Learn how to confirm bus destinations
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Hello and welcome to Portuguese Survival Phrases brought to you by PortuguesePod101.com, this course is designed to equip you with the language skills and knowledge to enable you to get the most out of your visit to Brazil. You will be surprised at how far a little Portuguese will go. |
| Now, before we jump in, remember to stop by PortuguesePod101.com and there, you will find the accompanying PDF. If you stop by, be sure to leave us a comment. |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| The bus is an important means "of transportation. However, before you get on the bus you probably want to confirm if the bus is going to your destination. We can accomplish this by asking, "Will this bus go to...," and then add your destination. In Brazil, the best way to get somewhere is to ask about landmarks near where you want to go. Let's say your hotel is on Copacabana beach so we'll use Copacabana beach as our landmark. |
| So in Portuguese, "Will this bus go to Copacabana?" is Esse ônibus passa em Copacabana? |
| Esse ônibus passa em Copacabana? |
| Let’s break it down by syllable: Esse ônibus passa em Copacabana? |
| And one time fast: Esse ônibus passa em Copacabana? |
| The first word, esse, means "that." |
| esse |
| esse |
| This is followed by ônibus, which in Portuguese is "bus." |
| ônibus |
| ônibus |
| The next word, passa, means "pass" or "pass by." |
| passa |
| passa |
| Next, we have em, which means "in." |
| em |
| em |
| Then you just plug in your destination: Copacabana. |
| So all together, we have Esse ônibus passa em Copacabana? |
| Literally, this means, "This bus passes by Copacabana?" |
| Since it is a question, always remember that you need to raise your voice at the end of the sentence: Esse ônibus passa em Copacabana? |
| These first two words, esse ônibus, "this bus," can often be left out because of the context. If you say, Passa em Copacabana? "Are you going by Copacabana?" the esse ônibus part is understood. |
| Once you have the right bus, there are a few things you need to know about riding the bus. |
| When do you pay? |
| Usually there are two employees on the bus. The driver and the cobrador, or "cashier." The cobrador will be in a raised seat about fifteen feet from the front door. You pay when you cross that rolling bar. |
| How much is it? |
| Prices depend on distance to travel and where you are. I've seen prices anywhere from ¢50 centavos up to R$4 reais but the average fare is between R$1 and R$2 reais. Remember that all tickets are one-way. |
| How do you get off? |
| There are always at least two cords or ropes of some kind inside the bus on each side. If you see your stop approaching you just pull that cord which sends a signal to the driver to pull over at the next stop. |
| CULTURAL INSIGHTS |
| Many cities in Brazil, but not all, have what is called o terminal. This means "the terminal" or "end stop on a route" and is where you get off, but some are special. These special terminals are more like changing stations than actual stop points. You do have to get off the bus but you can get on another one for free. |
| For example, you live in Várzea Grande about thirty minutes outside of Cuiabá, which is the capital of Mato Grosso, a Brazilian state that borders Bolivia. You need to get to the far side of Cuiabá about twenty-five miles away. Normally you would have to pay for and get on and off of four or five buses to get there at a cost of about eight dollars each way. Then you remember that both Várzea Grande and Cuiabá have o terminal. So, you ask the bus that pulls up, Esse ônibus passa em o terminal? They respond, Sim, and you board the bus and pay the $1.60 ticket. You arrive at the terminal and change to a bus going to the Cuiabá terminal without paying for a new ticket. Then you arrive at the Cuiabá terminal, change busses to one of the other terminals closer to your final destination, once again not paying a new ticket. Then you arrive at the next o terminal and change buses again to your destination, again, not paying for a new ticket. So, you've arrived at your destination for R$1.60 instead of R$8. |
| The trade off is that going from terminal to terminal is slower, anywhere from ten minutes to one personal case of three hours slower. But you saved yourself a total of R$6.40 one way. If you did the same thing on the way back you'd save over R$13 and that's a decent meal at a restaurant. |
Outro |
| Okay, to close out this lesson, we'd like you to practice what you've just learned. I'll provide you with the English equivalent of the phrase and you're responsible for saying it aloud. You have a few seconds before I give you the answer, so boa sorte! |
| “Will this bus go to Copacabana?” - Esse ônibus passa em Copacabana? |
| Esse ônibus passa em Copacabana? |
| Esse ônibus passa em Copacabana? |
| Alright, that's going to do it for today. Remember to stop by PortuguesePod101.com and pick up the accompanying PDF. If you stop by, be sure to leave us a comment. |
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