Chapter 15

Getting Around: Planes, Buses, Taxis, and More

IN THIS CHAPTER

Bullet Traveling by air

Bullet Taking a bus or taxi

Bullet Checking out ride-hailing apps

Bullet Driving a rental car

Bullet Looking at verbs for arriving, leaving, and waiting

Bullet Following directions to your destination

Brazil is a vast country — about the same size as the United States — and the best way to viajar (vee-ah-zhah) (go; Literally: to voyage) from place to faraway place is by ônibus (oh-nee-boos) (bus) or avião (ah-vee-ah-ooh) (airplane). You can also alugar um carro (ah-loo-gah oong kah-hoh) (rent a car). Trens (trangz) (trains) are seldom used in Brazil.

Remember In Brazil’s two biggest cities, Rio (hee-ooh) and São Paulo (sah-ooh pah-ooh-loh), you can find a metrô (meh-troh) (subway). The subways are clean, punctual, and safe. Táxis (talk-seez) (taxis) are safe, too, and inexpensive. Ride-hailing apps are popular in Brazil, which you can use, including Uber (ooh-beh). City ônibus (this word means both bus and buses) can also take you anywhere you need to go. But be cautious, especially in Rio, where ônibus are sometimes robbed.

Near beach areas, you can take joyrides on buggys (boo-geez) (sand dune buggies) or on jangadas (zhan-gah-dahz) (sailboats). And barcos (bah-kooz) (boats) of all sizes are available to you for navigating in the mar (mah) (ocean) or down a rio (hee-ooh) (river). Boats are the main mode of transporte (trahn-spoh-chee) (transport) in the Amazon. Of course, you can always see the country by bicicleta (bee-see-kleh-tah) (bicycle) or a pé (ah peh) (on foot), too.

If you have cash to burn, you can also take a helicóptero (eh-lee-kohp-teh-roo) (helicopter) ride. This option is particularly popular in São Paulo, supposedly the city with the second-highest helicopter air trânsito (trahn-zee-toh) (traffic) in the world!

This chapter tells you how to talk about getting around — from accessing táxi services to discussing whether buses are on schedule. Here are a few quick transportation-related phrases:

  • Vamos embora! (vah-mooz em-boh-rah!) (Let’s go!)
  • Como se chega? (koh-moo see sheh-gah?) (How do you get there?)
  • Quanto tempo demora para chegar? (kwahn-toh tem-poh deh-moh-rah pah-rah sheh-gah?) (How long does it take to get there?)
  • Eu vou para … (eh-ooh voh pah-rah …) (I’m going to …)
  • Vamos para … (vah-mohz pah-rah …) (We’re going to …)
  • Eu fui para … (eh-ooh fwee pah-rah) (I went to …)

Making a Plane Reservation

Buying your passagem de avião (pah-sah-zhang jee ah-vee-ah-ooh) (airplane ticket) online is a great idea because you can often find the lowest fares for a given voo (voh-ooh) (flight) on websites. Even if your trip to Brazil is still a faraway dream, it’s worth checking out these websites just for new vocabulary.

Here are some key terms that you may find on a Brazilian airline’s website:

  • voe (voh-ee) (fly)
  • ida e volta (ee-dah ee voh-ooh-tah) (round trip)
  • somente ida (soh-men-chee ee-dah) (one way)
  • de (jee) (from)
  • para (pah-rah) (to)
  • data da ida (dah-tah dah ee-dah) (departure date)
  • data da volta (dah-tah dah voh-ooh-tah) (return date)
  • horário dos voos (ooh-rah-ree-ooh dooz voh-ooz) (flight schedule)
  • formas de pagamento (foh-mahz jee pah-gah-men-toh) (method of payment)
  • cadastre-se (kah-dah-strah-see) (register)

If you’re in Brazil for more than a few days and prefer buying your voo or planning an entire viagem (vee-ah-zhang) (trip) through an agência de viagens (ah-zhang-see-ah jee vee-ah-zhangz) (travel agency), you’re in luck. Major Brazilian cities and towns have a ton of agências de viagens to choose from, and often offer pacotes (pah-koh-chees) (packaged deals; Literally: packets) that combine your voo and a place to stay.

Expect to fazer fila (fah-zeh fee-lah) (wait in line) at the agência de viagens. You may even need to pick up a ficha (fee-shah) (ticket) with a number on it. After the agente (ah-zhang-chee) (agent) says Olá, posso ajudar? (oh-lah poh-soo ah-zhoo-dah?) (Hello, can I help you?), they may ask some of the following questions:

  • Qual é o destino? (kwah-ooh eh ooh des-chee-noo?) (What is the destination?)
  • Por quantos dias? (poh kwahn-tooz jee-ahz?) (For how many days?)
  • Quantos passageiros? (kwahn-tohz pah-sah-zhay-rooz?) (How many passengers?)
  • Importa o horário do dia? (eem-poh-tah ooh ooh-rah-ree-ooh doh jee-ah?) (Does the time of day matter?)
  • Quer reservar o voo? (keh heh-seh-vah ooh voh?) (Do you want to reserve the flight?)
  • Como vai pagar? (koh-moo vah-ee pah-gah?) (How do you want to pay?)

