Como eu chego lá?
Chapter Overview
This chapter continues Unit III by giving you the tools to ask for and give directions, read a simple map, and talk about how to get somewhere by different kinds of transportation. You will build on the location and movement language from Capítulo 8 (estar, ficar, ir a/para, and the contractions no/na/do/da) and add request formulas, the contrast between por and para, the preposition até, the pattern de...a, and connectors that let you sequence a set of directions. You will also begin producing the Brazilian progressive (estar + gerúndio) on your own, after meeting it only as a recognition item in Capítulo 11.
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Ask for directions politely using request formulas.
- Give simple directions using sequence connectors such as primeiro, depois, and então.
- Distinguish por and para in concrete directional meanings.
- Use até and the pattern de...a to mark starting points, endpoints, and routes.
- Talk about transportation, using pegar and tomar for "to take/catch" a bus, train, or taxi.
- Produce the Brazilian progressive (estar + gerúndio) to describe what is happening right now.
- Combine these systems into a short spoken and written exchange about getting from one place to another.
Communication Scenario
You are visiting a Brazilian city and need to get from where you are to a specific destination. You stop someone on the street, or message a friend, to ask how to get there — recycling the location, transportation, and plan-making language from Capítulos 8 and 11.
- This chapter activates request formulas, por/para in concrete directional meanings, até, de...a, sequence connectors, and pegar/tomar for the first time.
- The Brazilian progressive (estar + gerúndio), recognition-only in Capítulo 11, is now an active productive system for describing ongoing actions.
- You may invent your own city, streets, and destination if you prefer not to describe a real place.
Core Vocabulary
The following vocabulary supports asking for and giving directions and talking about transportation. Continue using the places and location vocabulary from Capítulo 8 as needed.
| Portuguese | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| a rua, a avenida, a esquina, o quarteirão | the street, the avenue, the corner, the block | feminine/masculine as marked |
| à direita, à esquerda, em frente, perto, longe | to the right, to the left, straight ahead, near, far | direction and distance formulas |
| virar | to turn | regular -ar verb |
| atravessar | to cross | regular -ar verb |
| seguir | to continue, to follow | irregular -ir verb; siga em frente is formulaic |
| o mapa | the map | masculine noun despite ending in -a |
| o ônibus, o metrô, o trem, o táxi, a bicicleta | the bus, the subway, the train, the taxi, the bicycle | transportation nouns |
| pegar | to take/catch (transportation) | regular -ar verb; widely used across Brazil |
| tomar | to take (transportation) | regular -ar verb; more formal/written alternative to pegar |
| a parada, a estação, o ponto | the stop, the station, the (bus) stop | o ponto is a common regional term for a bus stop |
| com licença, desculpe, você poderia me dizer...? | excuse me, sorry, could you tell me...? | request formulas, recycled from register policy |
| primeiro, depois, então, finalmente | first, then/after, then/so, finally | sequence connectors |
All nouns are listed with gender information where relevant. Diacritics must be preserved in every written use of this vocabulary.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
Use these formulas to open a request for directions or information from a stranger.
- Com licença, você poderia me dizer onde fica a estação? Excuse me, could you tell me where the station is?
- Desculpe, como eu chego até o museu? Sorry, how do I get to the museum?
Você poderia...? uses the conditional of poder as a formulaic softening device; its internal grammar is not analyzed until later volumes. Learn it here as a fixed polite question opener.
In this chapter, por and para keep their concrete directional meanings only. Para marks a destination; por marks the route or path you pass through.
- Este ônibus vai para o centro. This bus goes to downtown. para + destination
- Siga por esta avenida até a praça. Continue along this avenue up to the square. por + route, até + endpoint
Idiomatic, abstract, and passive-like uses of por/para are not activated in this chapter; they develop in later volumes.
Use até to mark "up to" a point, and de...a to mark a route from one place to another.
- Da estação até o hotel são dez minutos a pé. From the station to the hotel it's a ten-minute walk. de + a (contracted as "da") ... até
- O trem vai da praça ao aeroporto. The train goes from the square to the airport. de...a pattern, with "a" contracted as "ao"
Recall the contractions do/da/dos/das and ao/à/aos/às from Capítulos 4 and 8; the de...a pattern uses them together to frame a route.
Use connectors to order a set of instructions clearly.
- Primeiro, siga em frente. Depois, vire à direita. Então, atravesse a rua. First, go straight. Then, turn right. Then, cross the street.
