Portuguese Year 2: The meaning of words: context, subjects and figurative sense
Portuguese, Year 2 (Portugal): The same word can mean different things in different subjects, and an expression can say something other than what its words say.
Context and figurative sense
A word has a meaning, but it changes with where it appears. «Nota» (note) in Music is a sound (dó, ré, mi); in Maths, a «nota de 5 euros» is money. To find out what a new word means, look at the words around it: the context. And some expressions are not read literally: «ter um coração de ouro» (to have a heart of gold) does not mean the heart is made of gold, but that the person is very kind. That is the figurative (or connotative) sense; the literal sense is what the words say.
Knowing only one meaning is not enough
Someone who knows only one meaning of each word reads badly. In every subject new words appear, or known words with another meaning, and the context helps you understand them without going straight to the dictionary. People also often speak in images: if you read «estou a morrer de fome» (I am dying of hunger) literally, you would be alarmed. Understanding the figurative sense is understanding what the person really means.
The stem, the note and the golden heart
Step 1, context: in Environmental Studies you read «O caule sustenta a planta e leva a água até às folhas.» (The «caule» holds up the plant and carries water to the leaves.) You do not know «caule», but the sentence says it holds up the plant and carries water to the leaves: it is the part between the root and the leaves. Step 2, subjects: «nota» is a sound in Music and money in Maths. Step 3, figurative sense: «A avó tem um coração de ouro.» (Grandma has a heart of gold.) Literally, a golden heart? Impossible. Figuratively: she is very kind. Step 4: always ask yourself if it makes sense literally.
Reading literally what is figurative
The mistake is reading literally what is figurative: when someone says «estou a morrer de fome» (I am dying of hunger), nobody is dying, it means they are very hungry; «custar os olhos da cara» (to cost the eyes of your face) means to be very expensive. The opposite mistake is thinking every sentence is figurative: «O Rui tem um cão pequeno» (Rui has a small dog) is literal. How to tell? If it makes no sense literally, or the context shows an exaggeration or an image, look for the figurative sense.
Where you meet these meanings
In Environmental Studies, Maths and Music books, new words are explained by the sentences around them. In poems and stories, authors say things through images («o sol sorriu», the sun smiled). And in everyday talk: «andar com a cabeça no ar» (to have your head in the clouds: to be absent-minded), «chover a cântaros» (to rain buckets). Noticing these meanings makes you a more attentive reader.
Test what you learned
«Ter um coração de ouro» (to have a heart of gold) means…
- a) having a heart made of gold
- b) being a very kind person
- c) being very rich
Correct answer: b) being a very kind person — Yes: it is the figurative sense; the heart stands for feelings, and gold for something precious.
In Estudo do Meio you read: «A raiz prende a planta à terra e bebe a água do solo.» (The «raiz» holds the plant to the ground and drinks the water from the soil.) What is a «raiz»?
- a) The part of the plant under the ground that holds it and takes in water
- b) The flower that gives colour
- c) The fruit we eat
- d) The leaf that gives shade
Correct answer: a) The part of the plant under the ground that holds it and takes in water — Yes: the clues are «prende à terra» and «bebe a água»: it is the part below, holding and drinking.
«Estou a morrer de fome» (I'm dying of hunger). What is the right reading?
- a) Literal: the person is really dying
- b) The person has just finished eating
- c) Figurative: the person is very hungry
Correct answer: c) Figurative: the person is very hungry — Yes: it is figurative; it exaggerates to say she is very hungry.
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