Olá, queridos alunos! (Hello, dear students!)
Today, we’re going to take a test to see how much you know about Brazilian customs.
I’m going to say some sentences, and you should identify if they are true or false. Afterwards, I’ll give you the answer and a brief explanation.
I prepared a PDF with exercises so you can review some of the vocabulary from in this lesson. Fill out the form below to download your worksheet.
Watch the video to take the quiz, or continue reading.
First, take the test. Then, check your answers at the end.
- Se um brasileiro o convida para uma festa que começa às 7 da noite, você deve chegar pontualmente às 7 horas. Verdadeiro ou falso?
(If a Brazilian invites you to a party that starts at 7 pm, you should arrive at exactly 7 pm. True or false?)
- No Brasil, você deve chegar pontualmente a consultas médicas e reuniões de trabalho. Verdadeiro ou falso?
(In Brazil, you should arrive on time to doctor appointments and work meetings. True or false?)
- Os brasileiros escovam os dentes no trabalho. Verdadeiro ou falso?
(Brazilians brush their teeth at work. True or false?)
- Os brasileiros tomam em média 10 banhos frios por semana. Verdadeiro ou falso?
(Brazilians take around 10 cold showers per week. True or false?)
- Brasileiros jogam papel higiênico usado no cesto de lixo. Verdadeiro ou falso?
(Brazilians throw used toilet paper in the trashcan. True or false?)
- O cachorro-quente brasileiro é recheado com purê de batatas. Verdadeiro ou falso?
(Brazilian hot dogs are topped with mashed potatoes. True or false?)
- Se você oferece comida a um brasileiro e ele diz “não, obrigado”, significa que ele realmente não quer comer o que você ofereceu. Verdadeiro ou falso?
(If you offer food to a Brazilian and they say, “no thank you,” it means they really don’t want to eat what you have offered. True or false?)
- Se um brasileiro o convidar para fazer algo, mas você não tiver interesse, você pode simplesmente dizer “não quero ir, obrigada”. Verdadeiro ou falso?
(If a Brazilian invites you to do something, but you aren’t interested, you can simply say, “I don’t want to go, thanks.” True or false?)
Scroll down to see the answers!
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1. Se um brasileiro o convida para uma festa que começa às 7 da noite, você deve chegar pontualmente às 7 horas. Verdadeiro ou falso?
(If a Brazilian invites you to a party that starts at 7 pm, you should arrive at exactly 7 pm. True or false?)
False!
If you arrive right on time to a party in Brazil, you will take your host by surprise! At informal events such as birthday parties, barbecues, and dinners with friends, Brazilians normally arrive around a half an hour to an hour after the agreed-on time. If you get there right on time, your host might still be in the shower getting ready for the party.
2. No Brasil, você deve chegar pontualmente a consultas médicas e reuniões de trabalho. Verdadeiro ou falso?
(In Brazil, you should arrive on time to doctor appointments and work meetings. True or false?)
True!
Yes, Brazilians have the bad habit of arriving late for everything, but being late isn’t as accepted in formal situations, such as doctor appointments, meetings with clients, and professional commitments in general.
Normally, an acceptable time for running late in formal situations is 5 to 10 minutes, sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the situation. I recommend that you arrive on time for formal commitments.
3. Os brasileiros escovam os dentes no trabalho. Verdadeiro ou falso?
(Brazilians brush their teeth at work. True or false?)
True!
In Brazil, we learn from when we are kids that we should brush our teeth after every meal. Many people carry their toothbrush with them to work so they can brush their teeth after lunch. This doesn’t just happen at the workplace.
It’s common to see a person brushing their teeth in public bathrooms in Brazil, like at shopping malls, airports, restaurants, and other places. I brush my teeth 4 or 5 times per day. Do you think that’s too much?
4. Os brasileiros tomam em média 10 banhos frios por semana. Verdadeiro ou falso?
(Brazilians take around 10 cold showers per week. True or false?)
False!
10 showers per week… maybe. Cold showers… I think not.
