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Study in the app →Portuguese · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 32
A casa e os cômodos Home and rooms
Home vocabulary: o quarto, a cozinha, o banheiro, a sala, a cama, o armário, em cima de, embaixo de, dentro de, entre. Key grammar: to say that SOMETHING EXISTS somewhere (something new, indefinite), use "tem" (very Brazilian) or "há" (more formal), always invariable: "Tem uma cama no quarto" (there is a bed in the bedroom), "Há dois banheiros" (there are two bathrooms). To say WHERE a known thing is, use "estar/ficar" + no/na: "A cama está no quarto" (the bed is in the bedroom). Say where things are with "em cima de / embaixo de / dentro de / entre" + de+o=do: "O livro está em cima da mesa" (the book is on the table). English speakers use "está" for a new thing ("Está uma mesa na sala" ✗) because English "there is" also uses "to be" — but in Portuguese existence is "tem/há": "Tem uma mesa na sala" ✓. Sound corner: "tem" (nasal), "cozinha" (nh), "banheiro".
Dialogue
Tem ou está? — Tem or está?
- Lucas Mike, o que tem no seu quarto? Mike, what is in your bedroom?
- Mike Está uma cama e um armário. There is a bed and a wardrobe. (slip: for a new thing use "tem/há", not "está")
- Lucas Para uma coisa nova, é "tem", Mike: "Tem uma cama e um armário". For a new thing it is "tem", Mike: "Tem uma cama e um armário".
- Mike Ah! Tem uma cama e um armário. A cama está ao lado da janela. Ah! There is a bed and a wardrobe. The bed is next to the window.
- Lucas Isso! "Tem" apresenta; "está" diz onde a coisa conhecida fica. That's it! "Tem" introduces; "está" says where the known thing is.
- Mike Entendi. Tem um tapete embaixo da cama também. I get it. There is a rug under the bed too.
Dialogue
O apartamento da Bia — Bia's flat
- Lucas Bia, quantos cômodos tem o seu apartamento? Bia, how many rooms does your flat have?
- Bia Tem três: um quarto, uma sala e a cozinha. E um banheiro. There are three: a bedroom, a living room and the kitchen. And a bathroom.
- Lucas O que tem na sala? What is in the living room?
- Bia Tem um sofá e uma TV. A TV está em cima de uma mesinha. There is a sofa and a TV. The TV is on a small table.
- Lucas Que aconchegante! Fica entre o centro e a praia, né? How cosy! It is between downtown and the beach, right?
- Bia Exato! Apareça um dia desses. Exactly! Drop by one of these days.
Vocabulary
| 汉字 | Pinyin | POS | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| o quarto | n.m. | bedroom | |
| a cozinha | n.f. | kitchen | |
| o banheiro | n.m. | bathroom | |
| a sala | n.f. | living room | |
| a cama | n.f. | bed | |
| o armário | n.m. | wardrobe, cupboard | |
| em cima de | prep. | on top of | |
| embaixo de | prep. | under, beneath | |
| dentro de | prep. | inside | |
| entre | prep. | between |
Grammar
Existência: "tem" / "há" vs "estar" para o lugar Existence: "tem" / "há" vs "estar" for location
Há duas ideias diferentes. Para dizer que ALGO EXISTE — algo novo, indefinido, que apresentas pela primeira vez — usa "tem" (a forma do dia a dia no Brasil) ou "há" (mais formal e escrita). As duas são INVARIÁVEIS: não mudam no plural. "Tem uma cama no quarto", "Tem dois banheiros na casa", "Há muitos livros aqui". Para dizer ONDE fica uma coisa JÁ CONHECIDA (com "o/a", que já mencionaste), usa "estar" ou "ficar" (do capítulo 14/24) + no/na: "A cama está no quarto", "A cozinha fica ao lado da sala". Para situar as coisas, usa as preposições "em cima de" (on), "embaixo de" (under), "dentro de" (in), "entre" (between), lembrando de+o=do, de+a=da: "O livro está em cima da mesa", "O gato está embaixo da cama". O erro clássico: em inglês "there is a table" também usa o verbo "to be", então quem fala inglês diz "Está uma mesa na sala" ✗ para algo novo. Em português, coisa nova = "tem/há": "Tem uma mesa na sala" ✓. Guarda "está" para uma coisa já conhecida.
