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    What Brazilians Mean - The Economist

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    Brena Siqueira
    1) Brazilians commonly use expressions like "Let's stay in touch" not to exchange contact details, but as a polite way to end a conversation like Brits saying "Nice weather isn't it?". 2) When Brazilians say "Let me tell you something" it usually means they want the listener to pay attention, as they may say it multiple times if the listener seems distracted. 3) The Portuguese words for yes, perhaps and no - "Sim", "Talvez", and "Não" - can have varied meanings depending on context with "Talvez" often meaning no and "Não" sometimes meaning absolutely not. 4) Phrases like "A

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    What Brazilians Mean - The Economist

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    Brena Siqueira
    101 views1 page
    1) Brazilians commonly use expressions like "Let's stay in touch" not to exchange contact details, but as a polite way to end a conversation like Brits saying "Nice weather isn't it?". 2) When Brazilians say "Let me tell you something" it usually means they want the listener to pay attention, as they may say it multiple times if the listener seems distracted. 3) The Portuguese words for yes, perhaps and no - "Sim", "Talvez", and "Não" - can have varied meanings depending on context with "Talvez" often meaning no and "Não" sometimes meaning absolutely not. 4) Phrases like "A

    Original Description:

    STUDIES IN SEMANTICS-PRAGMATICS

    Original Title

    WHAT BRAZILIANS MEAN - THE ECONOMIST

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    1) Brazilians commonly use expressions like "Let's stay in touch" not to exchange contact details, but as a polite way to end a conversation like Brits saying "Nice weather isn't it?". 2) When Brazilians say "Let me tell you something" it usually means they want the listener to pay attention, as they may say it multiple times if the listener seems distracted. 3) The Portuguese words for yes, perhaps and no - "Sim", "Talvez", and "Não" - can have varied meanings depending on context with "Talvez" often meaning no and "Não" sometimes meaning absolutely not. 4) Phrases like "A

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    101 views1 page

    What Brazilians Mean - The Economist

    Uploaded by

    Brena Siqueira
    1) Brazilians commonly use expressions like "Let's stay in touch" not to exchange contact details, but as a polite way to end a conversation like Brits saying "Nice weather isn't it?". 2) When Brazilians say "Let me tell you something" it usually means they want the listener to pay attention, as they may say it multiple times if the listener seems distracted. 3) The Portuguese words for yes, perhaps and no - "Sim", "Talvez", and "Não" - can have varied meanings depending on context with "Talvez" often meaning no and "Não" sometimes meaning absolutely not. 4) Phrases like "A

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    of 1

    What Brazilians say: Let's stay in touch, ok?

    (A
    Brazilians
    gente se vê, vamos combinar, tá?)
    Portuguese for the perplexed What foreigners hear: He'd like to stay in touch
    May 24th 2013, 13:49 by H.J. | SÃO PAULO (though, puzzlingly, we don't seem to have
    swapped contact details)
    What Brazilians mean: No more than a Briton
    Inspired by a popular guide to Understanding the means by: "Nice weather, isn't it?"
    British, I've put together a few entries in a
    Foreigners' Guide to Understanding Brazilians.
    Portuguese speakers and Brazilianists are invited
    to add more in the comments. Hat tip to Brazil-
    What Brazilians say: I'm going to tell you
    based journalists Andrew Downie and Dom
    something/ Let me tell you something/ It's the
    Phillips, who contributed items, and Olivier
    following/ Just look and you'll see (Vou te falar
    Teboul, a Frenchman living in Belo Horizonte
    uma coisa/ Deixa te falar uma coisa/ É o
    whose list of "Brazilian curiosities" (in Portuguese)
    seguinte/ Olha só pra você ver)
    has generated a huge response from amused,
    and sometimes bemused, locals. What foreigners hear (especially after many
    repetitions): He thinks I'm totally inattentive or
    perhaps mentally deficient
    What Brazilians say: Yes (Sim) What Brazilians mean: Ahem (it's just a verbal
    What foreigners hear: Yes throat-clear)
    What Brazilians mean: Anything from yes
    through perhaps to no
    What Brazilians say: A hug! A kiss! (Um
    abraço! Um beijo!)
    What Brazilians say: Perhaps (Talvez) What foreigners hear: I've clearly made quite an
    What foreigners hear: Perhaps impression—we've just met but he/she really likes
    me!
    What Brazilians mean: No
    What Brazilians mean: Take care, cheers, bye

    What Brazilians say: No (Não)


    What Brazilians say: You speak Portuguese
    What foreigners hear (on the very rare really, really well! (Você fala português super-
    occasion a Brazilian says it): No bem!)
    What Brazilians mean: Absolutely never, not in a What foreigners hear: How great! My grammar
    million years, this is the craziest thing I've ever and accent must be coming on a lot better than I
    been asked thought
    What Brazilians mean: How great! A foreigner is
    What Brazilians say: I'm nearly there (Tô trying to learn Portuguese! Admittedly, the
    chegando) grammar and accent are so awful I can barely
    understand a word... but anyway! A foreigner is
    What foreigners hear: He's nearly here trying to learn Portuguese!
    What Brazilians mean: I've set out
    Extracted from:
    What Brazilians say: I'll be there in ten minutes http://www.economist.com/blogs/johnson/2013/05/braz
    (Vou chegar em dez minutinhos) ilians
    What foreigners hear: He'll be here soon
    What Brazilians mean: Some time in the next
    half-hour I'll get up off the sofa and start looking
    for my car keys

    What Brazilians say: I'll show up later (Vou


    aparecer mais tarde)
    What foreigners hear: He'll be here later
    What Brazilians mean: I won't be coming

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