Tip You may want to ask which flight is mais barato (mah-eez bah-rah-toh) (cheaper) or whether the agency can offer you a pacote that includes the hotel to get a better deal.

If you’re successful in reserving uma passagem de avião (ooh-mah pah-sah-zhang jee ah-vee-ah-ooh) (an airplane ticket), you’ll be assigned an assento (ah-sen-too) (seat). You may want to request an assento by a janela (zhah-neh-lah) (window) or by a corredor (koh-heh-doh) (aisle).

If you want to travel by classe executiva (klah-see eh-zek-ooh-chee-vah) (business class), ask, Tem vaga em classe executiva? (tang vah-gah ang klah-see eh-zek-ooh-chee-vah?) (Do you have a seat in business class?). Many domestic flights don’t offer classe executiva. If you’re like most people, you’ll be traveling classe econômica (klah-see eh-koh-noh-mee-kah) (economy class/coach).

Remember Brazilian airlines usually charge a taxa de embarque (tah-shah jee em-bah-kee) (boarding/airport tax). It’s only about US$8 for domestic flights, and $12 for international flights (as of press time). The taxa is included in the price quote you get for a flight, as is required by Brazilian law.

Here are some useful words and phrases you can use when you travel internationally to and from Brazil:

  • comprar uma passagem de avião (kohm-prah ooh-mah pah-sah-zhang jee ah-vee-ah-ooh) (to buy an airline ticket)
  • levar o seu passaporte (leh-vah ooh seh-ooh pah-sah-poh-chee) (to bring your passport)
  • preencher os formulários (pren-sheh ooz foh-moo-lah-ree-ooz) (to fill out forms)
  • o visto (ooh vee-stoh) (the visa)
  • o consulado (ooh kohn-soo-lah-doh) (the consulate)
  • a embaixada (ah em-bah-ee-shah-dah) (the embassy)
  • o aeroporto (ooh ah-eh-roh-poh-too) (the airport)
  • duty-free (doo-chee free) (duty-free — yes, Brazilians use the English term!)

Remember If you’re coming to Brazil through another South American country, you’ll probably be asked for proof of vaccination against febre amarela (feh-bree ah-mah-reh-lah) (yellow fever). Airport vaccination officials are quite strict, yet they often don’t even alert your airline that you need it. I should know; I was stuck in Bolivia for a few days because Brazil wouldn’t accept me without my vaccination papers! They were sitting in my apartment in São Paulo, but I had no idea I’d need them to reenter the country.

Taking Buses

I generally recommend taking an ônibus (oh-nee-boos) (bus) for traveling long distances in Brazil and a taxi or the subway to get around cities. Taxis are cheap, and ônibus travel within a city can demorar (deh-moh-rah) (take a long time).

The best way to get a passagem de ônibus (pah-sah-zhang jee oh-nee-boos) (bus ticket) is to go to the rodoviária (hoh-doh-vee-ah-ree-ah) (central bus station). These stations are gigantic in Brazil, and you have many companhias (kohm-pahn-yee-ahz) (companies) to choose from. The competing bus companhias have offices right next to each other at the rodoviária. A sign above the ticket window tells you the name of the company and to which cidades (see-dah-jeez) (cities) the buses travel.

Try to buy your bus ticket the day before you plan to leave to make sure you get a poltrona (pohl-troh-nah) (seat). And keep in mind that bus seating in Brazil is usually assigned — not first come, first served.

You can pay for your passagem de ônibus using dinheiro (jing-yay-roh) (money/cash) or a cartão de crédito (kah-tah-ooh jee kreh-jee-toh) (credit card). Brazilians do not use checks.

Tip Bring your passaporte (pah-sah-poh-chee) (passport) when buying a passagem de ônibus, because the bus company needs to write down the number. Keep your passport handy as you get on the bus. You’ll need to fill out a form with your origem (oh-ree-zhang) (name of city you’re traveling from/origin) and destino (des-chee-noo) (destination) as well as your nome (noh-mee) (name), passport number, and the data (dah-tah) (date).

Brazilians use military time for bus tickets. Eight o’clock at night becomes às vinte horas (ahz veen-chee oh-rahz) (at 8 p.m./at 20:00 hours). See Chapter 4 for more on telling time.

