A1 · Anfänger Kapitel 13

Time, Space, and Future Plans

4 Gesamtregeln
40 Beispiele
5 Min.
Regeln in diesem Kapitel Schnelle Übung

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the space around you and the time ahead of you.

  • Locate objects using Portuguese demonstrative adverbs.
  • Express the frequency of your habits and routines.
  • Construct sentences about future plans using the verb 'ir'.
Point it out, count the times, and plan ahead!

Was du lernen wirst

Hey there, language explorer! Ready for another exciting step in your Portuguese journey? In this chapter, you're going to unlock some super practical ways to talk about where things are, how often you do stuff, and what awesome plans you have coming up. Don't worry, it's way easier than it sounds, and you'll be using these phrases constantly! First up, we'll tackle how to perfectly point out here, there (close to you), and way over there in Portuguese with aqui, «aí,» and «lá.» Imagine being in a bustling market and confidently asking

Is the fruit here?
or telling a friend
My car is over there.
You'll nail it! Next, we'll dive into describing how often you do things. Ever wanted to say
I always drink coffee
or
Sometimes I go for a walk
? You'll learn simple words like sempre (always), às vezes (sometimes), and nunca (never) and where to pop them into your sentences. Suddenly, talking about your daily routine becomes a breeze! And for the grand finale: future plans! This isn't about complicated prophecies; it's about what you're *going to do*. The magic formula is super simple: just conjugate the verb ir (to go) and add the action you're going to take. That's it! Want to say "I'm going to eat pizza? Easy! We are going to travel tomorrow"? Done! It's like having a crystal ball for your conversations. By the end of this chapter, you won't just be learning Portuguese; you'll be living it! You'll be able to tell people exactly where you are, confidently chat about your habits, and effortlessly make plans with friends. Get ready to power up your Portuguese – let's go!

  • Hier vs. Dort: Aqui, Ali, Lá
    Du hast vier superwichtige Wörter: aqui für deine Nähe, «aí» für die Nähe deines Gesprächspartners, ali für etwas Sichtbares in mittlerer Entfernung und «lá» für weite oder unsichtbare Orte. Super cool, oder?
  • Wie oft? (Immer, Manchmal, Nie)
    Meistens packst du das Häufigkeitswort direkt zwischen die Person und das Verb: Eu sempre estudo. Nutze dafür Wörter wie sempre, às vezes oder nunca.
  • Zukunft: Verwendung von `ir + Infinitiv`
    Um über Pläne zu sprechen, nimmst du einfach das Verb 'ir' und hängst die Grundform dran: vou, vai, vamos oder vão.
  • Über die Zukunft sprechen (Ir + Infinitiv)
    Um über die Zukunft zu sprechen, konjugierst du einfach das Verb 'ir' (vou, vai, vamos, vão) und hängst dein Aktionsverb direkt dran.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: correctly identify the location of objects relative to the speaker and listener.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: describe daily routines using at least three different frequency adverbs.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to: formulate three sentences about your upcoming weekend plans.

Kapitel-Leitfaden

Overview

Hey there, language explorer! Ready for another exciting step in your Portuguese journey? This chapter is your key to unlocking some super practical ways to talk about where things are, how often you do stuff, and what awesome plans you have coming up.
For anyone learning Portuguese grammar A1, mastering these concepts will drastically improve your ability to communicate in everyday situations. We’ll dive into essential vocabulary and structures that are not only easy to grasp but also incredibly useful for building foundational Portuguese conversation skills. You'll discover how to confidently point out locations, describe your routines, and effortlessly discuss your future intentions.
This guide focuses on giving you the tools to express yourself clearly and naturally, making your learning experience both effective and enjoyable. Get ready to power up your Portuguese – let's go!

How This Grammar Works

Let's break down these core Portuguese grammar A1 concepts. First, for talking about space, we have aqui, ali, and lá. Aqui means here, referring to a location very close to the speaker.
For example: O meu livro está aqui. (My book is here.) Ali means there, for something near the person you're talking to or a bit further away from the speaker, but still relatively close. For instance: A tua mochila está ali. (Your backpack is there.) Finally, lá means over there or far away, indicating a significant distance from both the speaker and the listener. You might say: Aquele café é lá. (That cafe is over there.)
Next, we tackle adverbs of frequency to describe how often actions occur. You'll use these words to talk about your habits and routines. Sempre means always: Eu sempre bebo café de manhã. (I always drink coffee in the morning.) Às vezes means sometimes: Nós às vezes vamos ao cinema. (We sometimes go to the cinema.) And nunca means never: Ela nunca come carne. (She never eats meat.) These adverbs typically go before the main verb in a sentence.
For future plans, Portuguese offers a wonderfully simple construction at the A1 level: ir + infinitive. This is equivalent to
to be going to do something
in English. You simply conjugate the verb ir (to go) according to the subject, and then add the infinitive form of the action verb.
For example, if you want to say
I am going to eat,
you'd say: Eu vou comer. (I am going to eat.) For
They are going to travel,
it's: Eles vão viajar. (They are going to travel.) This straightforward method makes expressing future intentions incredibly easy for beginners.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Wrong: Eu vou comer pizza ontem.
✓ Correct: Eu vou comer pizza amanhã. (I am going to eat pizza tomorrow.)
*Explanation:* The ir + infinitive structure is used for *future* plans. Using a past-tense adverb like ontem (yesterday) creates a contradiction. Always pair future structures with future time expressions.
  1. 1✗ Wrong: O meu carro lá está.
✓ Correct: O meu carro está lá. (My car is over there.)
*Explanation:* While adverbs of place like lá can sometimes appear at the beginning for emphasis, the most natural and common placement in simple sentences is after the verb estar (to be) or ser (to be).
  1. 1✗ Wrong: Eu bebo sempre café.
✓ Correct: Eu sempre bebo café. (I always drink coffee.)
*Explanation:* In Portuguese, frequency adverbs like sempre usually come *before* the main verb they modify, not after it, especially in simple declarative sentences.

