Product Description

An invaluable tool for learners of Portuguese, this Frequency Dictionary provides a list of the 5000 most commonly used words in the language. Based on a twenty-million-word collection of Portuguese (taken from both Portuguese and Brazilian sources), which includes both written and spoken material, this dictionary provides detailed information for each of the 5000 entries, including the English equivalent, a sample sentence, and an indication of register and dialect variation.

Users can access the top 5000 words either through the main frequency listing or through an alphabetical index. Throughout the frequency listing there are also thrity thematically-organized ‘boxed’ lists of the top words from a variety of key topics such as sports, weather, clothing and relations.

An engaging and highly useful resource, A Frequency Dictionary of Portuguese will enable students of all levels to get the most out of their study of Portuguese vocabulary.

Product Description

Portuguese in just minutes a day!

Even if you have failed in traditional language-learning courses, you will succeed with Teach YourselfInstant Portuguese. In 35 minutes a day for six weeks (including one day off each week),you will be able to speak confidently in the language.

• You will learn 400 key words and expressions and only the most important grammar tips so youcan communicate quickly and easily. The two audio CDs provide you with pronunciation of vocabulary and reinforcmentexercises
• Great for beginners or those traveling abroad for its easy-to-use format and quick learning time
• This new edition contains additional exercises and flashcards

Customer Reviews (2)

Okay but not great
This book does a good job of covering basic material in a reasonably interesting way but it has several flaws.The two biggest flaws are:

1) The conversations are extremely silly and annoying.
2) Many of the exercises, like sections devoted to memorization are good ideas but the material chosen for the exercises doesn't seem to make any sense.In particular, the sentences chosen to be memorized seem unlikely to ever be used.

That said, my girlfriend and I did receive some benefit from working through the course.I would half-heartedly recommend it as a course for someone to work through after they have learned some basics but before they achieve an intermediate level of knowledge.Some much better options for European Portuguese are "Quickstart Portuguese," available on itunes, or "Take off in Portuguese."But start with Pimsleur's 10 lessons of European Portuguese before you do anything else.

Not bad for a first taste of Portuguese
For such a small book with only 95 pages, this course gives you a good start. I liked the way it involves the learner, with a progress chart. The flash cards help too. It is fun and stimulating, with a certificate at the end. It is all very communicative but it gives you quite a bit of grammar that helps you understand and make your own sentences. This is on the good side, but there are some typos and this is annoying. The Portuguese word for tennis is spelt sometimes with an acute accent, others with a circumflex accent. I am told that one is the European spelling, the other the Brazilian spelling. Perhaps it does not matter, it is only an accent. ... Read more

Product Description
Apart from their endings, many words in Brazilian Portuguese are similar to their English counterparts. This unique book identifies the 24 most common and word-ending patterns between these languages and provides over 4,000 words that follow them. Perfect as a classroom supplement or for self-study, this handy reference is appropriate for all ages and levels of experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

This book is only half a loaf and the back half
As an English as first language speaker who is fluent in Portuguese this book does little to aid in the day to day building of a common Brazilian Portuguese vocabulary.Much of day to day spoken Portuguese is composed of verbs and nouns that don't have an associational word in english (near exact cognates) thus they are harder to retain.The Vocabulary List in Cronicas Brasileiras by Richard A. Preto-Rodas, Alfred Hower and Charles A. Perrone comes a lot closer and is a better investment.Your money would be better spent here if you are willing to put the time in reading the cronicas and doing the exercises.O livro é muito agradável tambem.Boa sorte e boas aulas com a idioma brasileira.

Limited value for learners
While a book to help learners learn Portuguese words is welcome, this book is not helpful. Needless to say, any good vocabulary builder for learners should focus on the most common words - the words you use in everyday speech. This book instead focus on words that are similar to English words. I can see at least two major reasons why this is a bad idea:

1. The words that are very similar to English are precisely the ones we DON'T need much help with. I guess that Portuguese words like 'central', 'crucial' or 'global' don't present much of a problem for an English speaker to understand or remember. Words like 'olhar', 'fechado' or 'verão' might be harder to learn

2. Since much of the scientific vocabulary of English derives from Latin and French, these are the kind of words that are similar in English and Portuguese. So right from the start you will learn Portuguese words like 'inaugural', 'latitudinal', 'gastrointestinal' or 'adverbial'. Call me old-fashioned, but I've found the Portuguese words for 'hi' (oi), 'how are you?' (tudo bem?), 'day' (dia) or 'and' (e) to be just a bit more helpful... ;-)

I can see what the author has been trying to do, list the words that are similar in both languages, but I find it misleading to call it an instant vocabulary builder and market it to learners who will have very limited use of it.

Very satisfied
The book came in excellent condition and included the CD even though I bought the book used. ... Read more

Product Description

Want to learn Portuguese? Then Teach Yourself!

Customer Reviews (45)

Great
I bought several "teach yourself" and "learn how" Portuguese books from amazon. I was disappointed with most. My boyfriend is Portuguese and I wanted to learn some phrases and sayings so I could talk with his parents. I had almost lost hope when I tried this book. It really worked and they even had the more correct way of pronouncing things then the other books I purchased and the CD's were awesome.

Audio is very confusing.
I bought this because it includes spoken Portuguese from Portugal, which is very hard to find. Most of the Portuguese-learning CDs out there are exclusively Brazilian, which is nice to know but not very helpful if you are planning to travel to Portugal or have friends/family from there.

In addition to European Portuguese, the audio does include Brazilian Portuguese.

However, it can be very confusing at first, especially since there are four speakers in total (2 from Portugal, man and woman; 2 from Brazil, man and woman as well.) In each chapter they pronounce different words, which can be tricky at first because you are still trying to get used to all the speakers and you still have to distinguish between them.

The first few times through you definitely have to use the book alongside the CDs. If you just want to use the audio in the car or at work, it won't be that easy at first. I think that the book is really good and very thorough, so it is definitely nice to study.

I think, for the price, this is a decent resource to have (especially the book.) However, if you are a total beginner to Portuguese or it is your first Romance language, I would recommend buying something more structured (such as a grammar book) in addition to this.

