POST - Sabem nadar ou podem nadar? What's the difference?

Well, if you listen to the little cantiga, you'll get that 'sabem bem nadar' must mean can - i.e. know how to swim well. 

Why not podem?  that also means can, right?  Yes, but mostly in the sense of to have permission, more like may.  So, podem nadar aqui, means they can - i.e. may, are allowed to swim here.

Let's make some more examples:

Can as in know how to do

• Sei falar português, mas não sei falar francês.  I can speak Portuguese, but I can't speak French
• O meu irmão sabe cozinhar muito bem.  My brother can cook very well
• Os meninos ainda não sabem nadar.  The children can't swim yet

Can as in have permission

• Posso fechar a janela?  Can I close the window?
• Nao podes sair mais cedo.  You cannot leave earlier
• Podemos trazer os nossos caes?  Can we bring our dogs?

Can you think of any more examples that would be relevant for you?

Who would think you can learn much from a little children's song?  (and for those of you ready to delve into the prepositions, note the use of para - cabeca para baixo, rabinho para o  ar and the truncated p'ró = para o as it is said /sung so quickly!)

POST - Bom dia, bom dia, bom dia a toda gente. Eu hoje venho à escola e por isso estou contente!

This little cantiga my son sings every day at the beginning of school every day is very sweet. It’s also a great example of the repetitive little songs that we learn as children. Children will happily sing and repeat the words, perhaps not understanding exactly the meaning of it all, but from the repetition they will eventually get all the words in the right order and then get the meaning.

Songs like this are a perfect way to take on board a lot of language effortlessly . Let’s look at the masculine and feminine here.

Bom dia, bom dia, sounds good doesn’t it once you have learned a little Portuguese or spent any time in Portugal, that’s what everyone says. But wouldn’t boa dia be more logical? Well, yes, but nobody says that, so it’s bom dia!

More phrases with dia
todo o dia – all day, todos os dias – every day, o meu dia – my day

A toda gente – to everyone. a toda tells us that gente is feminine.
More phrases with gente
muita gente – lots of people, pouca gente – few people.
It, surprisingly can also mean we, so a gente vamos = we are going!

If you learn the song, you learn the phrases, and have a good example of a word with its masculine or feminine counterparts, so when in doubt, recall the phrase, and you will be sure of the gender. For example, you want to say lots of people, and want to use the word gente. Is it muito or muita? Well, it’s bom dia a toda gente, so must be muita gente.

If you would like more info and some practise of the basic patterns of gender in Portuguese, email to get a free pdf  ‘Introduction to Masculine and Feminine in Portuguese’
emma@portugueselanguagelessons.com