B1 — Intermediate·10 min read·Everyday Life·social

O Dia em que Senti Tudo

Marta, regressada de Londres, sente que Lisboa mudou — ou será ela que mudou?

Theme verbsentir—to feel / to sense

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Story opening — Portuguese with English Translation

Marta chegou ao Aeroporto Humberto Delgado com uma mala grande e o coração apertado. Tinha vivido em Londres durante três anos, mas agora estava de volta a Lisboa. Ao sair do terminal, sentiu o cheiro familiar do ar português — uma mistura de sal, café e betão aquecido pelo sol. Era uma sensação estranha. Sentia que tinha mudado muito desde a última vez que pisara aquele chão, mas ao mesmo tempo sentia que nunca tinha saído.

Marta arrived at Humberto Delgado Airport with a large suitcase and a heavy heart. She had lived in London for three years, but now she was back in Lisbon. As she left the terminal, she felt the familiar smell of Portuguese air — a mix of salt, coffee and concrete warmed by the sun. It was a strange feeling. She felt she had changed a lot since the last time she had set foot on that ground, but at the same time she felt she had never left.

O seu pai esperava-a no exterior. Era um homem alto, com cabelo grisalho e um sorriso largo que Marta sentia sempre no peito, como um abraço antecipado. — Marta! Finalmente! — disse ele, abrindo os braços. Ela correu até ele e sentiu o cheiro da sua camisa — detergente e um pouco de tabaco, tal como sempre. Sentiu os olhos húmidos e tentou não chorar. Não queria começar assim.

Her father was waiting for her outside. He was a tall man with grey hair and a wide smile that Marta always felt in her chest, like an anticipated hug. "Marta! Finally!" he said, opening his arms. She ran to him and felt the smell of his shirt — detergent and a little tobacco, just as always. She felt her eyes grow moist and tried not to cry. She did not want to start like this.