Dense
A little dense and confused for my taste. Material is given which a beginner won't need to know. Also better to find a course which doesn't keep giving both Brazilian and Portuguese pronunciations. The beginner will have a hard enough time coming to grips with one pronunciation. I recommend "Portuguese in 10 Minutes a Day," a course which is fun and encouraging for a beginner.

waste of $
As a foreign language teacher of 13 years, a learner of multiple languages, and someone who has a Ph.D. in sociolinguistics, I warn you that this is a very difficult language program to work with.The format is very disorganized and/or random, the various accents make it hard to focus on which dialect you need, and the book gives you multiple pages of self-teach information (that should be explained) and then tests you on it--very random.I learned more from an English-Portuguese dictionary! Take what you want from the other reviews (i.e., most likely submitted by the author and publisher), but I would not recommend this to anyone (i.e., it is a WASTE of money).Use this program onlyif you get it for free.

Teach Yourself Portuguese needs some work
This is not a bad language course for portuguese listening practice BUT with two significant exceptions:

1.It is missing WRITTEN dialogues of what is being said. I believe that a beginner student of any language needs to see in written form what is being spoken to see LOTS of example dialogues with translations of how things are said and spelled and just what words are being used etc etc etc to get used to what they are hearing and not just listening to normal speed native speakers without any way of knowing what they are saying. This does NOT have hardly any of that.

2. Also, they mix the 2 accents (Portugal and Brazil) right from the very beginning and therefore there are multiple (and VERY different) ways of pronouncing every word. I feel that it would be better to focus on one accent and then, once you can understand the "correct" way to pronounce words, you can branch out to include the alternative pronunciation.At the least the 2 accents should be separated so that it is not a mishmash of accents and the beginner cannot distinguish which one is from where and thereby speak with a 1/2 portuguese accent and 1/2 brazilian accent.

I think that if someone is already fluent in basic portuguese this will be a useful language course but to get a grip on the basics of the language i find it very lacking and very frustrating. ... Read more

Product Description
This accessible introduction to the linguistic structure of Portuguese looks at its social and historical background. In addition to covering the central topics of syntax, phonology, morphology, semantics and pragmatics, it explores the development of the language, the spread of Portuguese in the world, and sociolinguistic issues such as dialect variation and language planning. Keeping linguistic theory to a minimum, the book focuses on presenting linguistic facts within a useful global survey of the language and its issues. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

This book is full of incorrect information
Somehow I have the feeling that author tries too hard to find ''average'' or ''transatlantic'' Portuguese usage in which differences between Continental and SouthernAmerican usage are minimized...But, by doing so, you get a distorted idea of both Continental and Brazilian Portuguese.
The only chapter worth reading is the one on Brazilian diglossia.

An extremely accessible, readable, lucid introduction to both applied linguistics and the Portuguese language
I wish I had found this sooner. It would have been a useful resource for my graduate students in applied linguistics.The focus we chose in our seminar, of preparing ESL materials for Brasilian students and visitors to the U.S. is the "inverse" of the the author's attempt to provide a thorough linguistics-based orientation for English-speakers learning Portuguese. Nevertheless, valuable comparisons can be found throughout this very amenable introduction to linguistics for ESL or EFL teachers who are English-speakers with limited to no knowledge of Portuguese who are attempting to anticipate useful comparisons or as I have decided to call them to avoid the pejorative impression given by talking about "contrasts/conflicts"---"opportunities for clarification".

As possible areas of need for clarification are identified through error analysis of the learners' "interlanguage", this thorough contrastive study provides the vocabulary and information needed to be able to provide guidance to English speakers learning Portuguese, and with some further inference and experience to support reversing the direction of the analysis, to assist Portuguese speakers who are further refining their command of English as a Foreign or Second Language.

I do not dispute the previous reviewer's concerns about inaccuracies in a few details regarding differences in European and Brasilian Portuguese, as I certainly lack any credentials to judge that. I did notice a few minor typographical/copy-editing errors of the sort that seem to plague everything that has been published in the last twenty years, but that hardly inclines me to blame the author, who probably had little or no opportunity to review every page and line of the final copy.

Nevertheless, after spending "time and treasure" trudging through a number of other sources, none of which were accessible to novice students of applied linguistics, few of which were readable for those who like to read with their eyes open, and none of which could be described as "lucid", much less useful for practical purposes...I certainly cannot find justification for rating this as less than a 5-star career achievement for the author and a positive delight for me as a reader and as a lecturer seeking useful examples of applied linguistics which fulfill some of the promise of that approach, with few of the defects of other writers who lack the ability to select and relate the pertinent aspects of a field of study which has evolved in a series of wild gyrations between intriguing theories and practical misuses.

Thank you, Professor Azevedo, you "made my day"!

It could be better
This book contains a good deal of relevant information, but its impressive linguistic jargon may distract from the book's defects.

A rather irritating feature is that a Latin language like Portuguese is analyzed from an Anglophone angle. Where it does not fit, it is 'wrong', as particularly evident in the distorted treatment given to the 'se indeterminado'.

Claimed contrasts between Brazilian and European Portuguese are erratic and full of incorrect statements. The expression 'a gente' appears in this book as a Brazilian Portuguese vulgar alternative to the 1st person plural, overlooking the fact that it is equally and widely used in Portugal. At the most elementary level, this book has yet to learn that the European Portuguese for bathroom is not 'casa de banhos' but 'casa de banho'.

I was also disappointed with the pages on forms of address. Inaccuracies are everywhere, e.g., using 'tu' for maids in Portugal would not be an expression of solidarity as the book tells you but a way of talking down to them.

This takes me to something else I find rather irritating. In the bibliography at the end of the book plenty of minor works are included but some key works are missing. Unfortunate lapse!

In the chapter on forms of address the book states that a study has not been carried out yet on this topic. What about the excellent analysis by Manuela Cook, Uma teoria das formas de tratatmento na lingua portuguesa, published by Georgetown University in Hispania in 1997. This book should know about it!

Summing up, there is some good information in this book, but it could be better. It could be much better. ... Read more

Product Description
Speak Portuguese with confidence in just 6 weeks!

