Carnival fever in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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Time to step into a whirlwind of shimmer, samba and non-stop partying!

Every year over 500,000 foreign visitors are attracted to the world’s biggest party, the Rio Carnival in Brazil. The festival causes the whole city to come to a complete standstill for a week as celebrations continue throughout the day and night. Traditional samba music is played and danced to and colourful costumes and floats parade through the streets.

This vibrant and colourful festival is usually held in February or the beginning of March, the week before Lent. The celebrations start on a Saturday and finish on fat Tuesday (Marti-Gras).

Check out our top tips and essential Brazilian Portuguese carnival vocabulary to make sure you make the most of your trip!

Top tips for Rio Carnival:

1. Organise and book your accommodation well in advance! The best hotels in the zona sul (South Rio) get booked up very early!

2. Buy your Rio Carnival ticket in advance. Tickets to watch the parade can sell out months beforehand - and although ticket prices to watch the Sambadrome parade can reach $200, it is definitely worth seeing! (The best viewing is in section 13).

3. Ensure you have your carnival costume ready and indulge in the Brazilian festival and culture. Let you hair down and dance with the locals and you’ll really feel part of the festivities.

4. Make sure you have plenty of money before the carnival starts, as banks are closed for the week and cash deposit machines are known to run dry.

5. The best form of transport for getting around the festival is a taxi, as they are not very expensive.

6. Make sure you get a map of the local blocos (street parties) so you can enjoy the after party into the early hours of the morning!

Essential words and phrases for Rio Carnival:

ENGLISH BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE
Hello Olá
Please Por favor
Thank you Obrigado (masculine)
Obrigada (feminine)
Dance Dançar
Sing Cantar
Lent Quaresma
The lady who holds the samba school flag Porta-bandeira
Partying Festejando
Music Música
Do you speak English? Fala Inglés?
I’m called Me chamo
Cool Legal
Street parties Blocos
Beautiful Belo
Colourful Colorido
Amazing Surpreendente
Costumes Vestuário
Floats Flutua

Carnival Phrases:

ENGLISH BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE
How much is a ticket? Quanto custa uma passagem?
I like your outfit Eu gosto da sua roupa.
How do you get to the parade Como faço para chegar ao desfile?
I think they are the best samba school Eu acho que eles são a melhor escola de samba.
Let’s dance! Vamos dançar!
I need to buy a costume Eu preciso comprar uma fantasia.
I love to party Eu amo festejar.
I’m so tired I have not slept in days! Estou tão cansada que não durmo em dias

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Test your fluency with these French tongue-twisters!

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A tongue twister focuses on different combinations of sounds that are difficult to pronounce one after the other in quick succession. It can also teach you some new words, not all of which will necessarily be immediately useful, but which could come in handy one day.

These tongue-twisters start with different but easily confused consonant sounds.

Les chaussettes de l’archi-duchesses sont-elles sèches, arch-sèches?

Are the archduchess’ socks dry, very dry?

Un chasseur sachant chasser sait chasser sans son chien.

A hunter who knows how to hunt knows how to hunt without his dog.

Ce chasseur sait chasser sans son chien dit le sage garde-chasse, chasseur sachez chasser sans chien !

This hunter can hunt without hounds says the wise hunting guard, hunters know how to hunt without hounds.

In these tongue-twisters most of the words start with the same consonant sounds followed by different vowel sounds.

Combien sont ces six saucissons-ci?

Ces six saucissons-ci sont six sous.

Si ces six saucissons-ci sont six sous, ces six saucissons-ci sont trop chers.

How many sous are these six sausages?

These six sausages are six sous.

If these six sausages are six sous, these six sausages are too cheap.

Si six scies scie six-cent-six scies, ces six-cent-six scies seront sciés.

If six saws saw six hundred six saws, those six hundred six saws will be sawed.

Babette a fait bombance à bord du bateau de Bob.

Babette had a beanfeast on board bob’s boat.

Dans ta tente ta tante t’attend.

Your aunt’s waiting for you in your tent.

Fruits frais, fruits frits, fruits cuits, fruits crus.

Fresh fruit, fried fruits, cooked fruit, raw fruit.

La pipe au papa du Pape Pie pue.

