Topic: Phrases to use at the beach
Welcome to the second episode about the beach. In this episode you will listen to important structures you can use on your way to the beach, using vocabulary from the previous episode.
Listen to the episode
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You want to let someone know you are going to the beach:
1) Eu vou à praia. vou from the verb ir, to go
Portugal has many beaches, and if you are a fan of the beach you have probably heard of the Algarve before, in the south part of the country. Going to the beach there is pretty straightforward, especially in the Summer. Just follow the cars and you'll end up at some great beach, with a parking lot, good access and water as hot as soup.
But there is another Algarve, on the west coast, that goes all the way up to Alentejo.
Here, in my opinion, you can find the true essence of the Portuguese coast, cold Atlantic waters, wind, waves, and amazing wild life. This is where we are going to the beach in this episode.
You are driving in your car and you see a fisherman walking to his car.
2) Há aqui uma praia? Is there a beach here?
This question uses the verb haver, to have, and it is used in a sentence with no subject.
Há can refer to singular or plural objects.
He answers:
3) Sim, há. Yes, there is.
4) Qual é o caminho para a praia? What (which) is the way to the beach?
The following instructions will use the structure
[verb ter (to have) + de + infinitive]
It's used when you want to express what you have to do.
So, the fisherman answers:
5) Tem de seguir o caminho até ao fim. You have to follow the path until the end.
The verb ter is conjugated in the 3rd person singular, for the formal treatment.
6) Tem de estacionar o carro. You have to park the car.
7) Tem de sair do carro. You have to get out of the car.
8) Tem de ir pelo primeiro caminho à direita. You have to go through the first path on the right.
9) Tem de descer a falésia. You have to go down the cliff.
10) Até chegar à areia. Until you reach the sand.
Then you ask if there are stairs.
11) Há escadas? Are there stairs?
Again here, the verb haver, conjugated.
He looks at you confused and says:
12) Não, não há escadas! No, there are no stairs.
13) É possivel ir à água? Is it possible to go to the water? or
14) É possível tomar banho? Is it possible to take a bath?
He answers:
15) É. It is.
You thank him and follow his instructions but you are walking for some time now and you can't find the path that goes down the cliff. You tell the person with you you are just going to take a look from the edge of the cliff to see where the beach is.
Be very careful, avoid doing this, the cliffs are not stable and people do fall!
The person with you asks:
16) O que vês? What do you see?
You answer:
17) Eu vejo uma praia magnífica. I see a magnificent beach.
18) Vejo o mar, as ondas, as gaivotas e conchas na areia. I see the sea, the waves, the seagulls and shells on the sand.
19) Vejo caranguejos, algas e lapas nas rochas. I see crabs, seaweeds and limpets on the rocks.
20) Vejo um barco no horizonte. I see a boat on the horizon.
21) E vês o caminho? And do you see the path?
22) Não... No…
And you stay both at the top of the cliff looking sadly at the sand with no footprints.
Maybe next time!