Living Language Portuguese Complete Course is a step-by-step guide to the basics of Portuguese conversation and grammar. This revised course uses the highly effective speed-learning method developed by U.S. government experts to teach foreign languages to overseas-bound servicemen and diplomats.

40 lessons on two 90-minute cassettes
Begin with simple words and phrases and progress to more complex expressions. Just listen and repeat after the native speakers. Only Portuguese is spoken on the recordings, so you learn naturally, the way you learned English. The accompanying Portuguese coursebook includes the English translations.

Portuguese Coursebook
The pocket-size book contains all the translated phrases from the recorded lessons, plus additional vocabulary, detailed explanations, and quizzes.

The book also features verb charts with all tenses included and a comprehensive summary of Portuguese grammar.

Portuguese -English/English-Portuguese Dictionary

Product Description
This new edition of Portuguese: An Essential Grammar is a practical reference guide to the most important aspects of modern Portuguese.
It presents a fresh and accessible description of the language that combines traditional and function-based grammar. The book sets out the complexities of Portuguese in short, readable sections. Explanations are clear and free from jargon. Throughout, the emphasis is on Portuguese as used by native speakers around the world.
The Grammar is the ideal reference source for the learner and user of Portuguese. It is suitable for either independent study or for students in schools, colleges, universities and adult classes of all types.
This second edition features:
· Coverage of both European and Brazilian Portuguese and information on the lexical differences between the two
· Detailed contents list and index for easy access to information
· Full use of authentic examples
· Coverage of traditional grammar and language functions
· New section on the history and culture of the Portuguese-speaking world ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Incomplete Kindle
I have only purchased a free sample of this book for my Kindle, but it is already enough to tell me that I cannot buy the full book. There appear to be vital charts that I simply cannot read. If there are key elements to pronunciation that are inaccessible to me, I am missing out on the major point of the book.

Very useful grammar book in English & Portuguese
Portuguese: An Essential Grammar is a very helpful review of the correct grammar for learning Brazilian or European Portuguese. It is easily & simply formatted for fast reference and extremely helpful. I suggest using it in conjunction with this handy little Brazilian grammar book Português Descomplicado. And you can also combine Portuguese: An Essential Grammar with a Portuguese-Only textbook, such as Falar Ler Escrever Portugues Text (Falar...Ler...Escrever...Portugues) (Portuguese Edition).

A poor effort
This grammar describes Lisbon variety of Continental Portuguese and misses to explain other usages, especially Brazilian Portuguese ones, which limits its range of functionality. The grammar is not particularly friendly of colloquialisms and it is more appropriate for those interested in old literature. Using the language explained here will certainly cause strange looks, not only in Brazil, but in some parts of Portugal as well.This is such a poor effort, it almost hurts to have to write this review.

Horrible, but sadly, not atypical of most grammars
This book is great if you want to learn European Portuguese, but if your interest lies in the most wide spread form of Portuguese, in other words, Brazilian Portuguese, it's worthless. Not only does it gloss over Brazilian Portuguese and treat it like a subcategory of the European dialect even though Brazilian is spoken by nearly 30 times as many people, but it treats the real spoken language of the Brazilian people as though it were erroneous, even though any linguistic worth his salt knows that there is no good or bad language, only official and unofficial, and that language is in a constant state of change.Seriously, don't buy this book and support this author's eurocentric egotism unless you really have you heart set on spending time in Portugal and never in Brazil, because if you speak this way in Brazil, you will sound archaic and will probably have trouble understanding what people say to you, because it's so incredibly different. I have no probably with European Portuguese; I've been to Portugal and it's a truly lovely place, but a good Portuguese grammar should tell you how to communicate in both places without placing such heavy emphasis on one, particularly the much, much smaller one with only 10 million speakers and it most certainly should not treat what native speakers use in their daily lives like unintelligent prattle and more or less lie about what people say out of his desire to preserve the language in a state is has not been in for nearly century.

Quite good but...
This grammar book is better than most. I like the well organised way materials are presented, systematically numbered, so you can find the item you want. The index is helpful too.

The book is well balanced with a fair amount of detail on everything except perhaps verbs. There could have been more detail there. For detail on verbs you have better buy another book, and Portuguese Verbs Explained by Manuela Cook is the one I have bought and am quite pleased with.

More detail could have been given to grammar points in this grammar if space had been used more appropriately. There is a whole section on historical and cultural notes including literature, music, cinema, etc. As interesting as all this may be, it has nothing to do with grammar. If I wanted a book on music or cinema, I had bought one. In a grammar what I expect is grammar! ... Read more

Product Description
This Basic program contains 5 hours of audio-only, effective language learning with real-life spoken practice sessions.

The Pimsleur Method provides the most effective language-learning program ever developed. The Pimsleur Method gives you quick command of Brazilian Portuguese structure without tedious drills. Learning to speak Brazilian Portuguese can actually be enjoyable and rewarding.

The key reason most people struggle with new languages is that they aren't given proper instruction, only bits and pieces of a language. Other language programs sell only pieces -- dictionaries; grammar books and instructions; lists of hundreds or thousands of words and definitions; audios containing useless drills. They leave it to you to assemble these pieces as you try to speak. Pimsleur enables you to spend your time learning to speak the language rather than just studying its parts.

When you were learning English, could you speak before you knew how to conjugate verbs? Of course you could. That same learning process is what Pimsleur replicates. Pimsleur presents the whole language as one integrated piece so you can succeed.

With Pimsleur you get:

• Grammar and vocabulary taught together in everyday conversation,
• Interactive audio-only instruction that teaches spoken language organically,
• The flexibility to learn anytime, anywhere,
• 30-minute lessons designed to optimize the amount of language you can learn in one sitting.

Millions of people have used Pimsleur to gain real conversational skills in new languages quickly and easily, wherever and whenever -- without textbooks, written exercises, or drills.

The 10 lessons in the Basic Brazilian Portuguese are the same as the first 10 lessons in the Pimsleur Comprehensive Brazilian Portuguese Level 1.

The 10 lessons in Basic Brazilian Portuguese are also the first 10 lessons in the 16-lesson Conversational Brazilian Portuguese edition.