Cultural wisdom Riding city buses in Brazil is a great way to see how polite Brazilians are with each other. The buses are often crowded, and the people sitting down regularly offer to hold bags for the people who have to stand; it’s an optional act of courtesy. Brazilians are also very good about giving up seats to the idosos (ee-doh-zooz) (elderly), deficientes (deh-fee-see-en-cheez) (disabled), and mulheres grávidas (mool-yeh-reez grah-vee-dahz) (pregnant women).

If you plan to ride an ônibus urbano (oh-nee-boos ooh-bah-noh) (city bus), here are some phrases you can use to talk either with the motorista (moh-toh-ree-stah) (driver) or another passageiro (pah-sah-zhay-roo) (passenger):

  • Vai para…? (vah-ee pah-rah…?) (Does [the bus] go to…?)
  • Pára na Rua…? (pah-rah nah hoo-ah…?) (Does [the bus] stop on … Street?)
  • Quanto (que) é? (kwahn-toh kee eh?) (How much?)

Traveling by Taxi

Táxis (talk-seez) (taxis) are plentiful, but not so cheap in Brazil. Uber (ooh-beh) is more popular and cheaper (I cover Uber and other taxi apps in the very next section, “Using Ride-Hailing Apps”). You can flag one down in the street, just like you would in big cities in other countries. If you’re having trouble finding one, ask someone whether a ponto de táxi (pohn-toh jee talk-see) (place where taxis line up to wait for passengers) is nearby.

Cultural wisdom The ponto de táxi is basically a bunch of taxi drivers sitting on a bench, sometimes watching a novela (noh-veh-lah) (soap opera) or jogo de futebol (zhoh-goo jee foo-chee-bah-ooh) (soccer match) on a TV.

Here’s some taxi talk:

  • Pára … por favor. (pah-rah … poh fah-voh.) (To [destination], please.)
  • Sabe como chegar em… ? (sah-bee koh-moo sheh-gah ang… ?) (Do you know how to get to… ?)
  • Quanto custaria? (kwahn-toh koos-tah-ree-ah?) (How much would it cost?)
  • É perto? (eh peh-too?) (Is it close?)
  • É longe? (eh lohn-zhee?) (Is it far?)

Tip Be sure to have dinheiro (jing-yay-roh) (money/cash) on hand, because Brazilian taxistas (talk-sees-tahs) (taxi drivers) may or may not accept credit cards. Check with the driver before getting in the car: Aceita cartão? (ah-say-tah kah-tah-ooh) (Do you accept cards?) Locals generally do not offer a gorjeta (goh-zheh-tah) (tip).

Your taxista (tahk-sees-tah) (taxi driver) will undoubtedly have a cellphone and a GPS app on hand to get directions on navigating to your destino (des-chee-noo) (destination). To avoid confusion, you can just hold up your phone, with the endereço (en-deh-reh-soo) (address) clearly labeled on a mapa (mah-pah) (map).

Using Ride-Hailing Apps

You can baixar (bah-ee-shah) (download) popular ride-hailing apps (ahps) (apps — yep, the same word as in English) in Brazil (such as Uber, 99 Taxi or Cabify, at press time) the same way you would download apps in English at home: by searching for the app in Google Play, the App Store on your iPhone, or wherever you normally find your apps.

Brazil is home to at least a couple of unique ride-hailing apps, in addition to the global apps such as Uber. If you’re in Rio, try Taxi.Rio, a cheaper alternative to big-name apps that is run by the local government. If you’re a woman visiting São Paulo, you may want to check out Lady Driver, an app created to help females safely arrive at destinations. The app connects female motoristas (moh-toh-rees-tuz) (drivers) with female passageiras (pah-sah-zhay-roos/rahs) (female passengers).

You can always ask a local for advice on the best local ride-hailing app to use: Por favor, pode recomendar um app de taxi que é popular aqui? (poh-fah-vohr, poh-jee heh-koh-men-dah oong ahp jee tahk-see kee eh poh-poo-lah ah-kee?) (Would you please recommend a ride-hailing app that’s popular here?)

You, the passageiro/a (pah-sah-zhay-roh/rah) (passenger) can let the motorista (moh-toh-rees-tah) (driver) know your destino (des-chee-noo) (destination). Since many drivers in Brazil don’t speak inglês (eeng-glehs) (English), you can hold your telefone (teh-leh-foh-nee) (phone) up to confirm to show the driver the exact address. Here are some useful terms to help navigate ride-hailing apps:

  • uma viajem (oo-mah vee-ah-zhang) (a ride)
  • solicitar agora (soh-lee-see-tah ah-goh-rah) (request now)
  • local de partida (loh-kah-ooh jee pah-chee-dah) (starting point)
  • local de destino (loh-kah-ooh jee des-chee-noo) (ending point; destination)
  • agendar para mais tarde (ah-zhen-dah pah-rah my-eez tah-jee) (schedule for later)
  • cadastre-se (kah-dah-streh-seh) (register)

Here are some phrases you can use with the motorista (driver):

  • Pode confirmar a taxa? (poh-jee kohn-feeh-mah ah tah-shah?) (Can you confirm the rate/fee?)
  • Pode me mostrar a taxa no seu telefone? (poh-jee mee moh-strah ah tah-shah noo seh-ooh teh-leh-foh-nee?) (Can you show me the rate on your phone?) (Use this phrase if you don’t understand the numbers the driver is saying. The driver can simply write the numbers on their phone to prevent any misunderstandings).
  • Quanto tempo para chegar? (kwahn-too tem-poo pah-rah shay-gah) (How long will the ride take?)

