Expert: James Rezende Piton - 9/15/2009

Question
Hi James.
1. Is that true that Portuguese people often repeat "Nao" after verb when they express commands, i.e. "Nao minta, nao!", while Brazilian people often remove "Nao" before the verb, i.e. "Minta, nao!"
2. Can you give me a brief explanation about how to express the adverb of manner? i.e. "She eats her bread slowly."
Obrigado.

Answer
Hi again, Joe

1. Yes, but also in Brazil we say "Não é verdade, não", with an additional ending "não" to emphasize "It's really not true". Short phrases like "É verdade, não" are often in regional sayings, specially in North/Northeast Brazil, with their characteristic accents.

2. The most common ending for many adverbs deriving from adjectives is often "-mente", as you probably noticed. So, as "lento" (or "lenta", fem.) stands for "slow", "lentamente" is a possible word for "slowly". "Rápido/rápida" for the adjective "fast" becomes "rapidamente" (without an acute over the a) as an adverb. As in English, some adverbs can have the same form of the corresponding adjective: "Ela chegou rápido" (not "rápida"!) or "Ela chegou rapidamente", both stand for "She arrived fast". The adverbe for "slowly" is "devagar" - in the example you chose: "Ela come o (seu) pão devagar" but it could be also "Ela come o (seu) pão lentamente". (the "seu" for "her (bread)" is normally omitted).

Best regards,
=james=