as a noun quantifier – in that case, it agrees with the gender and number of the noun it refers to (it is variable). Depending on if it refers to countable or uncountable nouns, tanto is the Portuguese equivalent of either so many or so much respectively.

In what follows, I break it all down with concrete examples (keeping Portuguese and English side by side). Read on.

Tão

Tão is a modifier (an adverb of degree) and it is invariable – it is the Portuguese equivalent of so.

We place tão before adjectives and adverbs * to intensify them. It also gives the sentence an element of surprise or excitement. 

* Do you remember the difference between adjectives and adverbs?

Adjectives are words that modify and describe nouns  (e.g. pretty, silly, red, boring, slow, tall, etc.). 

Adverbs are words (or phrases) that modify and qualify adjectives, verbs, or other adverbs, expressing relations of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, and degree among others (e.g. quickly, fast, everywhere, early, enough, etc.).

Tão before adjectives

Take the following sentence: 

Ele é giro.
He’s cute.

And now the same sentence with tão  preceding and intensifying the adjective giro:

Ele é tão giro!
He’s so cute!

Tão before adverbs

The same applies to adverbs. Take the following sentence:

Tu conduzes depressa.
You drive fast.

And now the same sentence with tão preceding and intensifying the adverb depressa:

Tu conduzes  tão depressa!
You drive so fast!

Tanto

Tanto can be placed either after a verb (as an adverb) or before a noun (as a quantifier). In the first case, tanto is invariable while in the second, it agrees with the gender and number of the noun it refers to, thus variable

Let’s have a closer look at each of these situations.

Tanto after verbs – adverb (invariable)

After a verb, tanto is invariable and acts as a modifier intensifying the verb it points to (much like tão does in relation to adjectives and adverbs).

In this context, tanto  is equivalent to so much (even this much or that much):

Não devias * beber tanto.
You shouldn’t be drinking this much.

Nunca o tinha visto falar tanto!
I have never seen him speak so much!

* Dever (devias) is equivalent to the modal verb should. Learn more about Portuguese modal verbs here:  Portuguese Equivalents of English Modal Verbs

Tanto before nouns – quantifier (variable)

Placed before a noun, tanto is a determiner/quantifier. In this case,  tanto is variable and agrees with the gender and number of the noun it refers to*:

Masc.Fem.English Equivalents
Sing.tantotantaso much
(uncountable nouns)
Plu.tantostantasso many
(countable nouns)

* Learn more about gender and number in Portuguese:

1. Disentangling Gender with Portuguese Masculine-to-Feminine Spelling Patterns
2. Forming the Plural in Portuguese: Singular-to-Plural Conversion Patterns You Need to Care About

Uncountable nouns – tanto, tanta

The quantifiers tanto/tanta agree with the noun in gender and correspond to so much, that is, they apply to uncountable nouns (things that cannot be counted):

Não comas tanto pão. (o pão)
You eat so much bread.

Porque estás com tanta pressa? (a pressa)
Why are you rushing?

Countable nouns – tantos, tantas

Likewise, the quantifiers tantos/tantas also agree with the noun in gender, but they correspond to so many, that is, they apply to countable nouns (things that can be counted):

Porque compraste tantas batatas? (as batatas)
Why did you buy so many potatoes?

Tantos carros! (os carros)
So many cars!

From quantifier to pronoun

Note that we use tanto/tanta/tantos/tantos as indefinite pronouns when the nouns they refer to are implicit/omitted:

Ui, tanto?! (pão)
Gosh, so much?! (bread)

Porque compraste tantas? (batatas)
Why did you buy so many? (potatoes)

Idiomatic usage 

Here are a few common expressions using the words tantos/tantos:

Ele chegou a casa às tantas da madrugada.
He came home late in the wee hours.

Fiquei a trabalhar até às tantas da noite.
I stayed up working until late in the night.

Foi aos trinta e tantos anos que comecei a escrever. 
It was in my thirties that I started writing.

…  às tantas começou a chover. (past tense)
all of a sudden it started raining.

Às tantas começa a chover. (present tense)
It could start raining any time.

From tanto/a to tão (and vice-versa)

Often, sentences using the quantifier tanto/a can be rephrased to instead use tão (without any change in meaning) –  all it takes is to swap verbs and replace nouns with adjectives:

Ela tem tanta sorte!
Ela é tão sortuda!
She’s so lucky!

Tu tens tanto frio!
Tu és tão friorento!
You are so sensitive to cold!

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