You can now build your own estar + gerúndio sentences to describe an action happening right now. Form the gerund by replacing the infinitive ending: -ar → -ando (andar → andando), -er → -endo (descer → descendo), -ir → -indo (seguir → seguindo). Combine it with the conjugated form of estar that you already control: Eu estou andando até a estação. ("I am walking to the station.") This chapter activates the Brazilian pattern only; the European pattern estar a + infinitivo remains receptive comparative information for later volumes.
- Estou procurando a rua Augusta. I'm looking for Augusta Street. estar (eu) + procurando (gerund)
- Nós estamos esperando o ônibus. We are waiting for the bus. estar (nós) + esperando (gerund)
Model Dialogue
Note está chegando in the resident's last line — the progressive is now active for production, so learners should be able to build similar sentences themselves.
Guided Practice
- Reread the model dialogue and underline every direction connector (primeiro, depois, então).
- Choose por or para: Este trem vai ______ o centro. / Siga ______ esta avenida até a praça.
- Complete with até or de...a: Da estação ______ o hotel são dez minutos. / O ônibus vai ______ praça ______ aeroporto.
- Build the gerund and complete with estar: Eu ______ (procurar) a rua Augusta. / Nós ______ (esperar) o ônibus.
Listening Task
If no audio recording is available, ask a partner, instructor, or text-to-speech tool to read the script below aloud, or read it aloud to yourself slowly.
- What is the first direction the speaker gives?
- Where exactly is the train station located?
- What two transportation options does the speaker mention besides walking?
Speaking Task
Prática controlada — Controlled practice: three sentences
Say each sentence aloud: Com licença, como eu chego até ______? (a request); Primeiro ______, depois ______. (a two-step direction); Eu estou ______ (gerúndio). (an ongoing action)
Tarefa comunicativa — Communicative task: give directions
With a partner, take turns asking how to get to a place in your city or campus and giving directions using at least two sequence connectors, por/para, and one transportation verb (pegar or tomar).
Prática individual — Solo alternative
Record yourself giving directions from your home to a nearby place, using at least three connectors, até, and one sentence with the progressive describing what you are doing as you walk or ride there.
Reading Task
Uma mensagem de Beatriz
Oi! Estou chegando na sua cidade amanhã. Você poderia me dizer como eu chego do aeroporto até o seu apartamento? Eu estou pensando em pegar um táxi, mas talvez seja mais barato pegar o metrô. Da estação do aeroporto até o centro são uns quarenta minutos. Depois, é só uns dez minutos a pé até a sua rua. Estou tão animada para essa viagem! Me avise qual caminho você recomenda.
Notice estou chegando, estou pensando, and estou animada in this message. The first two are productive progressive forms; estou animada uses estar with an adjective, already active since Capítulo 4.
Tarefa de leitura — Reading task:
- What two transportation options does Beatriz consider?
- How long does the trip take from the airport station to downtown?
- What does Beatriz ask her friend to tell her?
Writing Task
Complete the following linked writing tasks in order to build a short message giving directions to a friend.
Tarefa 1 — Request: Write one polite request sentence asking how to get somewhere.
Tarefa 2 — Route: Write one sentence using de...a or até to describe the route.
Tarefa 3 — Ongoing action: Write one sentence with the progressive describing something you are doing right now while traveling.
Tarefa 4 — Full message: Combine Tarefas 1–3 into one short message of five to six sentences asking for and confirming directions, following the model of Beatriz's message in the Reading Task.
- Draft each section separately. Write the request, the route, and the ongoing-action sentences one at a time before combining them.
- Combine the sections into one message. Add a greeting at the start, recycled from Capítulo 1.
- Check por/para. Confirm para marks the destination and por marks the route.
- Check the gerund form. Confirm the ending matches the infinitive group (-ando/-endo/-indo) and that estar agrees with the subject.
- Check diacritics. Confirm that forms such as até, à direita, and estação keep their correct spelling.
Lista de revisão — Editing checklist:
- The message includes a greeting, a request, a sequenced route, and an ongoing-action sentence.
- por and para are used correctly for route and destination.
- até and/or de...a are used correctly to frame the route.
- The progressive is formed correctly, with estar agreeing with the subject.
- All diacritics are preserved.
Culture and Communication
In many Brazilian cities, it is common and expected to stop a stranger on the street to ask for directions, especially when opening with a polite formula such as com licença or desculpe. People often respond with more detail than strictly necessary, including landmarks and estimated walking time, which can help you confirm you understood correctly.