Pimsleur learners progress from either the Basic or the Conversational to the Comprehensive Level 1, and not from Basic to Conversational edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

On My Way To Speaking Portuguese
Amazing format. It's just the way we learned to speak our native language, by hearing it over and over. The segments are short enough to review in a drive to the grocery store. I really enjoy the male and female interaction which allows you to work on your pronunciation. Highly recommend this product.

Brasilian Portuguese
Hi

I bought this as a gift. But the person found those CD's too easy, as he already got a Brasilian Portuguese language base.

I'm gonna try to sell it.

HOWEVER if he didn't know anything about the language those CD's were gonna be perfetc - very easy to learn with.


Thanks


Patricia

My review..
So far, I really like this product. I've only listened to half of the CDs, but I think I have a good feel for it. What I like is that it is cumulative and continues to build from each lesson.

Good value for the price
This CD contains 10 short lessons which I can say it's good for the price.
The pronunciation is very good and understandable. Every lessons builds up on the preceding.

Easy and worth it
I love this CD because I wanted to learn conversational portuguese and it moves at a nice pace. My husband, who lived in Sao Paulo for 2 years says the accent is perfect. It could use a little pocket sized book just so I could see the words as well and hear them and to stick in my tavel bag. Although, I know that this would through a lot of people off due to their pronunciation of the alphabet. ... Read more

Product Description
With over 1,600 photographs and illustrations, the Portuguese-English Visual Bilingual Dictionary is a quick and intuitive way to learn and recall everyday vocabulary in European Portuguese. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This is a Must Have :)
This is a fantastic dictionary!Everything, and I do mean everything, is clearly photographed and included in this book.It's amazing!Each photo includes both the name in Portuguese and in English.The list is staggering, but this book contains topically organized photos and names for articles of clothing, the professions, sports, parts of an airplane, car parts, bike parts, things to be found in an office, beans, fruits, meats, vitamins, body parts, tons of animals, and much, much more.The level of detail is incredible.It's ALL here!Amazon has a really great price for this book.So, if you are in the process of learning Portuguese, and you want an excellent dictionary, this is the one to have :) ... Read more

Product Description

Understand and speak Brazilian Portuguese starting with these eight quick and simple audio lessons!

You're not just learning "phrases" with The Pimsleur® Method, you're acquiring essential, conversational Brazilian Portuguese!

You'll be thrilled to discover you can hold a real conversation in Brazilian Portuguese when you have finished these eight, 30-minute lessons!

Dr. Paul Pimsleur's original and unique method enables you to acquire Brazilian Portuguese as effortlessly as children absorb their native language. You will succeed because the Pimsleur program makes sure that you learn vocabulary and grammar correctly and easily in conversational settings without mindless repetition. Pimsleur is the only language program that includes exclusive, copyrighted memory training that ensures you will always remember what you have learned.

When you finish these lessons you'll be so delighted with you fast-growing spoken language skills you'll want to continue with the full 30-lesson Pimsleur® Program. And to make it easier, we've included a trade-up coupon in this package that will give you a $50.00 savings when you purchase the Level I Brazilian Portuguese Comprehensive Program.

Learn at your own pace -- comfortably and conveniently. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Helped my in-laws
It helped my in-laws a little bit. It's a good start and those on the other end of the communication appreciate the effort.

Pimsleur Quick & Simple Brazilian Portuguese
This is a very easy way to learn some basic Portuguese......no note-taking or written words.Just listen and learn how to form simple sentences and get the accent right.The repetition is a tremendous help, too.I've never studied other languages formally, but this makes me want to learn more!I plan to purchase the next set of CD's before my trip to Brazil this Christmas.I've learned most of these 8 lessons in about 6 weeks and I'm 65 years old!
Pat from Oklahoma

You say tomato, I say buy it
People learn languages in different ways so a variety of reviews is to be expected.I find these tapes ideal, especially for learning pronunciation and basic communication skills.Accent and basic vocabulary proficiency are my goals, they are the base on which I'll add spelling and grammar later.
On the street I'll be able to trick people into thinking I'm fluent and will be able to communicate better than someone with years of classroom training.If you want to read the classics or pass a written test buy a book, if you want to speak listen carefully and repeat.

It works
The pimsleur method works -- you listen and repeat, and automatically learn.
I wish they didn't spend so much time on the formal usage for 'you' since I understand that this is not used very much in real life -- that's why I gave it a 4 instead of a 5.

Perfect for the tourist
I purchased the Brazilian Prtuguese CD for my daughter for an upcoming trip.She uploaded it onto her iPod and has been practicing in her free time.She likes this series a lot because it's conversational, allows her to reply, and doesn't advance too slowly.She hears how the words are supposed to be pronounced.She's interested in getting the Spanish series to supplement her high school courses. ... Read more

Product Description
Designed for students, tourists and travelers, The Oxford Paperback Portuguese Dictionary is the most up-to-date Portuguese and English dictionary of its size available. It offers clear and concise translations of over 40,000 words and phrases in everyday idiomatic use, together with helpful information on grammar and usage. Careful labeling, with meaning, context, and usage signposted throughout, ensures that users can select the best translation for their needs. Both Brazilian and European Portuguese are covered, and pronunciation guidance is given for both Portuguese and English headwords. This outstanding dictionary is the perfect guide for anyone needing a quick and easy reference to the Portuguese language. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Outdated Brazilian Portuguese, British IPA pronunciation
Don't recommend this for your Brazilian students if you're an American ESL instructor (British IPA pronunciation notation, and it's well out of date). The binding on it isn't what a student looking to make serious usage out of a pocket dictionary needs.

Decent content with cheap paper and binding

I won't comment much on the content since I'm a beginner, but I'm quite experienced with studying languages.

The font is a little small but readable and clear.Typography is generally quite good.Multiple definitions are clearly delineated.So I think it will be easy to use for my Portuguese class.

However, this paperback edition is poorly bound with cheap paper.

It's going to yellow and crumble apart in 2 years -- tops.
I'd happily pay more for an edition with acid-free paper and brighter paper.