Papa’s pipe of Pope Pius pongs.

Lulu lit la lettre lue à Lili et Lola alla à Lille où Lala lie le lilas.

Lulu reads the letter read by Lili and Lola went to Lille where Lala binds the lilac.

Bonjour Madame Sans-Souci. Combien sont ces six saucissons-ci et combien sont ces six saucissons-là?

Six sous Madame sont ces six saucissons-ci et six sous aussi sont ces six saucissons là !

Hello Madame Sans-Souci. How much are these six sausages and how much are those six sausages?

Six sous Madam are these six sausages and six sous are those six sausages also!

More French tongue-twisters can be found at:

http://french.about.com/cs/francophonie/a/tonguetwisters.htm

http://phonetique.free.fr/indexvir.htm

Cactus Language offer French language courses in the UK, New York, France and Canada!

 

Top Brazilian Portuguese phrases!

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If you’re planning to visit Brazil don’t underestimate the value of knowing a few basic phrases in Brazilian Portuguese. Boa viagem! Read more →

20 essential holiday phrases in Portuguese

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Hello Olá
Goodbye Adeus
Please Por favor
Thank you Obrigado
Yes Sim
No Não
Excuse me/sorry Desculpe / perdão
My name is… O meu nome é…
What is your name? Qual é o seu nome?
Nice to meet you Prazer em conhecelo
Where do you come from? De onde você vem?
I come from Great Britain/America Eu sou de Grã Bretanha / América
How are you? Como vai? / Com vai você?
Where is…? Onde está…?
I would like (2 bottles of water) Eu gostaria de duas garrafas de água
How much is that? Quanto é isso?
How do I get to…? Como eu chego à…?
I don’t understand Eu não entendo
I’m sorry, I don’t speak Portuguese Eu sinto muito, eu não falo português
Do you speak English? Você fala o inglês?

Cactus Language offers a variety of Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese language courses in the UK, US, Portugal & Brazil.

The differences between European & Brazilian Portuguese

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European Portuguese differs from Brazilian Portuguese mainly in terms of pronunciation. There are also significant differences in vocabulary, and relatively minor differences in grammar and spelling. The relationship is similar to that between British and American English, though the regional differences in Brazil are greater than those in the USA. Read more →

Quebecois French versus ‘France’ French

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French Canada, located just beyond New York on the eastern side of Canada, can cater to your needs. But do they speak the same variety of French as in France, you ask? Sacré bleu! Not quite. In Quebec, Québecois is spoken, and yes, there are differences. Before you go, let’s look at some of the history and the variations.

The origin of Quebecois French is from Classical French in the 17th and 18th centuries, brought to “New France” by French colonists. The influence of the area began to play a major role in the evolution of the language - that is, interaction and contact with Native Americans and their languages plus the different foliage and fauna gave way to new words. This, combined with the isolation from Europe and the fact that French settlers retained the older pronunciations, gave way to a new dialect.

One simple analogy would be to say that Quebec French = American/Canadian English and France French = England/UK English, but even that can be misleading because the differences in Québecois and France French are even larger.

Some fun differences:

‘France’ French: parking/parker

Québecois French: stationnement/stationer

FF: le weekend

QF: la fin de semaine

FF: Je t’en prie

QF: bienvenue

Along with different pronunciations, idioms, slang, the speed of the spoken language, swear words and exclusive cultural references are definitely different in Quebec than in France. This, however, does not mean that you won’t be able to engage in the culture when you visit Quebec. As long as you try, the local Canadian will most likely appreciate your efforts.

Of course, English is sometime welcome, too. If someone starts a conversation with “Bonjour hello”, as if it is one word, they are actually inviting you to use whichever language you prefer. So even if you haven’t been on your French language course for long, and you just want to try out a bit of the language, you will be able to speak English in the more urban areas with ease.

Cactus Language offer French courses in the UK, New York, France and Canada, including Quebec!

Our favourite French words & expressions

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As much fun as learning a language can be, it can also be really frustrating. Throughout my seven years of learning French at school, I must admit I had more than one of those moments where I wanted to hit the roof… although that may have been due to my French teachers.

