Study by subject
Portuguese
In Portuguese you memorise vocabulary, conjugations, the pronunciation of nasal vowels and false friends. Lumi asks them back until the right form comes on its own.
How to turn this subject into cards
Make one card per word with the gender and an example, and one card per verb with its main forms. Add a separate card for every false friend, because many words look like English, French or Spanish without having the same meaning. The trap is understanding when you read without being able to produce when you speak. With Lumi you say the answer before seeing it, and that test fixes more than rereading (Roediger and Karpicke, 2006). For nasal sounds, pair each word with its pronunciation. Review few cards but often, because spacing lengthens the memory (Cepeda et al., 2006). Add to each card an example from your own life, which makes the answer easier to find again.
What you need to know by heart
- Everyday vocabulary with the gender of each noun.
- The verbs ser, estar, ter and ir, and their present forms.
- Nasal vowels such as ão and õe, and how they sound.
- False friends that look close to English, French or Spanish.
- Differences between Brazilian and European Portuguese for a few common words.
It depends on the country
Brazilian Portuguese has a recognised exam, the Celpe-Bras, which assesses comprehension and expression. The cards of vocabulary, verbs and situations that you make with Lumi help you prepare for it. You pick the level you are aiming for, then write the cards that match what the test covers.
How Lumi helps you remember it
You teach your Portuguese cards to Lumi, words, verbs, pronunciations, false friends. It forgets over time, like you do, then quizzes you right before you would forget. As your exam or trip approaches, the Mist settles over what you know less well and Lumi asks that first. You arrive able to say the words, not only to understand them.
Example cards
Three cards the way you would write them, with the answer Lumi expects.
How do you say good morning in Portuguese?
Bom dia.
What does “onde fica a estação” mean?
Where is the station?
What does obrigado mean?
Thank you, said by a man.
Example card
Try it, Lumi turns it into fill in the blank questions in your browser.
Portuguese · teach this card to Lumi
Portuguese distinguishes the verbs ser and estar. Ser expresses a lasting identity and estar a temporary state. A man says obrigado and a woman says obrigada to say thank you. The word pão, with a nasal vowel, means bread.
Lumi’s question
Portuguese _____ the verbs ser and estar.
Pick the missing word
Answer right to light Lumi up
Its lamp fades when a fact slips away.
Frequently asked questions
- Brazilian or European Portuguese, which should I learn?
- Pick the one that matches your plan, travel, study or work, and write your cards in that variant. Note the few words that differ so you do not mix them up.
- How do I avoid false friends?
- Make one card per false friend with its real meaning and a sentence. Answer from memory, then let Lumi ask it again so the trap does not come back.
- How many cards should I do per session?
- Few, but every day. Short repeated sessions last longer than one big block (Cepeda et al., 2006).
Read next
Sources
- Roediger, Karpicke (2006). Test-enhanced learning. Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3). doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01693.x
- Cepeda, Pashler, Vul, Wixted, Rohrer (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks. A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3). doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.132.3.354
Teach this to Lumi
Give Lumi your portuguese notes, it gives them back as questions at the right moment.