Excellent little dictionary
I had to laugh when I read the review this dictionary had from a previous customer. Yes, it is Brazilian Portuguese, but that doesn't mean it is wrong Portuguese. Should I remind the other reviewer that American English is also different from British English? Which one is correct? It all depends of the country you are interested on.
To the 180 million Brazilians like me, this little dictionary is very helpful. It is not only very accurate in its translations -which can be a problem on other dictionaries that translate only the literal sense of the word without taking in consideration its sense in a phrase - it is also full of words you would never find in a dictionary this size.
I highly recommend this dictionary - to Brazilians, to born-English speakers interested in Brazilian Portuguese, and even to Portuguese people. Besides the spelling, regional, and cultural differences, let's not forget that Brazilians and Portuguese still speak the same language,still respect one another, and still able to understand each other, giving a little flexibility from both sides.

Coverage of Continental Portuguese Inadequate (EDITED)
I removed my earlier review, so that it's rating would not affect the overall rating of this dictionary (when I tried to edit it, I found I could edit the text, but I couldn't change the rating).

My major complaint about this dictionary is that its coverage of Continental Portuguese is inadequate, and for it to be said that "both Brazilian and European Portuguese are covered" is therefore misleading. The variances between the two are greater than Oxford leads the reader to believe. A good example of this is the Portuguese equivalent for "Hurry up!" Oxford provides "Ande logo!" as the equivalent for this, but my girlfriend tells me that that is thoroughly Brazilian. Yet Oxford doesn't indicate that this is the Brazilian expression. The Continental Portuguese for this is "Vem depressa!" or "Vem rápido!"

EDIT (17 JUL 2008): Due to the recent passage of the Acordo Ortográfico (Orthographic Agreement - in other words, spelling agreement), the differences in spelling between Brazilian Portuguese and European/Continental Portuguese will soon disappear. This still presents some problems, however. Here's an example of what I mean:

CURRENT ORTHOGRAPHY IN PORTUGAL, AFRICA, AND ASIA:
De facto, o português é actualmente a terceira língua europeia mais falada do mundo.

CURRENT BRAZILIAN ORTHOGRAPHY:
De fato, o português é atualmente a terceira língua européia mais falada do mundo.

You'll notice from the sentence above that in Brazil the word "fact" is "fato," while elsewhere in the Portuguese-speaking world it is "facto." Also, "actualmente" (PT and elsewhere)/"atualmente" (BR).

AND NOW, THE REFORMED ORTHOGRAPHY, AS PROPOSED BY THIS AGREEMENT:
De facto/fato, o português é atualmente a terceira língua europeia mais falada do mundo.

(Translation: "Indeed, Portuguese is currently the third-most spoken European language in the world.")

The word "fact" (facto/fato) is one of the big problems with this agreement. Why? Because in Portugal, Africa, and Asia, "fato" means clothes or a suit (as in a business suit). In Brazil, it does not. This is why, in the Reformed Orthographic example given above, you see both "fato" and "facto." The present agreement seems to think that it's best to not address this problem.

This agreement needs lots of work, yet it has been passed into law. There are those in Portugal, my girlfriend included, who look at this agreement as "linguistic terrorism," because it FORCES changes upon the language, rather than to allow it to change NATURALLY. American English sounds different from British English, for example, largely because of the distance between the two nations (although there are some American accents which have a close relationship to British). The same is true of the differences between Brazilian pronunciation over Portuguese pronunciation. American spelling differences came about largely because those who created the first American dictionaries wanted the language to reflect its informality as compared to the formality of proper British English. The spelling differences between Brazilian and European/Continental Portuguese came about because of the distance between the two nations, as well as Brazil's proximity to America (making Brazilian Portuguese spelling closer to English, in places where that was possible, made for better economic relations between Brazil and the United States).

It will take time for the spelling changes found in this agreement to take place among the Portuguese speaking populations in Portugal, Africa, and Asia, but it also very likely means the END of materials that cater specifically to European/Continental Portuguese. Sigh. ... Read more

Product Description
Available for the first time ever in this format, the Larousse Concise Dictionary: Portuguese-English / English-Portuguese now becomes the top tier of the Larousse bilingual Portuguese dictionary line. More in-depth than the existing pocket and mini dictionaries, this dictionary is packed with features, including
• 90,000 words and phrases, with more than 120,000 translations based on Brazilian Portuguese
• hundreds of abbreviations, acronyms, and proper nouns, as well as idioms and grammatical constructions
• Portuguese verb conjugation tables
• an innovative supplement on life and culture in Brazil, which covers topics
ranging from the economy, media, education, and health care to arts and leisure
• a comprehensive communications supplement with model letters, faxes, e-mails

Targeted for the user who needs more than a pocket dictionary can offer, the all-new Concise Dictionary: Portuguese-English / English-Portuguese is a perfect addition to the bilingual line. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Comprehensive & easy to use
I have 3 English/Portuguese dictionaries, and this is the best of them.Oxford usually does a great job, but Larousse beat them this time!The verb guide is extensive and easy to follow, and it has enough words to get 5 stars.

good for Brasilian, not Portuguese (from Portugal or its colonies)
very good and comprehensive dictionary.Only downside is that it has the Brasilian portuguese and not the Portugal language (where those differences exist).A combined Portugues and Brasialian dictionary and translation to and from English would be awesome, but this is not it.

Larousse portuguese dictionary
About as useful as I needed.A few words or expressions were not accessible.I could not find the correct translation for "skin flap".

Brazilian Portuguese Dictionary
Among many dictionaries, this book is very detailed and has a lot of words.I used it in Brasil and it was very helpful.

Great resource!
I've been using this dictionary for about a month now and I have loved having it. In fact, I haven't found any problems with it. It's easy to use and it has a great informational insert in the middle of it about Brazil, the U.S. and Great Britain. I highly recommend it for anyone needing some Portuguese translation! ... Read more

Product Description
Are you thinking about traveling, studying, or working in Portugal or Brazil, but you don’t know any Portuguese? Want to improve your conversation skills with the Portuguese-speaking people in your life? Portuguese Phrases for Dummies is the perfect diving board for anyone looking to communicate and even become fluent in the language.