Pegar and tomar are both used across Brazil for "to take" transportation, though pegar is more frequent in everyday spoken language while tomar appears somewhat more in formal or written contexts. Local terms for a bus stop, such as o ponto, and the names of transit systems vary by city; this chapter presents general vocabulary rather than one city's specific system.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: Saying Este ônibus vai por o centro to mean "this bus goes to downtown."
Correction: Use para for the destination: Este ônibus vai para o centro. Reserve por for the route you travel through: Ele passa por esta rua.
Error: Writing Eu estou seguendo instead of the correct -ir gerund ending.
Correction: -ir verbs take -indo: Eu estou seguindo em frente. Double-check the infinitive group before adding the gerund ending.
Error: Saying only Eu procurando a rua, without a conjugated form of estar.
Correction: The progressive always needs a conjugated estar: Eu estou procurando a rua.
Chapter Summary
O que você praticou — What you practiced
This chapter activated request formulas, the concrete directional contrast between por and para, até, the de...a pattern, sequence connectors, and pegar/tomar, while making the Brazilian progressive an active productive system. You practiced these systems by asking for and giving directions and describing ongoing actions across listening, speaking, reading, and writing tasks.
Chapter Review
Parte A — Compreensão (Comprehension)
1. Return to the Model Dialogue, and answer these short questions.
- What two ways can the visitor get to the museum?
- Where exactly is the bus stop, according to the resident?
Parte B — Escrita (Writing)
1. Write one sentence with para marking a destination and one with por marking a route.
2. Write one sentence with the progressive describing an action happening right now.
Parte C — Leitura (Reading)
1. Return to the Uma mensagem de Beatriz passage in the Reading Task, and list the two transportation options she considers.
Parte D — Fala (Speaking)
1. Tell a partner how to get from your classroom or home to a nearby place, using at least two sequence connectors.
Practical Performance Task
Chapter 12 Practical Check
Como eu chego lá? Asking For and Giving Directions
Complete the following connected tasks, in order, as one integrated performance.
- Read the Uma mensagem de Beatriz passage. Answer the comprehension questions above before continuing.
- Make a polite request. Use a request formula to ask how to get somewhere.
- Give sequenced directions. Use at least two connectors and the por/para contrast.
- Mark the route. Use até or de...a.
- Mention transportation. Use pegar or tomar with a transportation noun.
- Describe an ongoing action. Use the progressive at least once.
- Combine all steps into one spoken and written exchange about getting somewhere, applying the editing checklist from the Writing Task.
| Criterion | What is assessed |
|---|---|
| Requests | The learner uses a request formula appropriately to ask for directions. |
| Por/para | The learner distinguishes route and destination correctly in concrete directional uses. |
| Até and de...a | The learner marks a route or endpoint correctly. |
| Transportation | The learner uses pegar or tomar accurately with transportation vocabulary. |
| Progressive | The learner forms estar + gerúndio correctly, with subject agreement on estar and the correct gerund ending. |
| Diacritics and spelling | The learner preserves diacritics throughout, including até, à direita, and estação. |
This checkpoint uses only material activated through Chapter 12.
Answer Key
Guided Practice
- Sample: primeiro, depois — other correct identifications from the dialogue are also acceptable.
- para / por
- até / da...ao (de...a, contracted)
- estou procurando / estamos esperando
Listening Task — Comprehension
- The first direction is to go straight along the street to the square (siga em frente por esta rua até a praça).
- The station is across from the market, near the park (em frente ao mercado, perto do parque).
- The speaker mentions the bus (ônibus 15) and a taxi (táxi).
Reading Task
- Beatriz considers a taxi and the subway (táxi and metrô); the trip from the airport station to downtown takes about forty minutes; she asks her friend to recommend which route to take.
Chapter Review
- The visitor can walk (about ten minutes) or take bus 42; the stop is right in front of the pharmacy.
- Sample: Este trem vai para o aeroporto. / Siga por esta rua. (other accurate sentences following the same patterns are also correct)
- Sample: Eu estou esperando o ônibus. (other accurate progressive sentences are also correct)
- The taxi (o táxi) and the subway (o metrô).
Looking Ahead
O que você já sabe fazer — What you can do now
You can ask for and give simple directions, sequence a set of instructions, distinguish route from destination, talk about transportation, and describe what is happening right now using the progressive.