Saying the same noun every time you had to refer to something in normal discourse could get really repetitive. It would sound somewhat like this: “I went to the movies with Robert, but Robert got to the movies late, then we watched the movie, and Robert and I liked the movie, but Robert and I did not like the popcorn at the movies.” Notice that the words in bold are repeated at least twice, which makes the entire utterance sound too repetitive, almost silly. Normally, we would replace the words “Robert” for “he,” “Robert and I” for “we,” “the movie” for “it,” and finally “the movies” for “there.” The same happens in Portuguese, where we substitute nouns for pronouns, which are words that are used in place of nouns. The following is a list of personal pronouns in Portuguese.

TRACK 26

Personal Pronouns in Portuguese

You will notice that there are two basic ways of referring to “we” in Brazilian Portuguese: nós, which is a little less used and more formal; and a gente, which is more common and more colloquial. The important rule to follow when using these two personal pronouns is to conjugate the verb in the plural when using nós and in the singular when using a gente. It might seem counterintuitive, but a gente literally means “we the people,” so it is grammatically singular, even though it refers to more than one person.

There are two forms for “you” in Portuguese. Here you just have to learn what the Brazilians are saying and follow along. Some of this variation is dialectal, based on the geographical regions. In the south of Brazil, in states such as Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, the tu form is regularly used, with its separate verb conjugation. In the big urban and cultural centers such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, and the state of Minas Gerais, you might hear the form você as well as its reduced form cê. Finally, in many places in the northeast of Brazil, such as in the cities of Recife and Fortaleza, the familiar tu is used, albeit with similar verb conjugations belonging to the você form. Although this might be daunting at first, if you cannot go wrong if you stick to using você for “you.” They will all understand you and respond accordingly.

What about the levels of formality? Although this is not as ingrained in the grammar as in Spanish, Brazilians will show a certain level of respect as they address different people. When first introduced to an older gentleman or woman, use o senhor and a senhora respectively. This form of address might be used always with such persons, unless they indicate that they do not mind being addressed with the você form. When referring to people in the third or second person, it might be common to hear Seu José for “Mr. José” and Dona Maria for “Mrs. Maria” as a form of respect. Here is a sample dialogue:

Q: Robert: Olá, Seu José, como vai? (Hello Mr. José, how are you?)

A: José: Bem, obrigado, Robert, e você? (Fine, thanks, Robert, and you?)

Q: Robert: Tudo bem, e como vai sua esposa, Dona Maria? (Great, and how is your wife, Mrs. Maria?)

A: José: Ela vai muito bem, obrigado. (She's very well, thanks.)

Exercise: Addressing Others

Now it's time to see what you've learned! Write the word você next to the people that you should address in a more familiar tone, and the words o senhor or a senhora (for men and women, respectively) if they require a higher level of formality. Check your answers in Appendix C.

• your cousin:______________________

• the local shopkeeper (male):______________________

• your grandfather:______________________

• your best friend:______________________

• your classmate:______________________

• the librarian (female):______________________