As the fifth-most widely spoken language in the world, Portuguese can be heard in South America, Africa, Asia, and of course, Portugal. If you want to know basic Portuguese but don’t want a boring textbook that unloads tons of conjugation rules or long lists of words to memorize, then this quick-and-easy phrasebook will get your feet wet without overwhelming you. This friendly book covers a wide array of subjects both helpful and interesting, including:

• Numbers, days of the week, measurements, and time
• Making friends and small talk
• Enjoying every type of meal
• Shopping in markets and at stores
• Culture, leisure, and activities
• Work and transportation
• Finding a place to live
• Dealing with emergencies
• Slang and colloquial terms
• Phrases and particles to make you sound like a local!

Knowing these fundamentals, you’ll be able to communicate with Portuguese-speaking people and continue learning about the language and culture. With hundred of useful phrases at your fingertips, Portuguese Phrases for Dummies will give you a basic comprehension of this beautiful language and have you speaking instantly! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Quick Phrasebook, Little Else
This is a better option for those of you taking a look at Brazilian Portguese for Dummies.Do not take this as a supplement - it covers essentially the same material in a more concise format.Brazilian Portuguese for Dummies essentially takes this phrasebook and stretches it over approximately 300 pages, adding little extra.

Keep in mind that this is in no way a good tool for learning the ins and outs of Portuguese, it is simply a phrasebook, probably best suited to someone spending a week in Brazil on vacation.It didn't suit my purposes, but for what is it meant to do it is solid enough, and the price really can't be beat.

Well worth it
I had a lot of fun with this book!Including one memorable evening chatting and laughing with locals on the beach at Salvador.I like how it fits in my pocket and is easy to read.It is well referenced, so I could easily find what I needed--from counting out money to eating out and getting around.But my favorite sections were the ones that gave me chatty things to say in social encounters and how to say things like a local.When I go to Brazil or any country, I like to make the effort to speak to the locals to get a feel for the culture and the people.I have always been repaid--but especially by the Brazilians that night on the beach.
This is a great phrase book, easy to read and use.It even has a concise overview of grammar and verbs.A great companion to my other Portuguese language books.I definitely recommend it to anyone who's visiting Brazil and wants to be able to start speaking right away.

Just buy a Portuguese phrase dictionary
I had such high hopes for this book but it sucks. It really, really sucks. Can you imagine having a phrase book that doesn't even have an index that quickly tells you frequently used English phrases and their Brazilian (Portuguese) counterparts?

If you brought this pocket-sized book on ur trip to Brazil, you better hope that you find a lot of English speaking Brazilians. My advice: Just buy a Portuguese phrase dictionary.

Not 100% Portuguese
The book is really good.The only complaint that I have is that it's not Portuguese from Portugal.It's Brazilian Portuguese.I was disappointed.But at least my husband gets the jist of it. ... Read more

Product Description
Crônicas Brasileiras is a Portuguese reader containing a collection of short, lively compositions that originally appeared in Brazilian newspapers, magazines, and anthologies and were written by some of Brazil's most distinguished contemporary authors. Somewhat similar to newspaper columns and sometimes resembling short stories or essays, these entertaining crônicas deal with various aspects of life in Brazil, particularly urban life and especially that of Rio de Janeiro. Designed to assist students in developing a reading, speaking, and writing knowledge of Portuguese as it is used in present-day Brazil, the book includes explanatory notes, a variety of exercises and drills, and a vocabulary.

The editors have tested these crônicas in actual classroom situations at different levels and have found them suitable for use as early as the first year, after students have completed study of any elementary Portuguese grammar. Because of the intrinsic interest and the lively colloquial style of the crônicas they can also be used in more advanced classes, as a basis for conversation and composition or for study of representative contemporary Brazilian writing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great book!
Crônicas Brasileiras stands the test of time as one of the great "slice of life" books for anyone interested in Brazilian culture and language.I used it first as a student in the early 1980's and have continued to use it as a teacher.The editors have done an excellent job selecting stories that immerse the reader in Brazilian culture and language.My students and I thoroughly enjoy the stories.Over the years I have probably reread each one twenty times and I still enjoy them.They are a great introduction to so many wonderful Brazilian authors.

This is a VERY old book written in typewriter!
A friend and I are studying Portuguese using Rosetta Stone Portuguese (Brazil) Level 1 & 2 Win/Mac Personal Edition, Brazilian podcasts, and other sources. I thought a reader would be nice to have. There are tons of French readers of various levels, but Portuguese ones are surprisingly scarce. I took a chance on this one.

What I noticed right away is that the book has never even been typeset! I couldn't believe my eyes...it appears to have been printed straight from a typewritten page. It's hard to read, because first of all the type is small, and second of all, the baselines are uneven! It was first published around 1970, and it seems to have never been updated, merely reprinted, since then.

The book takes newspaper stories and gives you a vocabulary and a quiz after each one. There are about 40 stories in it. It is not a beginner level book by my estimation, at least I can't understand a blessed thing in it. I think as we progress in our studies, the book may come in handy later on as we learn more words.

The book is of course Brazilian Portuguese rather than European Portuguese. One thing it does have in its favor is a pretty extensive dictionary of common words and expressions.

In the meantime, the search is on for the ideal. This is about all there is available for the time being. I would like to see the book updated with a bigger, more easily-read typeface and new stories.

A Very Enjoyable Way to Learn Portuguese
In this book, the author has selected authentic Brazilian short writings, previously published, as a basis for teaching Portuguese.The writings are fascinating glimpses into the culture of Brazil, especially Rio de Janeiro, both in contemporary and past periods.The exercises are well prepared and the examples clearly show what needs to be done; my only request would be for an answer key. This book is geared for the intermediate student of Portuguese who wants to learn more. ... Read more

Product Description
A Portuguese Language textbook for middle and secondary schools, Bom Dia! meets both the state and national frameworks (curriculum standards). Printed in full color with modern photographs of Portugal, Bom Dia! is complemented with curriculum materials such as a workbook, lab book, tests, CDs and transparencies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Enjoyable to Use
I have a few typical "teach yourself Portuguese" books. They all seem to be geared towards memorizing helpful phrases. I was looking for something a little less dry than standard college text books, but more structured and formalized than other tourist centered books. This book is definitely geared toward a young audience but, because I am learning by myself, I appreciate the repetition. The grammar and thoroughness is definitely what I was looking for. The beautiful pictures can't hurt either. Although, I do really wish that it was longer. (I think that a Bom Dia! 2 is in the works though.)