There are two different ideas. To say that SOMETHING EXISTS — something new, indefinite, that you introduce for the first time — use "tem" (the everyday form in Brazil) or "há" (more formal and written). Both are INVARIABLE: they do not change in the plural. "Tem uma cama no quarto" (there is a bed in the bedroom), "Tem dois banheiros na casa" (there are two bathrooms in the house), "Há muitos livros aqui" (there are many books here). To say WHERE an ALREADY-KNOWN thing is (with "o/a", already mentioned), use "estar" or "ficar" (from ch14/24) + no/na: "A cama está no quarto", "A cozinha fica ao lado da sala". To place things, use the prepositions "em cima de" (on), "embaixo de" (under), "dentro de" (in), "entre" (between), remembering de+o=do, de+a=da: "O livro está em cima da mesa", "O gato está embaixo da cama". The classic mistake: in English "there is a table" also uses the verb "to be", so English speakers say "Está uma mesa na sala" ✗ for something new. In Portuguese, a new thing = "tem/há": "Tem uma mesa na sala" ✓. Save "está" for an already-known thing.
- Tem uma cama no quarto. There is a bed in the bedroom.
- A cama está no quarto, ao lado do armário. The bed is in the bedroom, next to the wardrobe.
- O livro está em cima da mesa. The book is on the table.
- O gato está embaixo da cama. The cat is under the bed.
Culture
A casa brasileira The Brazilian home
Brazil is huge, so a house in Rio is not the same as a house in Manaus or in the countryside. But some things make a home feel "Brazilian" anywhere: the veranda or the "área" where guests are received, the weekend churrasco, the flip-flops at the door and a ready "come in, make yourself at home". Let us take a look.
Houses, two-storey homes and flats
In big cities, many people live in flats, often in a "condomínio" with a doorman, a pool and shared leisure areas. In the neighbourhoods and the countryside, a single-storey house or a "sobrado" (two floors) is common, almost always with a wall and a gate at the front. Houses usually have a separate "área de serviço" (utility area) for the laundry. And, despite the heat, many houses have bars on the windows for security. Whatever the shape, the heart of the home is usually the kitchen and the living room, where everyone gathers.
The veranda, the barbecue and the open door
Many houses have a veranda or an "área" at the back, often with a barbecue grill. That is where family and friends spend the weekend: the churrasco starts early, the conversation is long and there is always room for one more. Being a good host is almost a rule: on arriving, you hear "entra, fica à vontade" (come in, make yourself at home) and are soon offered a little coffee, a water or a soft drink. Refusing is not rude, but accepting makes the host happy. The neighbourhood counts too — it is common to ask a neighbour for a bit of sugar or have a quick chat at the gate.
Flip-flops, heat and the open house
Inside the house, the flip-flop (the famous Havaianas) is almost a uniform, and in many homes you take your shoes off at the door. Since it is hot almost all year, houses are designed for air to flow: big windows, a ceiling fan and, in the North and Northeast, a hammock to rest in. At night, people often sit on the veranda or the pavement to catch a breeze. If you are invited to a Brazilian home, arrive with a smile, accept what you are offered and do not be in a hurry to leave — the house stays open and the visit is always welcome.
In short: a Brazilian home may be a flat in the city, a two-storey house in the neighbourhood or a simple house in the countryside, but the essence is the same — a veranda for receiving, flip-flops at the door, the barbecue at the weekend and a door that stays open for friends and neighbours. Notice these details when you visit, and you will feel that a home is much more than a building.
pronunciation
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