* Lets review!

Here is what you should already know from unit 2: 1) You should know how to use the verb querer. 2) You should know some useful sentences. 3) You should know what brigadeiro is lmaao If youre sure youve mastered the topics above, then youre ready to move on to unit 3. Boa sorte! [Good luck!]

To be, or not to be: thats the question! Unit 3

 A. Grammar: the verb To be

Just like in Spanish, Italian, Catalan and other languages, there are two different ways to say to be in Portuguese, too. You can either say ser or estar. Basically, ser is used for things that are permanent and to identify physical features, personality, nationality, race, religion, gender, profession, origin, material, possession, events or dates (days, months, years, festivals, parties, lessons)

In the other hand, estar is used for things that are not permanent or that are happening at the moment such as emotions, physical appearance or condition (health), marital status, the location people are at the moment
Another important thing to clarify estar is that its also used with gerund, since gerund expresses something temporarily happening at the moment. Were going to look at some examples to clarify that. It takes practice to 2) There is a mistake in each sentence below. Correct them. understand better.

But before we jump into the sample sentences, take a look at the conjugation of ser and estar in the presente tense. Ser Eu sou Voc Ele Ela Ns somos Vocs so Eles so Elas so Estar Eu estou (abbreviation*: eu t) Voc est (abbreviation: voc t) Ele est (abbreviation: ele t) Ela est (abbreviation: ela t) Ns estamos Vocs esto (abbr: vocs to) Eles esto (abbr: eles to) Elas esto (abbr: elas to)

* The abbreviation in the verb estar is used in spoken Portuguese. Its not grammatically correct, but we say that to speak faster in daily conversations.
Now, lets compare these sentences using ser and estar.

Ele gordo = He is fat. (This is a permanent physical description, so we are using the verb ser) Ele est gordo = He is fat. (This implies putting on weight temporarily, like when you eat so much in Christmas and in the next day youre fatter, so at the moment you are fat, but it doesnt mean youre a fat person, youre just fat now because you ate so much last night. Get it? Lol, I hope so)

Eu estou (t) triste = I am (m) sad. (This means youre sad at the moment [so the verb estar is used]. We always are sad at some moments of our lives) Eu sou triste = I am sad. (This means you are a sad person. Youre always sad. You hate life. Youre never happy. You are sad as a person and you hate everything. Wow.. What a depressing lesson )

EXPRESSING EMOTIONS AND STATE USING THE VERB ESTAR If youre a boy, you say: Eu estou triste. Eu estou feliz. Eu estou decepcionado. Eu estou animado. Eu estou com medo. Eu estou com sono. Eu estou com fome. Eu estou ansioso. Eu estou com raiva. Eu estou com frio. If youre a girl, you say: Eu estou triste. Eu estou feliz. Eu estou decepcionada. Estou animada. Eu estou com medo. Eu estou com sono. Eu estou com fome. Eu estou ansiosa. Eu estou com raiva. Eu estou com frio. English translation: I am sad. I am happy. I am disappointed. I I I I I I I am am am am am am am excited. scared. sleepy. hungry. anxious. angry. cold.

IMPORTANT: IN ENGLISH WE USE THE VERB TO BE SO SAY HOW OLD WE ARE. BUT IN PORTUGUESE WE USE THE VERB TO HAVE, SO IN

PORTUGUESE WE SAY I HAVE 20 YEARS OLD: Eu tenho 20 anos de idade.

Here is the verb to have = ter in the present tense: (this verb is irregular) Ter: Eu tenho Voc tem Ele tem Ela tem Ns temos Vocs tm Eles tm Elas tm COLOURS Vermelho Azul Preto Rosa Amarelo Verde Cinza Laranja Roxo Branco [=white] To have I have You have He has She has We have You have They have They hve

GERUND: In English we make the gerund by attaching ing to the end of a verb: I learn Im learning I study Im studying I work Im working In Portuguese its just as simple! We add ando if the verb ends by -ar in the infinitive. We add endo if the verb ends by -er in the infinitive. We add indo if the verb ends by -ir in the infinitive. Some examples:

Andar (to walk) Eu estou andando (I am walking) Correr (to run) Eu t correndo (Im walking)

Sorrir (to smile) Voc est sorrindo (Youre smiling) Trabalhar (to work) Voc t trabalhando (Youre working) Morrer (to die) Ele est morrendo (He is dying) Cair (to fall) Ns estamos caindo (We are falling) Change to the gerund: Amar (to love): __________ (loving) Cantar (to sing): _________ (singing) Cagar (to poop): _________ (pooping) Mover (to move): _________ (moving) Comer (to eat): ___________ (eating) Rir (to laugh): _____________ (laughing)