Unit 13 · HealthA2Lesson 1 of 5: The body
Parts of the body in European Portuguese
This lesson opens Unit 13, Health (Saúde), an A2 unit in which you say what hurts, describe your symptoms and get help at the pharmacy, the health centre and the hospital. You will meet 8 new words, such as a cabeça (head), a mão (hand) and o pé (foot), in 10 short sentences you can listen to. By the end you can say things like A Inês tem olhos verdes (“Inês has green eyes”). The unit’s grammar notes cover “Dói-me: saying what hurts” and “Estou constipado: a cold, not constipation”.
Words in this lesson
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
a cabeça | head |
a mão | handFeminine, unlike o pão or o cão. Plural: as mãos. |
o pé | footPlural: os pés. A pé = on foot. |
a perna | leg |
o braço | arm |
os olhos | eyesOne eye is o olho. |
a boca | mouth |
o corpo | body |
Example sentences
- A Inês tem olhos verdes.Inês has green eyes.
- Eu lavo as mãos antes de comer.I wash my hands before eating.With body parts, Portuguese says as mãos ("the hands"), not "my hands".
- Abra a boca, se faz favor.Doctor: Open your mouth, please.A doctor usually adds extra respect: Abra a boca. To a friend or a child: Abre a boca.
- O Tiago partiu o braço.Tiago broke his arm.In Portugal you partir a bone: partiu o braço = he broke his arm.
- Eu tenho os pés frios.My feet are cold.Literally "I have the feet cold".
- Fecha os olhos e dorme.Close your eyes and sleep.
- Levanta a perna esquerda.Raise your left leg.Levantar without -se = to raise, to lift.
- O Miguel é alto e tem pés grandes.Miguel is tall and has big feet.
- O desporto faz bem ao corpo.Sport is good for the body.Fazer bem a = to be good for.
- Tapa a cabeça, está frio!Cover your head, it's cold!Tapar = to cover.
Grammar notes
The grammar notes for this lesson are on the page for Unit 13: Health: