Portuguese Year 2: Talking together: your turn, the right words and good manners
Portuguese, Year 2 (Portugal): Wait for your turn, choose polite words for the person you are talking to, and ask, request and answer the right way.
One at a time, and words for who is in front of you
In a conversation, one person speaks at a time. You raise your hand, wait for your turn and listen until the end. Then you choose words for who is in front of you: to a friend you say «Olá!» (Hi!) and «tu»; to an adult you do not know, «Bom dia!» (Good morning!) and «o senhor» or «a senhora». You ask with «por favor» and thank with «obrigado» or «obrigada». Answering what you are asked is also helping the talk.
So that everyone is heard
When two people talk at once, nobody hears anything. Waiting for your turn shows respect and lets you understand before answering. Polite words are like a soft cushion: the other person is happier to help. And a question that fits the person and the place gets a better answer.
Asking for a pencil
You need a pencil. Step 1: who is in front of you? To a classmate you say «Podes emprestar-me um lápis?» (Can you lend me a pencil?) To the teacher you say «Professora, pode emprestar-me um lápis, por favor?» (Teacher, could you lend me a pencil, please?) Step 2: raise your hand and wait for your turn. Step 3: listen to the answer, for example «Claro, aqui tens.» (Of course, here you are.) Step 4: say «Obrigado!» or «Obrigada!» (Thank you!).
Asking is not ordering
Many children say «Dá-me o lápis!» (Give me the pencil!) to everybody. Between friends playing it may pass, but to an adult or someone you do not know it sounds like an order, not a request: «por favor» and the right form are missing. Another mistake is speaking while the other person is still speaking. Even if you know the answer, wait.
Where you talk like this
You use this in class when you want to speak, at the café when you ask for a juice, in a shop, on the phone with grandma or at the doctor's. In all of them you listen, wait, choose how to address the person and use good-manners words: «por favor» (please), «com licença» (excuse me), «desculpa» (sorry), «obrigado» (thanks).
Test what you learned
You want to say something in class, but a classmate is still talking. What is best?
- a) Raise my hand, wait until he finishes and then speak
- b) Speak louder so everyone hears me
- c) Start talking at once to save time
Correct answer: a) Raise my hand, wait until he finishes and then speak — Yes: you show you want to speak, you respect him and you listen to what he says.
At the bus stop you want to ask a lady you do not know what time it is. Which is the best way?
- a) «Que horas são?» (What time is it?)
- b) «Diz-me as horas!» (Tell me the time!)
- c) «Desculpe, pode dizer-me as horas, por favor?» (Excuse me, could you tell me the time, please?)
Correct answer: c) «Desculpe, pode dizer-me as horas, por favor?» (Excuse me, could you tell me the time, please?) — Yes: «Desculpe» and «por favor» are polite, and «pode» is the right form for an adult you do not know.
Your friend says: «Quando sei a resposta, não espero: digo logo.» (When I know the answer, I don't wait: I say it at once.) What is wrong with that?
- a) Nothing: knowing the answer gives you the right to speak
- b) Even if you know it, you wait for your turn; otherwise the other person is cut off
- c) Only the teacher may speak at once
Correct answer: b) Even if you know it, you wait for your turn; otherwise the other person is cut off — Yes: waiting lets the other finish and lets everybody hear. It is respect and cooperation.
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