Renting a Car

If you’re the adventurous type, you may decide to alugar um carro (ah-loo-gah oong kah-hoh) (rent a car) from a locadora de carros (loh-kah-doh-rah jee kah-hohz) (car rental agency) in Brazil. Several international rental agencies, such as Hertz and Avis, operate in Brazil.

Tip You can use your carteira de habilitação (kah-tay-rah jee ah-bee-lee-tah-sah-ooh) (driver’s license) from home to drive in Brazil, although it’s a good idea to get it translated by a tradutor juramentado (trah-doo-toh zhoo-rah-men-tah-doo) (official translator). The local consulate of your country or a local travel agency should be able to suggest where you can find a tradutor juramentado. Or, get an international driver’s license.

Cars tend to be small in Brazil. Be sure to first ask what modelos (moh-deh-lohz) (types of cars) are available. The roads can get pretty bad, too, so ask about road conditions. Also, Brazil doesn’t have nearly the number of postos de gasolina (poh-stooz jee gah-zoo-lee-nah) (gas stations) as North America, for example, so keep your tanque de gasolina (tan-kee jee gah-zoh-lee-nah) (gas tank) pretty full!

Cultural wisdom You may scratch your head when you first visit a posto de gasolina: In addition to gasolina, you sometimes have the option of choosing álcool (ah-ooh-kohl) (ethanol), a fuel made from cana de açúcar (kah-nah jee ah-soo-kah) (sugarcane) that’s much cheaper than gasolina. A gallon of ethanol costs a little more than half the price of a gallon of gasoline. All cars made in Brazil in the last decade use technology that converts the ethanol to car fuel. So ask the rental car agent what type of fuel your rental can use.

People at the rental agency refer to the checking-out and checking-in of the car as the retirada (heh-chee-rah-dah) (check-out) and devolução (deh-voh-loo-sah-ooh) (check-in).

Here are some questions to ask at a locadora:

  • Tem um carro disponível para hoje? (tang oong kah-hoh jee-spoh-nee-veh-ooh pah-rah oh-zhee?) (Do you have a car available for today?)
  • Qual é a tarifa diária para esse modelo? (kwah-ooh eh ah tah-ree-fah jee-ah-ree-ah pah-rah eh-see moh-deh-loo?) (What’s the day rate for this [car] make?)
  • Este carro usa álcool? (es-chee kah-hoo oo-zah ah-ooh-kohl?) (Does this car take ethanol?)
  • Oferecem quilometragem livre? (oh-feh-reh-sang kee-loo-meh-trah-zhang leev-ree?) (Do you offer unlimited mileage?)
  • Tem assistência vinte-quatro horas? (tang ah-see-sten-see-ah ving-chee kwah-troh oh-rahz?) (Do you have 24-hour roadside assistance?)
  • Tem alguma promoção? (tang ah-ooh-goo-mah proh-moh-sah-ooh?) (Do you have any deals/promotions going on?)
  • Oferece um plano de seguro? (oh-feh-reh-see oong plah-noh jee seh-goo-roh?) (Do you offer an insurance plan?)

Getting familiar with the Portuguese words for the parts of a car can help, especially if you notice a scratch, dent, or other problem at retirada. Here are the basics:

  • freios (fray-oohz) (brakes)
  • motor (moh-toh) (engine)
  • pára brisa (pah-rah bree-sah) (windshield)
  • rodas (hoh-dahz) (wheels)
  • volante (voh-lahn-chee) (steering wheel)

You may also need to ask about general driving in Brazil:

  • As estradas em … são boas ou ruins? (ahz eh-strah-dahz ang … sah-ooh boh-ahz oh hoo-eenz?) (Are the roads in [insert location] good or bad?)
  • Tem um mecânico por aqui? (tang oong meh-kah-nee-koh poh ah-kee?) (Is there a mechanic around here?)

Interpreting traffic signs

Brazil uses the international road sign system. The shapes and colors of placas de trânsito (plah-kahs jee trahn-zee-toh) (road signs) in Brazil are pretty much the same as they are in English-speaking countries. Most are easy to understand; you don’t need to speak Portuguese to understand most placas de trânsito.

