Grammar Lesson 16: Placement of Indirect Pronouns, Greeting Friends
Author: College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin
September 24, 2007
Duration: 12:33
asset title: Grammar Lesson 16: Placement of Indirect Pronouns, Greeting Friends
filename: tafalado_gra_16.mp3
track number: 42/46
time: 12:33
size: 8.82 MB
bitrate: 96 kbps
In this lesson, Michelle claims that most people give women one kiss on the cheek when greeting and when saying goodbye. Valdo thinks that it is more common to give two kisses, one on each cheek. And there are even places where a third kiss is given. How difficult can it get? As to grammar, years ago Orlando was once caught saying, in Spanish, María quiere me ayudar. To his surprise he found out that Spanish speakers are not supposed to put the indirect pronoun 'me' between the verbs. So, for you who are learning Portuguese, you get to learn the opposite: in Portuguese the pronoun goes between the auxiliary and main verb. There is no problem in saying, Maria quer me ajudar.
Dialog
Portuguese
Michelle: Quando alguém vai nos apresentar a outra pessoa aqui nos Estados Unidos, o que acontece?
Valdo: Aqui, mesmo que as pessoas queiram te beijar não é o costume. O máximo que elas vão fazer é te estender a mão.
Michelle: Pois é, no Brasil as pessoas são mais informais. Elas já vão nos beijando e abraçando logo de cara.
Valdo: Então, e é até engraçado às vezes porque elas vêm me dar um beijo e eu estou acostumado com dois.
Michelle: É verdade! E dependendo da região do Brasil é até três. Pra você ver que quando os americanos vêm nos cumprimentar, a gente sempre espera algo mais informal.
Valdo: Nem espere! Aqui nos Estados Unidos as pessoas são bem mais formais do que no Brasil, muitas vezes elas nem vão te tocar e já estão dizendo: desculpa, com licença, por favor, sinto muito ...
Spanish
Michelle: Cuando alguien nos va a presentar a otra persona aquí en los Estados Unidos, ¿qué sucede?
Valdo: Aquí, aunque las personas quieran besarte, eso no es la costumbre. Lo máximo que van a hacer es extenderte la mano.
Michelle: Pues, en el Brasil las personas son más informales. Eloas andan besándonos y abrazándonos desde luego.
Valdo: Sí, y es un poco chistoso a veces porque ellos vienen a darme un beso y estoy acostumbrado a recibir dos.
Michelle: Es verdad. Y dependiendo de la región en el Brasil hay hasta tres. Verás que cuando los americanos vienen a saludarnos, nosotros siempre esperamos algo más informal.
Valdo: Ni lo esperes! Aquí en los Estados Unidos las personas son mucho más formales que en el Brasil, muchas veces ni siquiera te tocan y luego ya están diciendo: perdona, con permiso, por favor, siento mucho ...
English
Michelle: When someone wants to introduce us to another person here in the United States, how is that done?
Valdo: Here, even if the people want to give you a kiss, that's not the custom. The most they will do is to hold out their hand to you.
Michelle: You're right, in Brazil people are more informal. Everyone is kissing and hugging each other right away.
Valdo: Yea, and it's kind of funny sometimes because they come to give me a kiss and I'm used to getting two.
Michelle: That's true. And depending on the region in Brasil you can even have three. So you see that when Americans greet us, we're always expecting something more informal.
Valdo: Don't wait for that! Here in the United States people are much more formal than in Brazil, many times they barely even touch you and they are already saying: sorry, excuse me, please, I'm sorry ...
