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1 – PÃO or PAU?
The word PÃO (bread), with a nasal sound, is the name of a food made with flour. The pronunciation of this word is done with the nasal diphthong. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- Eu adoro pão na chapa. (I love grilled bread.)
The word PAU (stick) means any piece of wood. But be careful! This word can also be used to refer to the male sexual organ. The pronunciation of this word is done with the open A. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- Preciso comprar canela em pau. (I need to buy cinnamon sticks.)
2 – MÃO ou MAL?
The word MAL (bad), with L, means the opposite of GOOD. The pronunciation of this word is done with the open A. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- Pedro está se sentindo mal. (Peter is feeling bad.)
The word MÃO (hand), with a nasal pronunciation, refers to the part of our body that is at the end of the arms, the hands. The pronunciation of this word is done with the nasal diphthong. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- O gorro da Ana foi feito à mão. (Ana’s hat was handmade.)
3 – FÃS ou FAZ?
The word FÃS (fans), with a nasal sound, is the plural of the word FÃ (fan), which is a person who admires someone or something. The pronunciation of this word is done with the nasal A. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- Nós somos fãs do seu trabalho. (We are fans of your work.)
The word FAZ (do/does), with Z, is the verb FAZER (to do) conjugated in the third person singular. The pronunciation of this word is done with the open A. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- O que você faz? (What do you do?)
4 – AVÔ or AVÓ?
The word AVÓ (grandmother), with an acute accent, refers to the mother of your mother or father. The pronunciation of this word is done with the open O. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- Minha avó adorava contar histórias. (My grandmother loved to tell stories.)
The word AVÔ (grandfather), with a circumflex accent, refers to the father of your mother or father. The pronunciation of this word is done with the closed O. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- Meu avô era engenheiro. (My grandfather was an engineer.)
5 – COMPRIMENTO or CUMPRIMENTO?
The word CUMPRIMENTO (greeting), with U, is used to greet or congratulate someone. It can be used as a noun or verb. The pronunciation of this word is done with the nasal U. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- Eu sempre cumprimento as pessoas na rua. (I always greet people on the street.)
The word COMPRIMENTO (length), with O, refers to the size of something. The pronunciation of this word is done with the nasal O. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- Eu não sei qual é o comprimento desta sala. (I don’t know how long this room is.)
6 – IMINENTE | EMINENTE
The word IMINENTE (imminent), with an I, expresses something that is about to happen. Note that the pronunciation of this word is done with the vowel I at the beginning. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- Aquele morro está com risco iminente de deslizamento de terra. (That hill is at imminent risk of landslide.)
The word EMINENTE (eminent), with E, refers to something elevated, superior, or remarkable. Note that the pronunciation of this word is made with the vowel E at the beginning. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- Ela é uma das cientistas mais eminentes do Brasil. (She is one of the most eminent scientists in Brazil.)
7 – DISCRIÇÃO or DESCRIÇÃO?
The word DISCRIÇÃO (discretion), with an I, expresses something discreet and sensible, which does not attract attention. Note that the pronunciation of this word is made with the vowel I at the beginning. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- Paulo fala sobre sua vida pessoal com discrição. (Paul speaks about his personal life with discretion.)
The word DESCRIÇÃO (description), with E, is the act of describing something. Note that the pronunciation of this word is made with the vowel E at the beginning. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- Ana fez uma descrição detalhada do projeto. (Ana gave a detailed description of the project.)
8 – TRÁFICO or TRÁFEGO?
The word TRÁFEGO (traffic), with E and G, refers to the movement or flow of vehicles. Note that the pronunciation of this word is done with the vowel E in the middle. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- O tráfego em São Paulo é horrível! (Traffic in São Paulo is horrible!)
The word TRÁFICO (traffic), with I and C, refers to an illegal and clandestine trade.
Note that the pronunciation of this word is done with the vowel I in the middle. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- O traficante foi preso por tráfico de drogas. (The dealer was arrested for drug trafficking.)
9 – CAVALEIRO or CAVALHEIRO?
The word CAVALEIRO (rider), with LE, refers to the person who rides a horse. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- Muitos cavaleiros participaram da caçada. (Many riders participated in the hunt.)
The word CAVALHEIRO (gentleman), with LHE, refers to a polite and kind man. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- O cavalheiro cedeu seu assento a uma pessoa idosa. (The gentleman gave up his seat to an elderly person.)
10 – JUNHO or JULHO?
The word JUNHO (June), with NH, refers to the sixth month of the year. Note that the digraph NH is pronounced like the Spanish Ñ and the Italian letters GN. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- My birthday is in June. (O meu aniversário é no mês de junho.)
The word JULHO (July), with LH, refers to the seventh month of the year. Note that the digraph LH is pronounced more or less like the letters LI. Here’s an example in a sentence:
- Dia 9 de julho é feriado no estado de São Paulo. ( July 9th is a public holiday in the state of São Paulo.)
That’s it, everybody! I hope you enjoyed this lesson! You’ll find more Portuguese lessons at the bottom of this page.
Até a próxima!
Speaking Brazilian School Team