The only two placas de trânsito that use or reference Portuguese words are Stop signs, which say Pare (pah-ree) (Stop) and have eight sides like stop signs in most of the world, and No Parking signs, which show a capital E with a line through it. The E references the word estacionamento (eh-stah-see-oh-nah-men-toh) (parking).

Parking it

Parking your car in Brazil can be a hazard, particularly if you’re in São Paulo (sah-ooh pah-ooh-loh) or Rio (hee-ooh), where carros (kah-hooz) (cars) are frequently broken into. You really don’t need to have a car in these cities; it’s safer to take the bus, taxi, or subway.

If you do have a car, many upscale restaurants, clubs, and other venues offer serviço de valet (seh-vee-soo jee vah-leh) (valet service), where a worker takes your car, parks it, and then brings it back to you at the end of the night. In these situations, you usually pay the valet fee with your bill inside the venue. A valet typically parks cars na rua (nah hoo-ah) (on the street), but if something happens to the car, you can sue.

Tip At night, keep your janelas (zhah-neh-lahz) (windows) rolled up when driving to prevent an easy robbery at a semáforo (seh-mah-foh-roh) (stoplight). Some Brazilians even roll slowly forward at a red light, not even stopping, to prevent a robber with a weapon from approaching their car.

The best reason to alugar (ah-loo-gah) (rent) or pedir emprestado (peh-jee em-pres-tah-doo) (borrow) a car in Brazil is to get to a remote praia (prah-ee-ah) (beach), where buses don’t go very often. Otherwise, you’re more of a robbery target if you have a car.

If you do drive in Brazil, take note that you must be completely sober while driving. No amount of alcohol — not even a single glass of cerveja (seh-veh-zhah) (beer) — is allowed. Zero-tolerance laws on drunk driving are enforced with vigor in most large cities, especially during the weekend, with many checkpoints. If the breathalyzer detects any amount of alcohol, the legal consequences won’t be mild. Better to be safe than sorry!

Talking About Coming and Going

When talking about transportation, timeliness is a fundamental issue. The main terms to know are cedo (seh-doo) (early) and atrasado (ah-trah-zah-doo) (late). O atraso (ooh ah-trah-zoo) refers to the delay.

Here are some sentences that include these terms:

  • O avião está atrasado. (ooh ah-vee-ah-ooh eh-stah ah-trah-zah-doo.) (The plane is late.)
  • O ônibus está atrasado? (ooh oh-nee-boos eh-stah ah-trah-zah-doo?) (Is the bus late?)
  • O metrô de São Paulo é muito pontual. (ooh meh-troh jee sah-ooh pah-ooh-loh eh moh-ee-toh pon-too-ah-ooh.) (The São Paulo subway system is very punctual.)
  • O atraso vai ser de uma hora. (ooh ah-trah-zoo vah-ee seh jee ooh-mah oh-rah.) (The delay will be an hour.)

In this section, I tell you how to use the verbs most associated with travel: arriving, leaving, and waiting.

Announcing an arrival

Chegar (sheh-gah) (arriving/to arrive) someplace is what you’re ultimately trying to do when you enter an avião (ah-vee-ah-ooh) (plane), an ônibus (oh-nee-boos) (bus), or a táxi (talk-see) (taxi).

Chegar na hora (sheh-gah nah oh-rah) means to arrive on time, and chegar a tempo (sheh-gah ah tem-poo) means to arrive in time.Pontual (pon-too-ah-ooh) means punctual.

Here are the basic conjugations.

Conjugation

Pronunciation

eu chego

eh-ooh sheh-goh

você chega

voh-seh sheh-gah

ele/ela chega

eh-lee/eh-lah sheh-gah

nós chegamos

nohz sheh-gah-mooz

eles/elas chegam

eh-leez/eh-lahz sheh-gah-ooh

vocês chegam

voh-sehz sheh-gah-ooh

The past tense of chegar looks like this. (See Chapter 6 for more on forming the past tense.)

Conjugation

Pronunciation

eu cheguei

eh-ooh sheh-gay

você chegou

voh-seh sheh-goh

ele/ela chegou

eh-lee/eh-lah sheh-goh

nós chegamos

nohz sheh-gah-mooz

eles/elas chegaram

eh-leez/eh-lahz sheh-gah-rah-oong

vocês chegaram

voh-sehz sheh-gah-rah-oong

Here are some sentences that include the different tenses of chegar:

  • É sempre melhor chegar cedo. (eh sem-pree mel-yoh sheh-gah seh-doo.) (It’s always better to arrive early.)
  • Acha que vamos poder chegar a tempo? (ah-shah kee vah-mooz poh-deh sheh-gah ah tem-poh?) (Do you think we’ll be able to arrive in time?)
  • Vou chegar logo. (voh sheh-gah loh-goo.) (I’m going to arrive soon.)
  • Quase não chegamos a tempo. (kwah-zee nah-ooh sheh-gah-mohz ah tem-poh.) (We almost didn’t arrive in time.)

