Portuguese Year 4: Beyond the literal meaning: figurative meaning and sound words
Portuguese, Year 4 (Portugal): Work out what an expression means when it is not to be read literally, and recognise words that imitate sounds.
Words that say more than the dictionary
Words can say more than the dictionary says. The literal meaning is what the word really says. The figurative meaning (connotation) is another one, given by use: «Ele tem um coração de ouro» (He has a heart of gold) does not mean his heart is made of gold, but that he is very kind. There are also words that imitate sounds: they are called onomatopoeias, like «au-au», «quá-quá» or «zzz».
Texts are full of them
Texts, comics, poems and conversations are full of expressions that are not meant literally. If you read them literally, you get lost: «chover a cântaros» (to rain buckets) has no jugs in it. Onomatopoeias give sound to writing: when you read «au-au!» (woof!) or «quá-quá!» (quack!), you almost hear the noise.
Working out «chover a cântaros»
Work out the meaning: «Hoje choveu a cântaros e fiquei todo molhado.» (Today it rained buckets and I got soaked.) Step 1: does it make sense literally? Cântaros are big jugs, and rain does not fall in jugs. Step 2: look at the rest: «fiquei todo molhado». Step 3: conclude: «chover a cântaros» means to rain a lot. Now a sound: «O pato fazia quá-quá na lagoa.» (The duck went quack in the pond.) Step 4: «quá-quá» imitates the sound of the duck: it is an onomatopoeia.
Reading everything literally
Two mistakes. Reading everything literally: «Estás na lua!» does not mean the person is on the Moon, but that they are not paying attention. And thinking that onomatopoeias are the same in every language. The rooster says «cocorocó» in Portuguese, «cocorico» in French and «kikeriki» in German: each language imitates the sound in its own way. So onomatopoeias have to be learnt too.
Comics, poems and everyday talk
You find this in comics («Au-au!», «Quá-quá!», «Zzz»), in poems and in news headlines. And in conversation: when you say you got «água na boca» (mouth watering) or that someone has «um coração de ouro» (a heart of gold), you are using the figurative meaning without thinking.
Test what you learned
Which of these words is an onomatopoeia (a word that imitates a sound)?
- a) cão
- b) ladrar
- c) au-au
- d) focinho
Correct answer: c) au-au — Yes: «au-au» imitates the sound a dog makes. It is an onomatopoeia.
«Quando o Rui viu o bolo, ficou com água na boca.» (When Rui saw the cake, he got water in his mouth.) What does it mean?
- a) His mouth got wet with water
- b) He drank a glass of water
- c) He felt a strong wish to eat it
- d) He felt sick
Correct answer: c) He felt a strong wish to eat it — Yes: seeing the cake made him want to eat it. «Água na boca» is a figurative expression.
The rooster says «cocorocó» in Portuguese and «cocorico» in French. What does this show?
- a) One of the two languages is wrong
- b) Each language imitates sounds in its own way
- c) Roosters sing differently in each country
Correct answer: b) Each language imitates sounds in its own way — Yes: the sound is the same, but each language writes it with its own sounds and letters.
Keep exploring
Other languages
Loading MyLeoNes™…