Not what I was expecting
Definitely designed for children or simple-minded adults. Not very helpful.

needs more
The book has beautiful photos and, overall, I like the style and format. I did, however, expect a much thicker book for $50.00. There should also be an audio component (CD) for this price. I would rather see fewer photos and more text and an audio.

I would also like to see a book similar in format but geared in topics to adult learners.

Hurray for Bom Dia Level 1!!!!!
Bom Dia Level 1 is a fantastic Portuguese textbook.The photographs are outstanding- you can almost picture yourself in Portugal! The workbook and listening comprehension activities are varied and provide several different ways of teaching each concept. Although the book is aimed at students in grades 7-12 in the classroom setting, I have found no problem teaching my 3rd grade child at home, using all the products from the publisher, and some supplemental items too. The lessons are not too difficult and she is able to complete them in a timely manner. We especially enjoy the listening activities, where she can hear other Portuguese speakers. Thecultural activities in each chapter are wonderful as well because they provide the student with more than just learning another language- it introduces them to how the people live, what foods they eat, etc... I highly recommend Bom Dia Level 1 Textbook for anyone homeschooling their children. ... Read more

Product Description
Várias Histórias é uma coletânea do escritor realista brasileiro Machado de Assis, publicada em 1896 que reúne dezesseis contos seus publicados na Gazeta de Notícias entre 1884 e 1891. É considerada uma das suas melhores obras no gênero. Oito das histórias aí publicadas tornaram-se clássicas e aparecem com muita freqüência em coletâneas: A cartomante, Uns braços, Um homem célebre, A causa secreta, Trio em lá menor, O enfermeiro, Um apólogo, D. Paula.

Muitos dos traços presentes nos contos do livro já aparecem em Memórias póstumas de Brás Cubas (1881), dentre eles o pessimismo, o nihilismo, a ironia destrutiva. Características de estilo sofisticadas para a época como o narrador não-onisciente, a polifonia, a descrença no conhecimento como meio de salvação da humanidade fazem seus escritos estar à frente de seu tempo, e o põem em sintonia com autores como Dostoiévski.

Contos:
A cartomante
Entre santos
Uns braços
Um homem célebre
A desejada das gentes
A causa secreta
Trio em lá menor
Adão e Eva
O enfermeiro
O diplomático
Mariana
Conto de escola
Um apólogo
D. Paula
Viver!
O cônego ou metafísica do estilo ... Read more

Product Description

Say farewell to language faux pas forever!

Based on the revolutionary Easily Pronounced Language Systems approach, Say It Right in Brazilian Portuguese makes mastering correct Brazilian Portuguesepronunciation simple. You'll learn how to use hundreds of Brazilian Portuguesewords and phrases in everyday conversation. This amazing guide gives you easy-to-read vowel symbols that, when combined with consonants, make pronunciation easy.With Say It Right in Brazilian Portuguese you will:

• Learn more than 500 essential Brazilian Portuguesewords and phrases
• Easily create sentences using "Phrasemakers"
• Get a quick reference to more than 500 word pronunciations in the Say It Right travel dictionary

Customer Reviews (2)

Say It Right_ or How to help those slow at learning to speak a foreign language.
I really needed something that would help me pronounce the words correctly. Listening to CDs only makes me question if I'm really hearing it right. This reference helped somewhat except just like with English, when you speak quickly parts of words get cut off and become a language that can't be translated in a book. Use this book as a tool, but don't expect it or anything else you buy, to make you appear Brazilian, Portuguese or something you're not.
I did think it was better than having just a dictionary and actually attempting to repeat phrases turns out to be okay as long as you smile and admit you're a tourist.
The best times I had were just showing people the book and laughing with someone who could not speak English. We still found a way to communicate.

EPLS is a great resource for pronunciation
I used the "Say it right in Brazilian Portuguese" book in conjunction with a language DVD (Semantica) to get a basic understanding of Portuguese.This book, and the other EPLS books I have used, is a great resource to understanding the nuances of the language.I highly recommend this book and the other EPLS books in the series. ... Read more

Product Description
Comprehensive Portuguese (Braz.) III includes 30 additional lessons (16 hrs.), plus Readings, which build upon the language skills acquired in Levels I and II. Increased spoken and reading language ability.

Level III will increase your vocabulary and grammatical structures and triple your spoken proficiency. Upon completion of a level III, you will be able to:

* participate in most informal and some formal discussions on practical, social, and some semi-professional topics,

* form longer sentences while maintaining the target language syntax,

* be understood even by native speakers unused to dealing with foreigners,

* handle increasingly difficult grammatical structures,

* enjoy fluent conversations with a variety of strangers,

* have a near-native accent, and the subtleties of the language will be apparent in your speech,

* read at the same level at which you speak.

Note: In order for the Pimsleur Method to work correctly, you must first complete the Level I + II language programs before proceeding to the Level III language program. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Best home study course for Brazilian Portuguese
I bought the CD's for this language as there is not much out there for Portuguese. I feel Pimsleur courses are the best for the languages I have studied with the Pimsleur system: Brazilian Portuguese, Italian and French. I also studied at Cal Berkeley for 2 semesters in addition to tbe CD's. When I went to Brazil the natives told me my Portuguese was very good. The level III course also does a good job of teaching a lot of colloquial speech. I highly recommend the level III course of Pimsleur Brazilian Portuguese. By combining the CD's with study at a college, it is a winning strategy to learning the language.

Really Do Learn to speak Portuguese
The Pimsleur Portuguese language CD's are excellent...they have greatly advanced my ability to speak conversational Portuguese (Brazilian)....My fluency increased dramatically after mastering the 30 lessons of Unit I...now am in progress with second set of up to lesson 60.I recommend the Pimsleur CD;s to anyone attempting to learn a foreign language

Buy this product, bury Rosetta Stone
I study languages as I prefer to have a linguistic link to whichever country I visit.While "total immersion" is the best way to learn a language, it is difficult for those of us that have jobs and/orfamilies.Pimsleur is as close to it as you can come.Buy a text of the language so that you can make a visual and mechanical connection with which you are learning, a paperback dictionary for use in the country and as an ancillary source while learning, and Pimsleur and you are as ready and as qualified as you can get.It works! Timmy T

portuguese
shipped timely. bought this for my trip to Rio and it really worked. while in Rio visited with some friends from there and everyone agreed that my accent was just like a native from Rio. they were impressed and i was impressed with the discs. highly recommend.