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Vocabulary Glossary

WordMeaning
sentirto feel / to sense
sintoI feel (1st pers. sing. present of sentir)
sentesyou feel (2nd pers. sing. present of sentir)
sentehe/she feels (3rd pers. sing. present of sentir)
sentimoswe feel (1st pers. pl. present of sentir)
sentemthey feel (3rd pers. pl. present of sentir)
sentiI felt (1st pers. sing. preterite of sentir)
sentiuhe/she felt (3rd pers. sing. preterite of sentir)
sentiramthey felt (3rd pers. pl. preterite of sentir)
sentiashe/he felt (3rd pers. sing. imperfect of sentir)
sentiamthey felt (3rd pers. pl. imperfect of sentir)
sentirashe had felt (3rd pers. sing. pluperfect of sentir)
sentissefelt (3rd pers. sing. imperfect subjunctive of sentir)
sentindofeeling (gerund of sentir)
sentidofelt (past participle of sentir) / sense / meaning
saudadeslonging / nostalgic yearning (untranslatable)
pertençabelonging / sense of belonging
melancoliamelancholy / sadness
sensaçãofeeling / sensation
apertadotight / heavy (of the heart)
apertarto tighten / to squeeze
aeroportoairport
malasuitcase / bag
coraçãoheart
chegarto arrive
chegouarrived (3rd pers. sing. preterite of chegar)
viverto live
vividolived (past participle of viver)
voltarto return / to come back
terminalterminal (airport)
cheirosmell / scent
familiarfamiliar
misturamixture / mix
salsalt
cafécoffee / café
betãoconcrete
aquecidoheated / warmed
solsun
estranhastrange / odd (feminine)
estranhostrange / odd (masculine)
mudadochanged (past participle of mudar)
mudarto change
pisarto step on / to set foot on
pisarahad stepped on (3rd pers. sing. pluperfect of pisar)
chãofloor / ground
paifather
esperarto wait / to expect
exterioroutside / exterior
homemman
altotall / high
cabelohair
grisalhogrey (of hair)
sorrisosmile
largowide / broad
peitochest
abraçohug / embrace
antecipadoanticipated / expected in advance
braçosarms
correrto run
camisashirt
detergentedetergent / washing powder
tabacotobacco
olhoseyes
húmidosmoist / damp (plural)
chorarto cry
começarto begin / to start
carrocar
seguirto follow / to drive along
direçãodirection
cidadecity
falarto speak / to talk
falavawas talking (3rd pers. sing. imperfect of falar)
vizinhosneighbours
cãodog
andarfloor (of a building) / to walk
preçoprice
peixefish
mercadomarket
ouvirto hear / to listen
ouviawas listening (3rd pers. sing. imperfect of ouvir)
carinhoaffection / tenderness
pormenordetail
pormenoresdetails (plural of pormenor)
aperceber-seto realise / to notice
precisarto need
apartamentoapartment / flat
ruastreet
estreitanarrow (feminine)
coloridascolourful (feminine plural)
roupaclothes / laundry
estendidahung out / stretched (feminine)
janelaswindows (plural)
recordarto remember / to recall
brincarto play (of children)
criançachild / childhood
calçamentocobblestones / pavement
irregularuneven / irregular
pésfeet (plural)
descalçosbarefoot / unshod
turistastourists (plural)
fotografiasphotographs (plural)
restaurantesrestaurants (plural)
menusmenus (plural)
tristezasadness
existirto exist
pensamentosthoughts (plural)
pensarto think
responderto answer / to reply
assentirto nod / to agree
assentiunodded (3rd pers. sing. preterite of assentir)
devagarslowly
sentidosense / meaning
reencontrarto find again / to reconnect with
manhãmorning
acordarto wake up
cedoearly
voltawalk / turn / return
apanharto catch / to take (transport)
elétricotram
balançoswaying / balance / swing
carruagemcarriage / railcar
velhaold (feminine)
caraface
dobrarto turn / to fold
esquinacorner (of a street)
luzlight
senhorawoman / lady
sorriusmiled (3rd pers. sing. preterite of sorrir)
sorrirto smile
demorarto take time / to delay
identificarto identify
pastelariapastry shop / café
pequeno-almoçobreakfast
pedirto order / to ask for
pediuordered / asked for (3rd pers. sing. preterite of pedir)
bicaespresso coffee (Lisbon term)
torradatoast (buttered, Portuguese style)
manteigabutter
morderto bite
sabortaste / flavour
encontrarto find / to meet
texturatexture
estaladiçocrispy / crunchy
grossocoarse / thick
ridículoridiculous
emoçãoemotion
corpobody
memóriamemory
guardadastored / kept (feminine)
línguatongue / language
inclinando-seleaning forward (gerund of inclinar-se)
admitirto admit
admitiuadmitted (3rd pers. sing. preterite of admitir)
dependerto depend
rirto laugh
riulaughed (3rd pers. sing. preterite of rir)
verdadetruth
palavraswords (plural)
estrangeiroforeigner / abroad (masculine)
estrangeiraforeigner / foreign (feminine)
partirto leave / to depart
criarto create / to produce
distânciadistance
geográficogeographical
versãoversion
aviãoaeroplane
regressoreturn / homecoming
noitenight
sentadaseated / sitting (feminine)
varandabalcony
telhadosrooftops (plural)
telhadoroof / rooftop
luzeslights (plural)
acenderto light / to switch on
céusky
laranjaorange (colour / fruit)
roxopurple
ventowind / breeze
mornowarm / mild (of weather)
marçoMarch
peleskin
ruídonoise / sound
distantedistant / faraway
fadofado (traditional Portuguese music genre)
barbar / pub
finalmentefinally / at last
novonew
complexocomplex
construídobuilt / constructed (past participle)
conseguirto manage / to be able to
virarto turn around
sentarto sit down
coposglasses / cups (plural)
vinho verdeyoung, slightly sparkling Portuguese wine
cheirarto smell
pôr do solsunset
lembrarto remember / to remind
redescobrirto rediscover
regressarto return / to come back
Mourariahistoric neighbourhood in Lisbon
Chiadocultural neighbourhood in Lisbon
Tejothe Tagus river (Lisbon)
coração apertadoheavy heart / feeling of tightness in the chest
fazer sentidoto make sense
tal como semprejust as always / same as ever
ao mesmo tempoat the same time
sem razão aparentefor no apparent reason
talvezperhaps / maybe
tambémalso / too
nuncanever
semprealways
jáalready / now
aindastill / yet
apenasonly / just
aquihere
láthere
agoranow
entãothen / so
assimlike this / so / in this way
realmentereally / truly
de cada vez queevery time that
ao mesmo tempoat the same time
lá em baixodown there / below
sem se aperceberwithout realising

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