Soundnative Chega! (sheh-gah!) is a popular and useful expression that means Stop it! Enough!

Cheguei! (sheh-gay!) is what you say when you arrive someplace — I’m here!

Talking about leaving

Sair (sah-ee) (to leave) is a verb Brazilians use to talk about leaving. Sair also means to go out, as in to go out and party.

Remember Sair doesn’t have that easy -ar ending that makes some verbs such a breeze to conjugate. Plus, it’s a very short word so you have to conjugate based just on the root sa. But the normal rules apply to this conjugation. (See Chapter 2 for more on conjugation rules.)

Conjugation

Pronunciation

eu saio

eh-ooh sah-ee-oh

você sai

voh-seh sah-ee

ele/ela sai

eh-lee/eh-lah sah-ee

nós saimos

nohz sah-ee-mooz

eles/elas saem

eh-leez/eh-lahz sah-ang

vocês saem

voh-sehz sah-ang

And this is the past tense. (Find details on the past tense in Chapter 6.)

Conjugation

Pronunciation

eu saí

eh-ooh sah-ee

você saiu

voh-seh sah-ee-ooh

ele/ela saiu

eh-lee/eh-lah sah-ee-ooh

nós saímos

nohz sah-ee-mooz

eles/elas saíram

eh-leez/eh-lahz sah-ee-rah-ooh

vocês saíram

voh-sehz sah-ee-rah-ooh

Here are some handy phrases that include sair:

  • Ela já saiu. (eh-lah zhah sah-ee-ooh.) (She already left.)
  • O ônibus sai às onze e quarenta. (ooh oh-nee-boos sah-ee ahz ohn-zee ee kwah-ren-tah.) (The bus leaves at 11:40.)
  • A que horas sai o avião para Londres? (ah kee oh-rahz sah-ee ooh ah-vee-ah-ooh pah-rah lonh-dreez?) (What time does the plane leave for London?)

Discussing the wait

Unfortunately, waiting is usually a big part of traveling. But don’t think of waiting at a Brazilian rodoviária (hoh-doh-vee-ah-ree-ah) (central bus station) or aeroporto (ah-eh-roh-poh-too) (airport) as a pain. Instead, pick up a local revista (heh-vee-stah) (magazine) and soak up Brazilian culture, or observe and listen to the people around you!

First things first though: Conjugate esperar (eh-speh-rah) (to wait/to wait for) so you know how to talk about the stuff you hear and see while waiting around.

Conjugation

Pronunciation

eu espero

eh-ooh eh-speh-roo

você espera

voh-seh eh-speh-rah

ele/ela espera

eh-lee/eh-lah eh-speh-rah

nós esperamos

nohz eh-speh-rah-mooz

eles/elas esperam

eh-leez/eh-lahz eh-speh-rah-rah-ooh

vocês esperam

voh-sehz eh-speh-rah-rah-ooh

And here’s the past tense. (See Chapter 6 for more on talking about the past.)

Conjugation

Pronunciation

eu esperei

eh-ooh eh-speh-ray

você esperou

voh-seh eh-speh-roh

ele/ela esperou

eh-lee/eh-lah eh-speh-roh

nós esperamos

nohz eh-speh-rah-mooz

eles/elas esperaram

eh-leez/eh-lahz eh-speh-rah-rah-ooh

vocês esperaram

voh-sehz eh-speh-rah-rah-ooh

Here are some example sentences:

  • Eu esperei duas horas. (eh-ooh eh-speh-ray doo-ahz oh-rahz.) (I waited two hours.)
  • Espere aqui, por favor. (eh-speh-ree ah-kee, poh fah-voh.) (Wait here, please.)
  • Onde se espera para o ônibus número 78? (ohn-jee see es-peh-rah pah-rah ooh oh-nee-boos noo-meh-roh seh-ten-tah ee oh-ee-toh?) (Where do people wait for bus number 78?)

Navigating Cityscapes

Some Brazilian cities are easier to figure out than others. São Paulo (sah-ooh pah-ooh-loh), for example, is very confusing, even for longtime residents. It’s huge, yet it has a limited subway network that only covers about 10 percent of the city, making a car or taxi essential to getting around there. Brazil’s largest city also doesn’t have much of a real centro da cidade (sen-troh dah see-dah-jee) (city center) like other big cities in the world, so that makes orientation even more difficult.

Rio (hee-ooh) and Brasília (brah-zee-lee-ah), the capital of Brazil, are fáceis (fah-say-ees) (easy) and divertidas (jee-veh-chee-dahs) (fun) to figure out. They’re relatively small cities, especially compared with São Paulo, and have just a few areas of major interest.

