Terminaram na Semana Passada — A2

1

Listen to the episode

Áudio: COERLL · University of Texas at Austin · Também disponível no Apple Podcasts →

2

Read the dialogue

At a party, a woman asks an innocent question and accidentally uncovers fresh breakup gossip.

A: Oi Daniela, por quê o Marcos não veio com você?

Hi Daniela, why didn't Marcos come with you?

B: Eu, me dá licença, eu vou pro banheiro.

I, excuse me, I'm going to the bathroom.

C: Por quê você perguntou isso, mulher? Eles terminaram na semana passada.

Why did you ask her that, girl? They broke up last week.

A: Nossa, eu não sabia, ninguém me falou nada.

Wow, I didn't know, nobody told me.

C: Você viu, ela tava quase chorando!

Did you see, she was almost crying.

A: Mas foi realmente sem querer. Realmente, eu não sabia de nada.

But it really was by accident. Really, I didn't know anything.

3

Language focus

Focus 1

Terminaram — pretérito perfeito de terminar

English: They broke up / ended things (a relationship)

Terminar means "to end" — used with a couple, it means "to break up." Terminaram is the pretérito perfeito (simple past) form, often paired with a specific past time marker like na semana passada.

Eles terminaram na semana passada.
They broke up last week. Ela terminou o namoro ontem.
She ended the relationship yesterday.

Focus 2

Ninguém... nada — negação dupla

English: Nobody... anything (double negation, required in Portuguese)

Unlike English, Portuguese requires two negative words in sentences like this: ninguém (nobody) + verb + nada (nothing/anything) — dropping either one sounds wrong.

Ninguém me falou nada.
Nobody told me anything. Eu não sabia de nada.
I didn't know anything.

Focus 3

Tava + gerúndio & vocabulário de relacionamentos

English: was + -ing (colloquial estar + gerund) + relationship vocabulary

Tava is the everyday spoken contraction of estava (was), commonly combined with a gerund to describe an action in progress in the past: "ela tava quase chorando" = "she was almost crying."

Ela tava quase chorando!
She was almost crying! Terminar — to break up · Namoro — relationship
Chorar — to cry · Sem querer — by accident

💬 Culture note Breakup gossip travels fast at Brazilian parties — asking "cadê fulano?" (where's so-and-so?) about a missing partner is a very common conversational trap, and the awkward, well-meaning "sem querer" (by accident) apology that follows is a familiar social reflex.

🔊 Phonology note Notice tava (for estava) — a very common informal contraction in spoken Brazilian Portuguese where the initial "es-" is dropped. You'll hear this constantly in casual conversation, though it's not used in formal writing.

4

Exercises

Exercise 1 — Comprehension check

Choose the correct answer based on the dialogue.

1. Por que Marcos não veio à festa?

Porque ele e a namorada terminaram na semana passada. Porque ele estava doente. Porque ele foi trabalhar.

2. Como Daniela estava quando eles terminaram?

Quase chorando. Muito feliz. Com raiva.

3. O que A diz sobre ter perguntado pelo Marcos?

Que foi sem querer, ela não sabia de nada. Que ela fez de propósito. Que ela já sabia do término.

Exercise 2 — Terminaram, ninguém, nada ou tava?

Fill in each gap to complete the sentence with the correct word.

1. Eles na semana passada.

2. me falou nada sobre isso.

3. Ninguém me falou .

4. Ela quase chorando.

5. Ele trabalhando muito essa semana.

Exercise 3 — Vocabulário de relacionamentos

Match each Portuguese word to its English meaning.

1. Terminar

2. Namoro

3. Chorar

4. Sem querer

5. Ninguém

Exercise 4 — Your turn

Write 4–6 sentences in Portuguese about a time you found out surprising news. Use terminaram (or another pretérito perfeito verb), ninguém... nada, and tava + gerúndio at least once each.