A2 — Elementary·10 min read·Literary Fiction·friendship

O Fim e o Princípio

A amizade entre a Marta e a Sónia acaba de forma dolorosa — e lentamente, com o tempo e a distância, começa a reconstruir-se.

Theme verbacabar—to finish / to end

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Story opening — Portuguese with English Translation

A Marta e a Sónia eram amigas desde os oito anos. Cresceram juntas em Setúbal, andaram na mesma escola, partilharam os mesmos segredos. Quando tinham vinte e dois anos, foram de férias juntas para o Alentejo, e julgavam que a amizade delas nunca ia acabar. Mas as coisas mudam. As pessoas mudam. E nem todas as amizades duram para sempre.

Marta and Sónia had been friends since they were eight years old. They grew up together in Setúbal, attended the same school, shared the same secrets. When they were twenty-two, they went on holiday together to the Alentejo, and believed that their friendship would never end. But things change. People change. And not all friendships last forever.

O problema começou quando a Marta arranjou um namorado — o Frederico. A Sónia não gostava dele desde o início. Achava que ele era egoísta e que a Marta estava a mudar por causa dele. Começou a dizer isso diretamente. A Marta ficava furiosa. — A nossa amizade vai acabar se continuares assim, Sónia. Não tens o direito de me dizer com quem devo estar.

The problem began when Marta got a boyfriend — Frederico. Sónia had not liked him from the start. She thought he was selfish and that Marta was changing because of him. She began saying this directly. Marta would get furious. — Our friendship is going to end if you keep going like this, Sónia. You have no right to tell me who I should be with.

