Grammar Lesson 8: Plural of words that end in 'ão', Car Insurance

Grammar Lesson 8: Plural of words that end in 'ão', Car Insurance

Author: College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin June 20, 2007 Duration: 13:22
asset title: Grammar Lesson 8: Plural of words that end in 'ão', Car Insurance filename: tafalado_gra_08.mp3 track number: 34/46 time: 13:22 size: 9.40 MB bitrate: 96 kbps So why is the plural of alemão alemães, but he plural of nação is nações? And why would the plural of mão be mãos? You know what, Valdo and Michelle have some hints to clear it all up. What's amazing is that they can talk about that and still have time to talk about car insurance in Brazil. Dialog Portuguese Michelle: Minha situação financeira melhorou e eu quero fazer um montão de coisas. Valdo: Só toma cuidado pra você não ficar acostumada com um padrão de vida que não é o seu. Michelle: Mas os padrões daqui são diferentes do Brasil. As situações são outras e eu quero aproveitar. Valdo: Eh, você tem razão. Se você tem condições de pagar um seguro alto, compra logo um carro zero! Michelle: Minha condição financeira realmente está boa, mas eu não quero fazer um seguro de automóvel. Valdo: Mas aqui o seguro do carro é obrigatório. No Brasil, a gente faz por outras razões, você sabe, tipo ser roubado. Spanish Michelle: Mi situación financiera ha mejorado y quiero hacer un montón de cosas. Valdo: Pero cuidado para que no te acostumbres con el estándar de vida que no sea el tuyo. Michelle: Pero los estándar de aquí son diferentes a los del Brasil. Las situaciones son diferentes y quiero aprovechar. Valdo: Sí, tienes razón. Si tienes condiciones de pagar un seguro alto, compra luego un carro nuevo! Michelle: Mi condición financiera realmente está buena, pero yo no quiero comprar un seguro de automóvil. Valdo: Pero aquí el seguro de automóvil es obligatorio. En el Brasil nosotros lo compramos por otras razones, sabes, como el robo. English Michelle: My financial situation has improved and I want to do a whole bunch of things. Valdo: But be care that you don't get used to a standard of living that isn't yours. Michelle: But the standards here are different then in Brazil. The situation is different and I want to take advantage of it. Valdo: Yea, you are right. If you are in a condition to pay the high insurance, buy yourself a new car right away. Michelle: My financial situation is really just fine, but I don't want to buy car insurance. Valdo: But here car insurance is obligatory. In Brazil we buy it for other reasons, you know, like against theft.

For anyone who speaks Spanish and wants to learn the distinct sounds of Brazilian Portuguese, Tá Falado is a focused and practical resource. This podcast comes from the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin, and it’s built on a simple, effective idea: your existing knowledge of Spanish is a powerful starting point. Each episode deliberately contrasts the two languages, breaking down specific pronunciation challenges like vowel sounds, nasal consonants, and intonation patterns that often trip up Spanish speakers. You’ll hear clear comparisons and practice examples that highlight these differences directly. Beyond the mechanics of speech, the podcast naturally weaves in cultural notes and real-life scenarios, offering glimpses into daily life and social interactions in Brazil compared to common experiences in the United States. It’s this combination of linguistic precision and cultural context that makes the lessons stick. As part of the broader Brazilpod project, Tá Falado is academically informed but entirely approachable, turning a potentially difficult learning curve into a series of manageable, insightful steps. The goal isn’t just to be understood, but to sound more authentic and confident when speaking.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 46

Tá Falado: Brazilian Portuguese Pronunciation for Speakers of Spanish
Podcast Episodes
Lesson 24: Intonation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:05
asset title: Lesson 24: Intonation filename: tafalado_24.mp3 track number: 25/46 time: 15:05 size: 10.61 MB bitrate: 96 kbps Today's lesson is totally different. Instead of listening to a dialog and comparing the sounds…
Lesson 23: Cool Little Words,  Nicknames [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:11
asset title: Lesson 23: Cool Little Words, Nicknames filename: tafalado_23.mp3 track number: 24/46 time: 9:11 size: 6.46 MB bitrate: 96 kbps Let's see if we have this right? Michelle's family gave her the nickname 'witch…
Lesson 22: Epenthetic Vowels (wow, fancy word!),  Fast Food [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:50
asset title: Lesson 22: Epenthetic Vowels (wow, fancy word!), Fast Food filename: tafalado_22.mp3 track number: 23/46 time: 11:50 size: 8.32 MB bitrate: 96 kbps Epenthe ... what? Epenthetic vowels. We know, it sounds lik…
Lesson 20: Pronunciation of 'lh', Automatic Sprinklers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:38
asset title: Lesson 20: Pronunciation of 'lh', Automatic Sprinklers filename: tafalado_20.mp3 track number: 21/46 time: 12:38 size: 4.44 MB bitrate: 48 kbps The 'mulher molhada trabalhava' is rendered in Spanish as 'muje…
Lesson 19: Pronunciation of 'nh', Laundromats, Really? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:25
asset title: Lesson 19: Pronunciation of 'nh', Laundromats, Really? filename: tafalado_19.mp3 track number: 20/46 time: 11:25 size: 4.02 MB bitrate: 48 kbps Valdo and Michelle still can't get used to the idea of taking t…
Lesson 18: Pronunciation of 'ch', You Call That a Steak House? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:42
asset title: Lesson 18: Pronunciation of 'ch', You Call That a Steak House? filename: tafalado_18.mp3 track number: 19/46 time: 12:42 size: 4.47 MB bitrate: 48 kbps For the meat lovers of the world, we present the Brazil…
Lesson 15: Pronunciation of 'r' sounds (alt),  Good Tippers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:12
asset title: Lesson 15: Pronunciation of 'r' sounds (alt), Good Tippers filename: tafalado_15.mp3 track number: 16/46 time: 10:12 size: 3.59 MB bitrate: 48 kbps Our carioca is back! Once again Vivian Flanzer joins Michel…