Practice your Portuguese by listening to and translating songs from Portuguese to your native language. This song is called “Viva a Cerveja“, by The Lucky Duckies.
By the way, if you’re looking for more information on beer in Portugal or how to order drinks in Portugal, you’ll find all that information here on this blog.
I’ve translated the song into English after the lyrics below. (the music video is not mine nor was it produced by me).
If you’re here from the 30-day Challenge for your daily goal, the task for today is to listen to the song a few times and try to follow along with the lyrics in Portuguese. At the end of the task, try to rate yourself and include the date. This is so you can later come back to this exercise and see how you have improved over time. Let’s jump in. (You don’t need to be a part of the challenge to do these suggested exercises 😉 )
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Tasks for the 30-Day Portuguese Challenge
- Beginners: Really actively listen to how the words are being pronounced. Before looking at the translation, underline the words you know and circle the ones you don’t. Write the words you don’t know into a list on your paper and save them for later. The main goal is to listen to the sounds of the language and be introduced to new vocabulary. If you’d like to take a step further, now look up words in the online dictionary and make notes if they are used in other contexts.
- Intermediates: After listening and looking at the lyrics – BUT NOT the translation yet – analyse the words more closely. Write down a summary of what you think the song is about. Then compare that to the translation. Then separate the words into different categories such as which ones are the verbs (actions), which ones are the nouns (names of things and people or animals) and which ones are the adjectives (descriptions). You can go a step further and indicate what tense the verbs are in. The main goal is to see how your comprehension is progressing and what you need to work more on.
- Advanced: After listening and looking at the Portuguese lyrics, your task is to translate the lyrics without any help. If you come across a word you’ve never seen, try an educated guess before looking it up in the dictionary. It doesn’t always have to make perfect sense. As I’m sure you know, sometimes artists will use a word or pronounce it in an uncommon way so it fits with the rhyme. Then compare it to the translation and see how you did. If you have the opportunity to go a little further, write a composition stating your opinion on the song. And that can be anything you like: the lyrics, the melody, the voice, the feelings, how you would change it if you didn’t like it, you name it. Try to include compound tenses and the subjunctive mood in your composition.
Viva a Cerveja
A temperatura a aumentar, o alcatrão a derreter
Este calor que queima o dá-me vontade de beber
Quero frescura que veja e o melhor pra’ra arrefecer
É uma cerveja!
Uma cerveja!
Pode ser loira, ruiva ou preta, caneca, fino ou garrafa
Aviso já, ninguém se meta com esta sede que me abafa
O que o meu corpo mais deseja, é uma lambreta, uma girafa
Uma cerveja!
Uma cerveja!
Ah uma cerveja! Dá gosto beber
Onde quer que seja, eu bebo, bebo com prazer
Como ela não há mais nenhuma, é uma bebida sem rival
Porque a coroa de alva espuma dá-lhe um aspeto imperial
Vai-se depressa, não sobeja, industrial, artesanal
Viva a cerveja!
Viva a cerveja!
É companheira em cada festa, em festivais e até na bola
De vez em quando só nos resta a companhia de um jola
Com ela tudo se festeja e tantas vezes nos consola
Uma cerveja!
Uma cerveja
Uma bejeca bem gelada também aquece o coração
E quando alguém paga a rodada não é possível dizer Não
Venha servida de bandeja, numa esplanada ou ao balcão
Viva a cerveja
Viva a cerveja
Viva a cerveeeja!
Translation
The temperature rising, the tarmac melting
This burning heat makes me want to drink
I want freshness that I can see and the best way to cool down
It’s a beer!
A beer!
It can be blonde, red or black/brunnette, caneca (mug), fino (beer glass) or bottle
I warn you, nobody messes with this thirst that stifles me
What my body wants most is a lambreta (mophed), a giraffe (large pitcher/jug of beer)
A beer!
A beer!
A beer! It’s enjoyable to drink
Wherever I drink, I drink with pleasure
There’s no other like it, it’s a drink without rival
Because its crown of foam gives it an imperial look
It goes quickly, there’s no surplus, industrial, artisanal
Long live beer!
Long live beer!
It’s a companion at every party, at festivals and even at the ball game
Every now and then all we have left is the company of a jola
Everything is celebrated with it and so often it comforts us
A beer!
A beer
A cold bejeca also warms the heart
And when someone buys the round, you can’t say no
Whether served on a tray, on a terrace or at the counter
Long live beer
Long live beer
Long live the cerveja!
For more songs in Portuguese click here.