Pressione Control C

Episódio 47 Língua da Gente Dar instruções passo a passo

Orlando R. Kelm · COERLL / University of Texas at Austin · CC BY 4.0

Step 1 — Listen

🎧 Listen to the podcast episode

First listen: What is the daughter teaching her mom to do on the computer? What does mom keep asking for?

Língua da Gente · Episode 47

Step 2 — Read the Dialogue

💬 The Conversation

Read along while listening. Notice the informal imperative (destaque, pressione) and deixa eu + infinitivo.

Mãe, é fácil, destaque e pressione Control C para copiar.

It's easy mom, highlight it and hit Control C to copy.

Peraí, deixa eu anotar isso, tá?

Let me write this down, OK?

E aí, pressione Control V para colar.

And then hit Control V to paste in.

Peraí, deixa eu anotar isso, tá?

Let me write this down, OK?

Step 3 — Language Focus

📖 Imperativo informal — Giving instructions

The daughter uses commands like "destaque" and "pressione" — the formal/polite imperative (based on the você form of the present subjunctive) used for instructions, even between family members.

Verb	Imperativo (você)	English
destacar	destaque	highlight
pressionar	pressione	press
colar → clicar	clique	click
copiar	copie	copy

📖 Deixa eu + infinitivo — Let me…

B repeats "deixa eu anotar isso" — this everyday phrase, literally "let me," is used constantly to ask for a moment to do something.

Phrase	Meaning	Example
deixa eu anotar	let me write it down	Peraí, deixa eu anotar isso.
deixa eu ver	let me see	Deixa eu ver o que você fez.
peraí	hold on / wait a sec (casual)	Contraction of espera aí.

💻 Vocabulário de tecnologia Common tech vocabulary: copiar/colar (copy/paste), tela (screen), teclado (keyboard), arquivo (file), anotar (to jot down/write down).

Step 4 — Practice

1 Imperativo Quiz

Choose the correct command form.

___ e pressione Control C para copiar.

✅ Correct! Destaque is the você imperative form of destacar.

Pressione Control V para ___.

✅ Correct! Colar = to paste.

Deixa eu anotar isso.

✅ Correct! Deixa eu + infinitivo = let me (do something).

Peraí.

✅ Correct! Peraí is a casual contraction of espera aí.

2 Complete the Dialogue

Fill in the blanks with the missing words.
Word bank: destaque · pressione · deixa eu · anotar

— Mãe, é fácil, e Control C para copiar.

— Peraí, isso, tá?

3 Comandos do Computador

Match the correct command for each computer action.

Telling someone to click the icon.

Asking for a moment to save the file.

Telling someone to press Control Z (undo).

Asking someone to wait a second.

4 Your Turn — Ensine algo simples

Write in Portuguese.
Write 4–6 sentences teaching someone to do something step by step (a recipe, a computer task, anything). Use the você imperative and deixa eu.

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