Common Capoeira Verbs: -AR

Verbs in Portuguese fall into three general categories: verbs ending with -AR, verbs ending with -ER, and verbs ending with –IR. We’ll start our study by looking at some –AR verbs common in capoeira.

MÚSICA

Explanation: This song describes a woman who knows what she wants and how to get it. Depending on the context, it can be sung in a complimentary way (for example, praising a skilled female capoeirista who can “order” the other player around and have the upper hand in the game) or in a critical way (for example, portraying a woman as bossy and domineering).

This drawing by Lieutenant Chamberlain, who visited Brazil in 1819-1820, shows a typical feira (marketplace) in colonial Rio de Janeiro (read more here):

And here's a modern feira - the largest marketplace in Salvador, Bahia, called the Feira de São Joaquim:

VOCABULÁRIO

GRAMÁTICA

Let’s look at the verb jogar, which is the infinitive: “to play.”

To conjugate the verb, we remove the –AR and add different endings:

These same endings can be applied to any of the –AR verbs in the table above, since they are all regular:

Eu falo português. = I speak Portuguese

Você toca berimbau muito bem. = You play berimbau very well.

Ela sempre chega atrasada. = She always arrives late.

Nós cantamos na aula de musica. = We sing in music class.

Eles não jogam capoeira. = They don’t play capoeira.

PRONÚNCIA (PRONUNCIATION)

When saying the infinitive of a verb, the stress is on the last syllable, the –AR:

Jo-gar (to play)

fa-lar (to speak)

en-si-nar (to teach)

co-me-çar (to start)

But when you conjugate the verb, the stress changes to the second-to-last syllable:

jo-go

fa-la

en-si-na­-mos

co-me­­-çam

PRATICAR

Instruções: Escolha a forma correta do verbo.

Instructions: Choose the correct form of the verb.

Ready for something more challenging? Try Quiz #2 and Quiz #3!

• Next members-only lesson: Common capoeira verbs: -ER