The two main touristic regiões da cidade (heh-zhee-oh-eez dah see-dah-jee) (areas of the city) in Rio to visit are a zona sul (ah soh-nah soo) (the southern zone), where the famous beaches Copacabana (koh-pah-kah-bah-nah) and Ipanema (ee-pah-neh-mah) are, and the centro histórico (sen-troh ee-stoh-ree-koh) (historic center), where you can find the museus (moo-zay-ooz) (museums) and galerias de arte (gah-leh-ree-ahz jee ah-chee) (art galleries).

Brasília is a very new cidade (see-dah-jee) (city). It was founded in 1960 and designed by Brazil’s most famous architect, Oscar Niemeyer. The city is very well organized in large city quarteirões (kwah-tay-roy-eez) (blocks).

Here are some helpful terms for checking out a city:

  • beira-mar (bay-rah-mah) (shoreline/seafront)
  • centro comercial (sen-troh koh-meh-see-ah-ooh) (shopping center)
  • igreja (ee-greh-zhah) (church)
  • jardim (zhah-jing) (garden)
  • mar (mah) (ocean)
  • morro (moh-hoo) (hill)
  • parque (pah-kee) (park)
  • ponte (pohn-chee) (bridge)
  • praça (prah-sah) (plaza)
  • rio (hee-ooh) (river)
  • rua (hoo-ah) (street)

Talking about distance

One question you may want to ask before hearing a complicated set of directions is Fica longe? (fee-kah lohn-zhee?) (Is it far?). Here are some handy words you can use for estimating distances:

  • longe (lohn-zhee) (far)
  • perto (peh-too) (close)
  • muito longe (moh-ee-toh lohn-zhee) (really far)
  • muito perto (moh-ee-toh peh-too) (really close)
  • pertinho (peh-cheen-yoh) (slang for really close)

Asking for directions

The word onde (ohn-jee) (where) can be your best friend as you navigate new places in Brazil. Where is … is expressed in two ways: Onde é (ohn-jee eh) and Onde fica (ohn-jee fee-kah).

Remember Onde é is used more for people and general locations, whereas Onde fica and Onde está are used to ask for the precise location of something. If someone asks, Onde é Macau? (ohn-jee ee mah-kah-ooh?) (Where is Macau?), they expect to hear an answer like “in Asia” — not the precise latitude and longitude of Macau. But if you ask, Onde fica aquela loja? (ohn-jee fee-kah ah-keh-lah loh-zhah?) (Where is that store?), you expect someone to tell you what street it’s on, the cross street, and maybe the exact address so you can find it.

Generally speaking, onde fica is more commonly used than onde está.

Try out these phrases that use onde:

  • Para onde… ? (pah-rah ohn-jee… ?) (To where… ?)
  • Onde é… ? (ohn-jee eh… ?) (Where is… ?)
  • Sabe onde fica… ? (sah-bee ohn-jee fee-kah… ?) (Do you know where … is located?)
  • Sabe onde tem… ? (sah-bee ohn-jee tang… ?) (Do you know where there’s a… ?)
  • De onde… ? (jee ohn-jee… ?) (From where… ?)

Here are some questions that use onde:

  • Onde é a Rua Pedralbes? (ohn-jee eh ah hoo-ah peh-drah-ooh-beez?) (Where is Pedralbes Street?)
  • Sabe onde fica o Citibank? (sah-bee ohn-jee fee-kah ooh see-chee-bahn-kee?) (Do you know where the Citibank is located?)
  • Sabe onde tem um supermercado? (sah-bee ohn-jee tang oong soo-peh-meh-kah-doh?) (Do you know where there’s a supermarket?)

Another useful phrase is Estou procurando … (eh-stoh proh-koo-rahn-doh …) (I’m looking for …). The phrase uses the verb procurar (proh-koo-rah) (to look/search for). The verb is related to the old-fashioned word procure in English.

Discussing how to get there

When Brazilians give directions, they use what grammar books call a command or imperative. It’s what people use in English, too. The word command sounds authoritarian, but that’s what you’re asked to do — tell people where to go.

Remember In Portuguese, you can give commands to someone by using the você (voh-seh) (you) form of the verb. Simply use the -e ending for -ar verbs or the -a ending for -er/-ir verbs. The verb ir (ee) (to go), however, is irregular; it takes the form vá (vah) for commands. Just like in English, the subject of the sentence (you/você) is implied, so you can start the sentence with the verb: Cruze a ponte (kroo-zee ah pohn-chee) (Cross the bridge).