Fast, effortless, effectiveway to learn to learn to speak the language well.
After trying 2 other language programs, I found this the best for learning to speak language correctly and clearly---an easy, effortless way to learn, 1/2 hr a day. It's interesting, engaging, inspiring and it works even for the most unskilled language scholars such as myself. Although only a listening method, reading and writing skills are easier to develop once you learn the basic grammar. It's expensive and because of the learning technique of repetition, each part is limited in the vocabulary you learn. I would advise getting the quick Pimsleur first (cost is about $30) and then Parts II and III, not bother with Part I (expensive long version). ... Read more

Product Description
For All Students Two books in one--a complete guide to Portuguese verbs and a compact guide to the basics of Portuguese grammar. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Apontamentos de estudante
This book resembles my apontamentos de estudante (student notes) when I was a beginner learner of Portuguese. It is far from being an authoritative grammar book that will lead you to the mastery of Portuguese, as it appears to think it is. It lacks the background knowledge of the language that will enable to streamline what is important and what comes second. It is very much, as I said, a tentative work of a beginner learner, not the competent guide a master can devise. Not good enough.

As someone who can speak the language quite well, I was asked my opinion on this book. That is how I came across it. Here it is my opinion, not just for the learner who asked me but for all the learners looking for good books who may read this review. Look elsewhere is my advice.

What is this book for?
If this book is for a beginner, then it should give better basic information on the language. Everything is oversimplified, and much is misleading. Some statements are positively wrong, like saying that the gender of words for people and animals is determined by the sex. Not always, eg, 'pessoa', 'crocodilo', and many other examples. A beginner also does not need to learn things like the archaic form for the second person, used in church services. Equally not for the beginner are the complicated tenses that usually you can find in more advanced grammars, like 'we would not have visited the castle' (nao teriamos visitado o castelo) or I would have been speaking (eu teria estado a falar / falando).

If this is for someone who already knows the basics and wants to brush up his or her Portuguese (my case), then the reader spots the flaws. Flaws are not just oversimplifications and misleading statements; there are also true mistakes. In particular need of revision are the sections on the personal infinitive, the passice voice, and radical changing verbs etc.

very adequate
My jaw dropped at reading the horrible reviews of this book so I followed the advice and bought Prista's, expecting to see some magic and here's what I found.

Prista's book, though ok, is NOWHERE near as thorough as this one.This small book, by Sue Tyson-Ward, covers just about every section of portuguese you will need to be a fully functional speaker and I credit what I've learned to this book.I speak Portuguese with native speakers who correct me when necessary and I can say that they don't do that so often.

I see Prista's book as something for someone who is in a massive rush and who will not grasp the necessary intricacies of the language because the explanations are chopped short for the sake of saying SEE, WE TOLD YOU IT WOULD BE SHORT!

I confidently recommend the book on this page for those who need thorough explanations backed with examples.Prista's book has some pros - for example clever ways to remember Port words by learning english suffix equivalencies, etc., but at the end of the day you will walk away from the Tyson-Ward book with the capability to to read and speak Portuguese on a high conversational and literary level.

Self-promoting and flawed
When i bought this book i looked up the word 'pessoa'. This means person and plural 'pessoas' means people. Grammatically this word is always feminine but applies to both male and female. This does not fit in with what this grammar teaches. I sought help. Then i was shown several faults in this book. The worst apears to be the verbs.

I bought this book because i believed what it says, that it is a practical guide to the mastery of Portuguese. I fell for it andam quite annoyed with myself for being so gullible. Perhaps some good will come out of this bad experience. If this review stops other learners from making the same mistake, then it wasn't a cmplete waste of time and money.

80% gimmick 20% substance
This book boasts it gives you verbs and grammar (as if verbs were not grammar!).Sweeping statements, muddled notes, this sums up what you find when you open the book. I gave it up and bought Prista's grammar. Prista's is an excellent little book that gives you GRAMMAR in general including VERBS, all in a nutshell but clearly explained.No doubt a much better buy! ... Read more

Product Description
Comprehensive ESL Portuguese (Brazilian) includes 30 lessons of essential grammar and vocabulary -- 16 hours of real-life spoken practice sessions -- plus an introduction to reading.

Upon completion of this Level I program, you will have functional spoken proficiency with the most-frequently-used vocabulary and grammatical structures. You will be able to:

* initiate and maintain face-to-face conversations,

* deal with every day situations -- ask for information, directions, and give basic information about yourself and family,

* communicate basic information on informal topics and participate in casual conversations,

* avoid basic cultural errors and handle minimum courtesy and travel requirements,

* satisfy personal needs and limited social demands,

* establish rapport with strangers in foreign countries,

* begin reading and sounding out items with native-like pronunciation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

It's the same as the old "learn by listening to the tapes" deal
I bought this CD pack for my mom... 54 Year old Brazilian Lady who wants to learn english so that she can have more fun at Disney world.
This course is like a "Repeat with me" audio tape... Very detailed, great pronounciation, but not what I expected for her.

She has been listening and repeating for awhile now, but still not assimilating too much.

This is good for people who have the basics, but deffinitelly not for beginners.

Overall, I would rate it as "Just OK"

Best of the best

With patience, commitment, it will work.
Just let the lessons wash over you. Then one day, out of the blue, someone will be speaking some words of the Language you studied, and you realize that you really understand, and the proper response just popped out of your mouth. Lordy, lordy!

As 'they' say: "It works if you work it, so work it, you're worth it."

Excellent Language Learning tool
This set of CD's is an execlent learning tool to get started learning Portuguese.The teaching format is very well laid out in each lesson.I would recommend this CD set for anyone who is looking to travel to Brazil and desires to get acquainted with the language.

great gift
I gave this as a gift to each of two friends who asked for guidance on where to learn English and they are very pleased with it.

Englishfor Brazilians
The book is very basic and its pace is very slow. If you don't know English at all, it's OK. ... Read more