Lesson 2: Pronunciation of /u/, Slamming the Car Door

Lesson 2: Pronunciation of /u/, Slamming the Car Door

Author: College of Liberal Arts, University of Texas at Austin November 13, 2006 Duration: 9:27
asset title: Lesson 2: Pronunciation of /u/, Slamming the Car Door filename: tafalado_02.mp3 track number: 2/46 time: 9:27 size: 6.65 MB bitrate: 96 kbps The good news about Lesson #2 is that we're back. It must be that Lesson #1 gave us hope to move on. In this lesson we listen for the sound /u/ in Portuguese. The tricky thing is that many times it is spelled with an 'o.' Culturally, Valdo and Michelle talk to us about not slamming car doors. It's really true, Brazilians are amazed at how hard Americans slam car doors! Dialog Portuguese Valdo: Puxa vida. Você não tem geladeira em casa, não? Seja mais educada. Michelle: Sinto muito eu ter batido a porta do carro. Valdo: Você sabe que no Brasil a gente não faz isso. Michelle: Eu sei. Esqueci. Prometo ficar mais atenta. Valdo: Ótimo. Espero que sim. Michelle: Isso é muito chato. Você quer sempre tudo certinho. Spanish Valdo: ¡Qué Barbaridad! ¿No tienes nevera en casa? Sea más educada. Michelle: Lo siento mucho haber tirado la puerta del coche. Valdo: Sabes que en Brasil no hacemos eso. Michelle: Lo sé. Se me olvidó. Te prometo estar más atenta. Valdo: Excelente. Espero que sí. Michelle: Esto es muy aburrido. Siempre quieres todo perfecto. English Valdo: Gee whiz. Don't you have a fridge at home? Don't be so rude. Michelle: Sorry to have slammed the car door. Valdo: You know that in Brazil we don't do that. Michelle: I know. I forgot. I promise to be more careful. Valdo: Great. I hope so. Michelle: What a drag. You always want everything so perfect.

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
Supplementary Lesson 2: Portuguese Consonant Sounds [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:33
asset title: Supplementary Lesson 2: Portuguese Consonant Sounds filename: tafalado_suppl_02.mp3 track number: 26/46 time: 5:33 size: 3.90 MB bitrate: 96 kbps Unlike the regular podcast lessons, we've included some other…
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…