Brazilians love taking showers, but most people prefer to take a warm shower. Regarding the number of showers, it’s true that it depends on each person and the temperature in each region. A study carried out by Kantar Worldpanel indicated that Brazilians take, on average, 14 showers per week.
5. Brasileiros jogam papel higiênico usado no cesto de lixo. Verdadeiro ou falso?
(Brazilians throw used toilet paper in the trashcan. True or false?)
True!
Yes, Brazilians throw used toilet paper in the trashcan, and not the toilet!
The reason why Brazilians don’t flush toilet paper down the toilet is the risk of clogging the sewage system.
In public places, you will see signs in bathrooms saying:
NÃO JOGUE PAPEL HIGIÊNICO NO VASO SANITÁRIO.
DO NOT PUT TOILET PAPER IN THE TOILET.
When you arrive in Brazil, if you go to the bathroom in the airport, you will see these signs in all of the bathrooms.
I know that it seems a little unhygienic, but most people use some type of hygienic shower and not just toilet paper, and some Brazilian homes still have bidets.
6. O cachorro-quente brasileiro é recheado com purê de batatas. Verdadeiro ou falso?
(Brazilian hot dogs are topped with mashed potatoes. True or false?)
True!
When the subject is food, Brazilians are very creative! In Brazil, hot dogs can have many toppings, in addition to the hot dog itself. Toppings vary from one region to another. Normally people put together a hot dog according to how they like it, adding, for example, tomato sauce, potato sticks, some type of meat, peas, corn, lettuce, cheese, mashed potatoes, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, and the list goes on!
7. Se você oferece comida a um brasileiro e ele diz “não, obrigado”, significa que ele realmente não quer comer o que você ofereceu. Verdadeiro ou falso?
(If you offer food to a Brazilian and they say, “no thank you,” it means they really don’t want to eat what you have offered. True or false?)
It depends!
In Brazil, we have a strange habit of offering food only to be polite and refusing food only to be polite. I know that it’s strange, you guys. It’s a cultural thing.
Let’s say you’re going to visit a friend, and when you get to their house, they are eating a sandwich. Your friend will feel obliged to offer you a piece, even if they don’t want to share their sandwich with you. In Brazil, it’s considered rude not to offer what you are eating to the other person.
For this reason, we are also afraid to accept food, because we don’t know if the person is truly offering or if it’s just them being kind. So, first we refuse the offer, and if the person offers a second time, we can accept.
It’s true that it depends on the situation. For example, if a friend invites you to dinner at their house, when they offer you dinner, you can accept with no problems. Going beyond this, it depends on the intimacy you have with someone. This type of strange interaction usually happens when people don’t know each other very well.
8. Se um brasileiro o convidar para fazer algo, mas você não tiver interesse, você pode simplesmente dizer “não quero ir, obrigada”. Verdadeiro ou falso?
(If a Brazilian invites you to do something, but you aren’t interested, you can simply say, “I don’t want to go, thanks.” True or false?)
False!
Here we have another very strange cultural question. Brazilians don’t know how to say “no” and don’t know how to hear “no.”
If someone invites you to do something and you say, “não quero, não tô a fim” (I don’t want to, I’m not in the mood), you might lose some friends. Saying “no” in a direct way seems highly rude to Brazilian ears. Normally, when a Brazilian doesn’t want to do something, they will give some kind of vague excuse. For example:
– Não sei se vou poder. Eu te aviso mais tarde. (I don’t know if I can. I’ll let you know later.)
– Ah, legal. Me manda uma mensagem e a gente vai se falando. (Oh, cool. Send me a text and we’ll talk more.)
This type of response generally means that the person doesn’t want to go.
You should remember that in this lesson is full of generalizations that, obviously, don’t apply to all Brazilians. Brazil is a large and diverse country. Each region is different, and each person is different.
I prepared a PDF with exercises so you can review the vocabulary we used in this lesson. Download it for free from our website. The link is below the video.
Fill out the form below to download your worksheet.
Até a próxima!
Virginia & Speaking Brazilian Team
