Brazilian Portuguese is a diglossic language

If EP is so different than Brazilian, how come this one Brazilian actress starred in a Portuguese soap opera some 5 years ago. I think it was called Os Lobos, and the actress's name was Angela Vieira, I think.

Errr , Everybody uses English terms like mouse , computer ,... ( It's not really part of your vocabulary )

And about those verbs , ( I myself speak W-Flemish , a "dialect of Dutch" )

-A dutchmen says : het is aan jou ( pronounced as Hat is aan yow )
We say : t'is an joen ( pronounced as T'is on youn )

-A dutchmen says : ik doe het niet ( I won't do it )
We say : jammojakndoen ( same meaning!)

=> do I speak a different language than Dutch ? In some way I do ,but I accept that my "language" is a dialect ...

Actually, nobody really speaks a standard form from any language ( unless you learned it in school of course ) !

Yes, Portuguese actors can act in Brazilian soap operas but AFTER A PHONETIC COURSE IN BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE, so their accent is more Brazilian-sounding that normal European Portuguese which would not be understandable.

The same is happening with a Portuguese actor in the latest soap opera COMO UMA ONDA, which was asked to speak Brazlian Portuguese although he and his character are Portuguese.


from this interview :

http://www.terra.com.br/istoegente/276/diversao_arte/tv_como_falar_lingua.htm

É difícil ter que amenizar o sotaque?
(it's hard to flatten the accent?)

É como falar outra língua. É português, mas não o meu português. É
complicado decorar texto, memorizar palavras.
(it's like to speak another language. it's Portuguese, but it's not my Portuguese. it's complicated to learn the text by heart, to memorize the words...)
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a Portuguese actress in Brazil:

http://www.terra.com.br/istoegente/146/reportagens/maria_joao.htm

''Em restaurantes, se não fizer o pedido com sotaque brasileiro ninguém me entende”,

(In restaurants, if I don't order by using Brazilian pronunciation, no one understands me)
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So, this two examples just show Portuguese people are not understood in Brazil, unless they speak Brazilian.

Pretty much the same happens to British people when they order in the US in places where they are not used to hearing a British accent. Most Americans are understood all over the English speaking world because of exposition to their accent through movies and songs.

It's a question of exposition to accents and variants and not of different languages.

Anyway it's interesting to hear the Portuguese actor say "it's Portuguese but it's not my Portuguese." If he can learn Brazilian that easily it's not as difficult as he says. Try learning another language.

Oh, I have not seen this said by a British actor/actress. Many American actors and actress don't find it difficult at all to use RPEnglish (rene Zellweger). And many British can switch to American English as they please (kate winslett, catherine zeta jones). And British pronunciation norm (RP English) is understood all over the states, but Continental pronunciation norm (Lisbon Portuguese) is not understood in Brazil.

Have a nice day!

<<Yes, Portuguese actors can act in Brazilian soap operas but AFTER A PHONETIC COURSE IN BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE, so their accent is more Brazilian-sounding that normal European Portuguese which would not be understandable.

The same is happening with a Portuguese actor in the latest soap opera COMO UMA ONDA, which was asked to speak Brazlian Portuguese although he and his character are Portuguese. >>

The actress I was telling you about is Brazilian, but she took part in a Portuguese soap opera.

Standard German (Hochdeutsch) speakers from Germany and Austria do not understand Swiss German just like Brazilian Portuguese speakers do not understand Standard Continental Portuguese.

Well, I think I've heard that Germans can understand Swiss German after some exposure (1 week of living in Switzerland or so)...Since the differences are quite systematic.

Somebody tell me how to say "I went" in Portuguese please! Is it "eu fui" or "eu foi"?

Eu fui. "Foi" would correspond with você/ele.

"Eu fui ao supermercado." (I went to the supermarket)

"Ele foi ao supermercado." (He went to the supermarket)

"Você foi ao supermercado." (You went to the supermarket)

Thank you, mjd!

In Spoken Brazilian Portuguese we prefer the preposition EM (=into, in) with the verbs of movement:

"Eu fui NO supermercado." (I went to the supermarket)

"Ele foi NO supermercado." (He went to the supermarket)

"Você foi NO supermercado." (You went to the supermarket)

just like:

Eu cheguei EM casa = I arrived home
Eu cheguei EM Nova York = I arrived in New York.


It is true that formal written language (used in business letters, political magazines, techical textbooks) prefers the preposition A in these cases (just whe way formal English prefers IT IS I/WE to IT'S ME/US).

My Portuguese generally tends to reflect that which is spoken in Portugal, as I'm of Luso descent.

<Oh, I have not seen this said by a British actor/actress. Many American actors and actress don't find it difficult at all to use RPEnglish (rene Zellweger). And many British can switch to American English as they please (kate winslett, catherine zeta jones). And British pronunciation norm (RP English) is understood all over the states, but Continental pronunciation norm (Lisbon Portuguese) is not understood in Brazil. >

Who ever wrote this , I just want to say American actors use a NEUTRAL British accent ( so you can't really determine where they are from ) . It's real easy to use a neutral accent , because you don't have to you use the typical words of some dialect . But I assure you , it isn't aways easy to understand some of the British dialects. There's this one dialect ( I dunno which one ) which really doesn't sound British at all ( No , I'm not talking 'bout Welsh or Cornish ).

I've just read:
"Who ever wrote this , I just want to say American actors use a NEUTRAL British accent ( so you can't really determine where they are from ) "

I suppose Americans will be laughing their heads off at the NEUTRAL BRITISH ACCENT they use.