Portuguese Lesson: Using 'A Gente' - Make Your Portuguese Even Smarter

Video lesson on how to use 'a gente' by Street Smart Brazil. We teach Smart Portuguese.

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[duubamg]

Hi Luciana, Congrats for the class. It’s really clear and objective. I just would like to point out that the phrase “a gente anda no parque com NOSSO cachorro.” despite widely used everywhere is not acceptable as a correct use of language due its lack of symmetry. The correct version goes like this “ a gente anda no parque com o cachorro DA GENTE.” One last suggestion: in formal situations and most written texts (except in internet, of course) we never use “a gente”. Keep the good work!

[StreetSmartBrazil]

@duubamg Thanks for your comment. Yes, "a gente" is recommended for spoken Portuguese and informal emails and IMs. As for the agreement of "nosso", yes, the proper language would not be happy with it, but in daily interactions in Brazil we do that all the time. We may ask "Como é teu nome?" and follow by asking "De onde você é?" As in the song Velha Infância: "Você é assim, um sonho pra mim, e quando eu não te vejo eu penso em você...". Valeu!

[MrSimoziko]

Thanks a lot.Your video is very useful. Have a nice day teacher

[StreetSmartBrazil]

@MrSimoziko Muito obrigada :) Um bom dia pra você também!

[2809771]

Oi Luciana,

I came across your video while searching for a way to explain the meaning of "gente" in Peninha's song "Sozinho. "

"Quando a gente gosta, é claro que a gente cuida."

It is really untranslatable here, isn't it? It does not only mean "we," it also means "people." But even in the examples you gave, I think you could have explained how saying "a gente" instead of "nós" is not only more colloquial, but even more intimate than other "street smart Port." Maybe too difficult for beginners!!

[StreetSmartBrazil]

@2809771 Oi! Obrigada for your comment and for stopping by.

When I listen to this song, what I hear is "When we like (someone), of course we take care (of this person)."

In Brazil, we usually do not use "a gente" to mean "the people", except in rare, more formal occasions. To say the people, we say "as pessoas" or, depending on the context, "o povo".

You can use "gente" (not "a gente") to mean "people: Tem muita gente aqui = There are many people here.

Valeu!

[peterxtv]

@duubamg HI, Ive never thought about this kind of paralelism, maybe you are right, but ive never heard someone saying this sort of statement. the way people say that in an informal way is exactly like its been shown in the video. chears..and sorry for my poor english.

[34835513mb]

I speak native portuguese .Do you want help in portuguese ?

[StreetSmartBrazil]

@ItsLittleNicky Imagina! É um prazer :)

[ItsLittleNicky]

Obrigadaa!