Portuguese · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 24
Os lugaresPlaces
Places in the city. Vocabulary: a escola, o escritório, o hospital, o banco, a estação, o parque, o banheiro, a rua, a cidade, a farmácia. Key point: to say WHERE something is, you use "estar" (position right now) or "ficar" (fixed location) — NEVER "ser": "O banco FICA na rua", "Estou no parque". And "em" merges with the article: em+o = NO, em+a = NA: "no banco", "na escola". English speakers use "ser" for place ("O banco é na rua" ✗ → "fica/está na rua" ✓).
Dialogue
i
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é / fica
- LucasMike, você sabe onde fica o banco?Mike, do you know where the bank is?
- MikeSim, o banco é na rua.Yes, the bank is on the street. (slip: location needs fica/está, not é — say "fica na rua")
- Lucas"O banco fica na rua" — para lugar, usa fica ou está, não é."O banco fica na rua" — for a place, use fica or está, not é.
- MikeAh, o banco fica na rua Augusta. Obrigado!Ah, the bank is on Rua Augusta. Thanks!
Dialogue
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Onde está?— Where Is It?
- BiaLucas, onde fica a estação?Lucas, where is the station?
- LucasFica na cidade, na rua Augusta.It's in the city, on Rua Augusta.
- BiaE o banheiro? Estou na estação e não vejo.And the toilet? I'm at the station and I can't see it.
- LucasO banheiro fica na estação também.The toilet is in the station too.
Vocabulary
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- escola
n.f.school (f)
- escritório
n.m.office (m)
- hospital
n.m.hospital (m)
- banco
n.m.bank (m)
- estação
n.f.station (f)
- parque
n.m.park (m)
- banheiro
n.m.toilet, bathroom (m)
- rua
n.f.street (f)
- cidade
n.f.city (f)
- farmácia
n.f.pharmacy (f)
Grammar
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Where is it? — estar / ficar + no / na
Explanation
Portuguese has two verbs for "to be": SER (identity, description — "Eu sou Bia", "A rua é longa") and ESTAR (position and states — "Estou no parque", "A comida está boa"). For LOCATION, you never use SER. You use ESTAR for where something is right now ("O Lucas está no banco") or FICAR for a fixed place on the map ("O banco fica na rua principal"). English speakers say "O banco é na rua" ✗ → "O banco fica na rua" ✓. And the preposition "em" always merges with the article: em+o = no, em+a = na, em+os = nos, em+as = nas: "no banco", "na escola", "nas ruas". To ask: "Onde fica o banco?" / "Onde está a Bia?".
Examples
- Onde fica o banco? — Fica na rua Augusta.Where is the bank? — It's on Rua Augusta.
- Estou na escola agora.I am at school now.
- A farmácia fica no parque?Is the pharmacy in the park?
- O hospital fica na cidade.The hospital is in the city.
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