Here are some words you can use to give directions:

  • vá (vah) (go)
  • cruze (kroo-zee) (cross)
  • olhe (ohl-yee) (look)
  • pegue (peh-gee) (take)
  • siga (see-gah) (follow)
  • suba (soo-bah) (go up)
  • desça (deh-sah) (go down)

Getting directions straight is hard enough in English — let alone in Portuguese! And when spatial directions are thrown in on top of unfamiliar words and phrases, finding your way can be difficult. For instance, someone may explain that you can change your money at a travel agency that’s na frente (nah fren-chee) (in front of) a certain large bank, or that the museum you’re looking for is do lado (doo lah-doh) (next to) a subway station. Table 15-1 lists some common terms for explaining location.

TABLE 15-1 Words That Describe Locations

Term

Pronunciation

Translation

na frente

nah fren-chee

in front of

atrás

ah-trah-eez

behind

à direita

ah jee-ray-tah

to the right

à esquerda

ah es-keh-dah

to the left

abaixo/embaixo

ah-bah-ee-shoh/em-bah-ee-shoh

below/underneath

acima/em cima

ah-see-mah/ang see-mah

above/on top of

do/ao lado

doo/ah-ooh lah-doh

next to

dentro de

den-troh jee

inside

fora de

foh-rah jee

outside

Say these sentences that use directional words and phrases:

  • Fica na frente dos Correios. (fee-kah nah fren-chee dooz koh-hay-ohz.) (It’s in front of the post office.)
  • Está atrás da igreja. (eh-stah ah-trah-eez dah ee-greh-zhah.) (It’s behind the church.)
  • Vá para a direita. (vah pah-rah ah jee-ray-tah.) (Go to the right.)
  • Fica à esquerda da loja. (fee-kah ah es-keh-dah dah loh-zhah.) (It’s to the left of the store.)
  • Pegue a segunda à direita. (peh-gee ah seh-goon-dah ah jee-ray-tah.) (Take the second right.)
  • O carro está fora da garagem. (ooh kah-hoh eh-stah foh-rah dah gah-rah-zhang.) (The car’s outside of the garage.)

Straight ahead can be expressed a couple of ways: direto (jee-ray-too) (Literally: direct) or reto (heh-too) (Literally: straight). If you’re driving, someone may give you one of these directions:

  • Pode ir reto. (poh-jee ee heh-too.) (You can go straight.)
  • Segue sempre direto. (seh-gee sem-pree jee-reh-too.) (It’s straight ahead, all the way; Literally: It’s all straight.)
  • Siga essa rua direto. (see-gah eh-sah hoo-ah jee-reh-toh.) (Follow this road all the way.)

Some of these connector words may come into play as well to communicate when to do something:

  • quando (kwahn-doh) (when)
  • antes (ahn-cheez) (before)
  • depois (deh-poh-eez) (after)
  • logo (loh-goo) (as soon as)
  • até (ah-teh) (until)

Just for fun, here are two complicated sentences that show you how you can use those connector words:

  • Vá até a praça, e depois pegue a Rua Almirantes. (vah ah-teh ah prah-sah, ee deh-poh-eez peh-gee ah hoo-ah ah-ooh-mee-rahn-cheez.) (Go until you reach the plaza, and then take Almirantes Street.)
  • Suba a Faria Lima, e depois pegue a Bandeirantes quando chegar no posto de gasolina. (soo-bah ah fah-ree-ah lee-mah, ee deh-poh-eez peh-gee ah bahn-day-rahn-cheez kwahn-doh sheh-gah noo poh-stoo jee gah-zoh-lee-nah.) (Go up Faria Lima, and then take Bandeirantes when you get to the gas station.)

Over here, over there

Take a look at how you can say here, there, and over there. These words work in so many settings — when you’re asking for directions, browsing in a shop, or pointing out a person on the street. These terms help you distinguish the physical position of the item or person in relation to your location.

  • aqui (ah-kee) (here)
  • ali (ah-lee) (there)
  • lá (lah) (over there)

Remember In general, lá is reserved for places that are a few minutes’ walk away or more. If you’re talking about an office that’s upstairs, use ali. If you’re talking about your car parked on the other side of town, use lá. Also use lá to talk about stuff happening really far away, like in other countries.

Here are some examples:

  • Estamos aqui. (eh-stah-mohz ah-kee.) (We’re here.)
  • Está ali, na mesa. (eh-stah ah-lee, nah meh-zah.) (It’s there, on the table.)
  • Lá nos Estados Unidos, se come muita comida-rápida. (lah nohz eh-stah-dohz ooh-nee-dooz, see koh-mee moh-ee-tah koh-mee-dah hah-pee-dah.) (Over there in the United States, they eat a lot of fast food.)
  • Vá lá. (vah lah.) (Go over there.)

Soundnative If you’re in a taxi and you realize you’ve reached your destination — perhaps a bit earlier than you previously explained to the driver — say Let me off right here with Aqui-ó! (ah-kee-ah!) (Right here!) to sound like a native Brazilian.

The one time you won’t use aqui when you mean here is with the expression Come here, where cá replaces aqui: Vem cá! (vang kah!) (Come here!).