BicaUnit 16 · Plans and opinionsA2Lesson 5 of 5: Linking ideas
Linking words in European Portuguese
This is the last of 5 lessons in Unit 16, Plans and opinions (Planos e opiniões), an A2 unit in which you talk about plans and wishes, give your opinion, agree or disagree, and compare things. The new words are porque (because), por isso (that's why), mas (but) and 4 more, practised in 10 example sentences. Building on Comparisons, it gets you to sentences like Porque é que tu estás a aprender português? (“Why are you learning Portuguese?”). The unit’s grammar notes cover “Se calhar, porque, por isso” and “Gostava de: I would like to”.
Words in this lesson
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
porque | becauseOne word, no accent. Porque é que…? = Why…? |
por isso | that's why |
mas | but |
então | soYou hear it all the time in Portugal: Então, tudo bem? |
se calhar | maybeVery common in Portugal, with an ordinary verb: Se calhar vou ao cinema. |
porquê | whyOn its own or at the end of a sentence: Porquê? At the start of a question: Porque é que…? |
depois | afterwardsPrimeiro… depois… = first… then… |
Example sentences
- Eu fico em casa porque está a chover.I'm staying at home because it's raining.
- Eu estou cansado, por isso vou para casa.I'm tired, so I'm going home.Por isso = so, that's why.
- Porque é que tu estás a aprender português?Why are you learning Portuguese?Porque é que…? = Why…? The answer starts with porque (because).
- Porque eu gostava de viver em Portugal.Because I'd like to live in Portugal.
- Se calhar eu vou à praia amanhã.Maybe I'll go to the beach tomorrow.Se calhar (maybe) is followed by an ordinary present-tense verb.
- Se calhar ela está doente.Maybe she's ill.Se calhar is the most common way to say "maybe" in Portugal.
- Eu gosto de Lisboa, mas prefiro o Porto.I like Lisbon, but I prefer Porto.
- Então, o que é que nós vamos fazer?So, what are we going to do?Então = so, well. You hear it all the time in Portugal.
- Primeiro vamos jantar e depois vamos ao cinema.First let's have dinner and then go to the cinema.Depois = afterwards, then. A seguir also means "next" or "then".
- Tu não gostas? Porquê?You don't like it? Why?Porquê (with an accent) is "why" on its own or at the end of a sentence.
Grammar notes
The grammar notes for this lesson are on the page for Unit 16: Plans and opinions: