Primeiro contato

Warm-up (5 min)

This is your first lecture — no revision yet. Start with a quick icebreaker.

1. Listen and repeat the vowels: a, e, i, o, u
2. Try to say your name out loud. If you don’t know how yet, spell it letter by letter (we’ll learn the alphabet below).
3. Repeat after the teacher / audio:

Part 1 — Cumprimentos e despedidas

Informal

Formal / polite

Saying goodbye

Mini-dialogue — in the elevator

Part 2 — Alfabeto e pronúncia básica

The alphabet

Pronunciation notes (PT-BR)

1. Nasal vowels (very Brazilian — practice these!)

2. Open vs closed vowels (important for meaning)

3. São Paulo speech

• Você is the standard “you” — use it everywhere in SP.
• Tu exists in southern Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná) but you don’t need it in São Paulo.
• In casual speech you’ll hear: tá (está), pra (para), pro (para o) — learn the full forms first.

4. Stress: Portuguese words have a strong syllable. Listen for it: por-tu-guês, bra-si-lei-ro, eu.

Part 3 — Pronomes pessoais

Brazilian tip: In conversation, Brazilians say a gente far more often than nós:

• A gente mora em São Paulo. = We live in São Paulo.
• Nós moramos em São Paulo. = Same meaning, more formal.

Part 6 — Vocabulário

Números (0–100)

Age: Eu tenho vinte e oito anos. (I’m 28.)

Línguas (Languages)

To say you speak a language: Eu falo português. / Eu falo um pouco de português.

Nacionalidades (Nationalities)

Pattern: Eu sou russo. / Ela é russa.

Atividades de sala de aula (Classroom phrases)

Part 7 — Diálogos

Key phrases:

• Eu sou novo no prédio. = I’m new in the building.
• Eu moro aqui agora. = I live here now.
• Seja bem-vindo! = Welcome! (to a man; to a woman: Seja bem-vinda!)

Useful question words (preview):

Part 8 — Model sentences

Part 9 — Practice

Part 10 — Speaking practice

Activity 1 — Greeting chain (5 min)

Walk around the room (or practice with a partner) and greet each person:

• Say Oi, me chamo…
• Ask Tudo bem?
• Say Prazer!

Activity 2 — Speed introductions (10 min)

In pairs, ask and answer:

1. Como você se chama?
2. De onde você é?
3. Quantos anos você tem?
4. Onde você mora?
5. Você fala português?

Activity 3 — Role-play: new neighbor (10 min)

Person A: You live in the building. Welcome the new neighbor.
Person B: You just moved to São Paulo. Introduce yourself.

Use at least: greeting, name, nationality, where you live, goodbye.

Activity 4 — Spell your name (5 min)

Spell your full name using the Portuguese alphabet.
Example: A - L - E - X

Part 11 — Cultural note: greetings in São Paulo

Personal space and warmth
Brazilians are generally warm and friendly. In São Paulo, people in your prédio or condomínio often greet each other in the elevator even if they don’t know each other well. A simple Bom dia is expected and appreciated.

The cheek kiss
In social situations (friends, introductions at parties), Brazilians often give one kiss on the cheek (usually the right cheek). In São Paulo it’s typically one kiss. In business or formal settings, a handshake is more common. When in doubt, follow the other person’s lead.

“Tudo bem?” is not always a real question
Often Brazilians say Tudo bem? as a greeting, and the answer is just Tudo bem! — you don’t need to give a long answer.

Obrigado vs Obrigada
The speaker chooses based on their own gender:

• Men say: Obrigado
• Women say: Obrigada

Useful word for your building: porteiro / porteira = doorman / front desk person — greet them when you come and go!

Summary cheat sheet