Although I disliked French lessons and homework at school, I have to confess that I do actually really like the language. Not only because it’s supposedly the language of love and because it sounds lovely, but also because it’s incredibly funny. Don’t believe me? Here are some examples:

Funiculaire

One of the great things about the French language is that words can look very exciting, thus tricking you into thinking they are referring to something exceptional and spectacular.

Funiculaire unfortunately only refers to a cable car, which is not that exciting at all.

quatre-vingt-dix-neuf = ninety nine

To this day I have always struggled with the way the French count. Literally translated quatre-ving-dix-neuf means 4 times 20 + 10 + 9. So if you are bad at maths, don’t even try counting in French!

Oeuf [œf]

Step 1: Take something as simple as an egg, add an incredibly strange spelling and an even funnier pronunciation and you get oeuf.

Boeuf

Step 2: Take the word for egg, add a “b” and trick people into thinking the two things are related.

I’m sparing you the possible embarrassment on your next trip to France by telling you that there is no actual connection between oeuf and boeuf (=beef).

Ennuyeux

Despite its spectacular spelling - which I always got wrong in school - ennuyex has a rather boring meaning - which is boring. (That’s the actual translation!).

Doigts des pied

Apparently there are no French words for toes but because there are moments in everyone’s life where it’s inevitable you will talk about them (e.g. whilst getting a pedicure or after breaking one of them and explaining to the doctor where it hurts) the French invented this very cute expression that literally translated means “Feet fingers”.

Talkie-Walkie instead of Walkie-Talkie

I tried to find a logical explanation for this. Then I realized: there isn’t one. So I came up with two possible reasons: a) this was originally a typing error which found its way into everyday-French b) it is just the French trying to be different.

Lunettes & Verre

I already stated that there are no French words for toes but that doesn’t mean that there is a shortage of words in the French language. Did you know that the French differentiate between glasses as in eyeglasses (lunettes) and glasses as in glasses of water (verre)? No? Well, now you know.

Parler le francais comme une vache espagnole

I’m not really sure why the French dislike the Spanish but literally translated this sentence means: speaking French like a Spanish cow. It is used when someone hardly speaks any French… or has a Spanish accent?

The Influence of French on the English Language

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The Norman invasion of England in 1066 had a major impact not only on the country, but also on the English language. William the Conqueror and his merry band of Normans brought with them Norman French, which became the language of the court, government and the upper class for the next three centuries. English continued to be used by ordinary people, and Latin was the language of the church. Read more →

Our favourite English words & expressions

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It doesn’t matter how much time your English teachers at school spend explaining the differences between American and British spelling or how often they tell you to pronounce privacy (with a short “i”) instead of priiiiiivacy. With American TV-Series, books and adverts abound, most non-native English speakers will likely end up with American vocabulary and a ‘weird’ accent.

There is not much you can do about the accent, only practice – my tip: listen to the BBC and you’ll get it eventually.

As far as vocabulary goes, here are some very useful tips:

- a biscuit is a biscuit, not a cookie

- something goes in the bin, not in the trash

- don’t use “awesome” too often

- and most important: don’t finish your sentences with “Dude!”

In addition to that, here are some great, funny and very British expressions, which will help demonstrate your grasp of Her Majesty’s English and earn you respect with her subjects:

wonky

“Wonky” is used to describe something that is crooked or not straight, e.g. he has a wonky nose, that shelf is wonky.

flabbergasted

It might look, like someone just made this up or drunk-texted it, but the word dates back to the 18th century, meaning astonished. How flabbergasting!

Knickers

Not a rival to a popular chocolate bar, but a rather cute way to describe ladies’ undergarments.

“Cheers!”

This is really confusing for people who visit the UK for the first time, as it’s not only used as a toast when raising one’s glass “Cheers!” but can also be used to thank someone, to end a conversation or simply to say goodbye.

Rubbish – noun & adjective

“Rubbish” is another very useful word that may be used in a lot of different situations. As a noun it can simply refer to litter, which belongs in the bin, not trash (see above). Similarly it can be used as an adjective to describe something or someone (not very nice!) as being poor, worthless, very bad or worse… e.g. “His new song is rubbish!”

“Awesome sauce!”