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Vocabulary Glossary

WordMeaning
acabarto finish / to end
acabaends / finishes (3rd person singular present of acabar)
acabeiI finished (1st person singular past of acabar)
acabasteyou finished (2nd person singular past of acabar)
acaboufinished / ended (3rd person singular past of acabar)
acabámoswe finished (1st person plural past of acabar)
acabaramthey finished / broke up (3rd person plural past of acabar)
acabavawas finishing / used to finish (past imperfect of acabar)
acabar com alguémto break up with someone
acabar porto end up doing something
amizadefriendship
amizadesfriendships (plural)
amigasfriends (feminine plural)
amigafriend (feminine singular)
desdesince / from
crescerto grow up / to grow
cresceramgrew up (3rd person plural past of crescer)
juntastogether (feminine plural)
mesmasame (feminine)
partilharamshared (3rd person plural past of partilhar)
segredossecrets (plural)
segredosecret
tinhamhad (3rd person plural past imperfect of ter)
vinte e doistwenty-two
foramwent / were (3rd person plural past of ir)
fériasholidays / vacation
julgavambelieved / thought (past imperfect of julgar)
julgarto believe / to judge / to think
mudarto change
mudamchange (3rd person plural present of mudar)
duramlast (3rd person plural present of durar)
para sempreforever / for ever
problemaproblem
arranjougot / found (past of arranjar)
arranjarto get / to find / to fix
namoradoboyfriend
gostavaliked / used to like (past imperfect of gostar)
gostarto like
iníciobeginning / start (noun)
achavathought / found (past imperfect of achar)
egoístaselfish / egotistical
diretamentedirectly / straight out
ficavaused to become / was becoming (past imperfect of ficar)
furiosafurious / very angry (feminine)
direitoright (noun) / straight
tardeafternoon / evening / late
outubroOctober
tiveramhad (3rd person plural past of ter)
sériaserious (feminine)
discussãoargument / discussion
ficaramstood / stayed (3rd person plural past of ficar)
frente a frenteface to face
cafécafé / coffee
costumavamused to (3rd person plural past imperfect of costumar)
costumarto usually do / to be accustomed to
aulasclasses / lessons
tempostimes (plural of tempo)
em tempos melhoresin better times
palavraswords (plural)
durasharsh / hard (feminine plural)
palavras durasharsh words
conversaconversation
saíramleft / went out (3rd person plural past of sair)
sairto leave / to go out
direçõesdirections (plural)
diferentesdifferent (plural)
despedir-seto say goodbye
despediramsaid goodbye (3rd person plural past of despedir)
meses seguintesfollowing months
houvethere was / there were (past of haver)
contactocontact
apagoudeleted / erased (past of apagar)
apagarto delete / to erase / to turn off
redes sociaissocial media / social networks
fotografiasphotographs (plural)
quartoroom / bedroom
comunsmutual / common (plural)
amiga comummutual friend
posiçãoposition / situation
difícildifficult / hard
tomar partidoto take sides
encontravammet / used to meet (past imperfect of encontrar)
encontrarto meet / to find
falavamtalked / used to talk (past imperfect of falar)
mudou-semoved (house) (past of mudar-se)
mudar-seto move (house / city)
fevereiroFebruary
empresacompany / firm
comunicaçãocommunication
apartamentoapartment / flat
cidadecity
colegascolleagues / classmates
saudadeslonging / missing someone (pt-PT emotional word)
saudadelonging / nostalgia (unique Portuguese feeling)
chegaramarrived (3rd person plural past of chegar)
inesperadaunexpected (feminine)
inesperado/aunexpected / surprising
sexta-feiraFriday
noitenight / evening
acabou de jantarfinished dinner (acabar de + infinitive)
sozinhaalone (feminine)
lavouwashed (past of lavar)
lavarto wash
pratosplates / dishes (plural)
sentou-sesat down (past of sentar-se)
sentar-seto sit down
sofásofa / couch
pegougrabbed / picked up (past of pegar)
telemóvelmobile phone
contactoscontacts (phone)
marcoudialled (past of marcar)
marcarto dial / to mark / to book
númeronumber
marçoMarch
separaçãoseparation / breakup
fácileasy
ficoustayed / remained / became (past of ficar)
tristesad
cansadatired (feminine)
ligavamcalled / used to call (past imperfect of ligar)
ligarto call (phone) / to switch on / to connect
visitá-lato visit her
ausênciaabsence
sentiafelt / was feeling (past imperfect of sentir)
diferentedifferent
naquele momentoat that moment
abrilApril
escreveuwrote (past of escrever)
escreverto write
mensagemmessage (text or otherwise)
mãohand
certasright / correct (feminine plural)
oláhello / hi
passarampassed / went by (3rd person plural past of passar)
achoI think / I reckon (1st person singular present of achar)
perceberto understand / to realise
algumassome (feminine plural)
muitas saudadesI miss you a lot
enviousent (past of enviar)
enviarto send
ficou à esperawaited / stayed waiting
leuread (past of ler)
vezestimes (plural)
ecrãscreen
minutominute
ao mesmo tempoat the same time
alíviorelief
tristezasadness
alegriajoy / happiness
acabou porended up (past of acabar por)
responderto reply / to answer
telefonarto telephone / to call
ligacalls (3rd person singular present of ligar)
falaramtalked (3rd person plural past of falar)
horahour
choraramcried (3rd person plural past of chorar)
chorarto cry
pediu desculpaapologised (past of pedir desculpa)
pedir desculpato apologise / to say sorry
ouvirto listen / to hear
necessárionecessary
uma vezat once / one time
importanteimportant
chamadaphone call
silênciosilence
sorrindosmiling (present participle of sorrir)
respetivosrespective (masculine plural)
respetivo/arespective
maioMay
voltoureturned (past of voltar)
voltarto return / to come back
fim de semanaweekend
combinaramarranged / agreed (3rd person plural past of combinar)
combinar encontrar-seto arrange to meet
pediramordered / asked for (3rd person plural past of pedir)
pedirto ask for / to order
sumojuice
bolo de amêndoaalmond cake
partilharto share
ficaram alistayed there
antigasold / former (feminine plural)
futurofuture
sonhosdreams (plural)
achasdo you think (2nd person singular present of achar)
seiI know (1st person singular present of saber)
mesmo quandoeven when
fasephase / stage
piorworst / worse
pioresworst (plural)
agoranow
devagarslowly
de novoagain / anew
melhorbetter / best
deu-lhe o braçolinked arms with her
dar o braçoto link arms
memóriamemory
memóriasmemories (plural)
reconstruirto rebuild / to reconstruct
dolorosapainful (feminine)
lentamenteslowly / gradually
distânciadistance

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