A funny expression I found online along with this humorous description: “The invisible substance emitted by anything awesome, inherently making itself, and anything it covers, awesome.”

Please see warning notes re frequent usage of “awesome” above. “Awesome sauce” on the other hand, is safe and can’t be said often enough.

Shenanigans or Malarkey

“Shenanigans” was one of my favourite words long before I even knew what it meant, namely nonsense. As it turns out there is a wealth of words on offer to paraphrase “humbug” including another favourite of mine “Malarkey”.

knackered - adjective

Another great word that reminds me a lot of “knickers” (although there is no relationship to my knowledge) - it’s a quintessentially British way of describing that something or someone is extremely tired or worn out.

Snookums

If you’re bored of calling your better half “my dear” or you simply like to stand out from the crowd, you should definitely go with “snookums” – defined by the Urban Dictionary as an endearing nickname, often with a gentle note of sarcasm or humour - also a small blue dinosaur from Moshi Monsters….

We hope you have enjoyed Clara’s journey through Her Majesty’s English and will find use for some of the words and expressions - which will have you sounding more British than 007 in a jiffy.

Join us again next time for more of our favourite foreign words and expressions!

Next up: French

The most delicious idioms in the French language

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The French boast one of the most refined and delicious cuisines in the world and amazing, subtle idioms alike. A significant number of them are inspired by gastronomic references. 

Idiomatic expressions exist in all languages but they do not always use the same images for comparison of one object or phenomenon with another. The food-centred expressions are based on the names of fruits, vegetables, desserts, the most common and popular dishes.

Everybody seems to be familiar with la crème de la crème, the expression indicating something superlative and the very best. One of its meanings, the highest social set, has another edible idiomatic synonym, tout le gratin, meaning the upper crust, everybody who’s anybody, while le gratin itself is a baked dish with crusty top, common every day dish enjoyed by all the French.

Être tout sucre tout miel, literally to be all sugar and honey, refers to acting in a polite and considerate way, sometimes hiding negative feelings. Ménager la chèvre et le chou, to tend both goats and cabbages, stands for having a foot in both camps, in English. Tomber dans les pommes, to fall in the apples, is nothing else but a more elegant way of saying to faint, to be unconscious, to knock out even if there is no obvious link between apples and passing out. Making things up, telling tales becomes raconter des salades in French, which evokes the green lettuce, a typical French starter or a side dish.

La lune de miel, another honey-based metaphor, seems to be a literal translation of honeymoon with exactly the same meaning of the happy holiday taken by the newlyweds, which is in French a calque from English. Etymologically, the sweetest first month of a relationship was linked to a phase of moon, which has produced the same image in a variety of languages. 

A similar image is used to say ‘it’s a piece of cake’ (c’est du gâteau), both referring to something easy and enjoyable. When a French speaker feels like drawing a line between their own private space (or a garden ?) and that of the curious neighbour they usually say occupe-toi de tes oignons (Take care of your own onions) sounding as rude as ‘that’s none of your business’. It is not all sugar and honey, you see!

It would be wrong not to mention cheese-related idioms in the context of food-centred expressions since France is proud of its various sorts of cheese, and one of the most common is the idiom, en faisant tout un fromage (making a whole cheese out of it), which translates as to ‘make a big deal’ out of something.

Such idioms often sound funny and it takes not only an excellent command of the language itself, but also a good sense of humour, to appreciate them fully. For example, comme un cheveu dans la soupe means literally like a hair in soup, while its figurative meaning is to appear unexpectedly, as a surprise, to be inappropriate. 

The French delicious idioms se vendent comme des petits pains chauds, they ‘go like hotcakes’ being des cerises sur le gâteau, cherries or icing on the cake in terms of language learning - they make everybody’s speech spicier and savvier. In the classroom, they introduce a relaxed atmosphere, getting students more motivated to learn long lists of vocabulary and to work on sophisticated recipes language-wise. Making up dialogues as pair work on delicious idioms, flashcard activities or even writing a one page long short story using a sequence of as many food and cuisine-related expressions as possible that makes sense is an extra challenge for French learners. 

For more sweet and salty idioms and food visit http://www.chocolateandzucchini.com.

Cactus Language offer a variety of French language courses in the UK, New York, France and Canada!