Real Conversations

A

A

Onde está a casa de banho? (Where is the bathroom?)
B

B

Está ali, à direita. (It's there, on the right.)
A

A

Tu sempre vens aqui? (Do you always come here?)
B

B

Não, às vezes venho. Mas hoje vou almoçar aqui! (No, sometimes I come. But today I'm going to have lunch here!)
A

A

O que vais fazer no fim de semana? (What are you going to do on the weekend?)
B

B

Eu vou visitar a minha família e depois vou descansar em casa. (I'm going to visit my family and then I'm going to rest at home.)

Quick FAQ

Q

What's the main difference between ali and lá in Portuguese?

Ali typically refers to something there that is relatively close to the listener or a short distance away from the speaker. Lá indicates something over there, further away from both the speaker and the listener.

Q

Can I use ir + infinitive to talk about spontaneous future plans, or just pre-planned ones?

Yes, the ir + infinitive structure is very versatile in Portuguese grammar A1 and can be used for both spontaneous decisions and well-thought-out plans, just like going to do in English.

Q

Are there other ways to express frequency in Portuguese besides sempre, às vezes, and nunca?

Yes, you can use other adverbs like raramente (rarely), muitas vezes (often/many times), or phrases like todos os dias (every day) or uma vez por semana (once a week).

Q

How do I ask where is it in Portuguese if I'm not sure if it's close or far?

You can generally use Onde está...? (Where is...?) and then the person will respond with aqui, ali, or lá depending on the location.

Cultural Context

In daily Portuguese conversations, the precise use of aqui, ali, and lá is very common and helps to clarify location efficiently. The ir + infinitive construction is overwhelmingly popular for expressing future intentions, especially in spoken Brazilian Portuguese, often preferred over the more formal simple future tense (which you'll learn later). Using frequency adverbs like sempre and às vezes is crucial for sharing personal routines and habits, fostering connection in conversations.

Wichtige Beispiele (4)

1

Meu celular está aqui.

Mein Handy ist hier.

Hier vs. Dort: Aqui, Ali, Lá
2

O que você tem aí na mão?

Was hast du da in der Hand?

Hier vs. Dort: Aqui, Ali, Lá
3

Eu sempre perco meu celular.

Ich verliere immer mein Handy.

Wie oft? (Immer, Manchmal, Nie)
4

Ela nunca visualiza as mensagens.

Sie schaut sich die Nachrichten nie an.

Wie oft? (Immer, Manchmal, Nie)

Tipps & Tricks (4)

🎯

Die 'Zeige-Regel'

Wenn du mit dem Finger auf etwas zeigst, das nicht direkt vor dir oder bei der anderen Person ist, benutzt du oft ali. Wenn du auf Google Maps schaust, ist es oft «lá»:
Onde fica o hotel? Fica lá, longe daqui.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Hier vs. Dort: Aqui, Ali, Lá
💡

Die Sandwich-Regel

Stell dir vor, das Verb ist ein Burger. Das Adverb ist der Käse. Pack den Käse oben drauf (vor das Verb):
Eu sempre como pizza.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Wie oft? (Immer, Manchmal, Nie)
🎯

Kling wie ein Native

In Brasilien sagen fast alle a gente vai statt nós vamos. Das klingt viel natürlicher! Denk dran:
A gente vai sair mais tarde.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Zukunft: Verwendung von `ir + Infinitiv`
⚠️

Die 'A'-Falle

Viele Anfänger wollen ein 'a' dazwischenschieben (wie im Spanischen). Lass das weg! Die Verben berühren sich direkt:
Eu vou fazer isso amanhã.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Über die Zukunft sprechen (Ir + Infinitiv)

Wichtige Vokabeln (8)

aqui here lá there (far away) sempre always nunca never amanhã tomorrow viajar to travel fazer to do / to make aí there (near you)

Real-World Preview

sun

Meeting at the Park

Review Summary

  • [Subject] + estar + [aqui/aí/ali/lá]
  • [Subject] + [Adverb] + [Verb]
  • ir (conjugated) + infinitive

Häufige Fehler

After the verb 'ir', the second verb must be in the infinitive (ending in -ar, -er, or -ir), not conjugated.

Wrong: Eu vou como pizza.
Richtig: Eu vou comer pizza.

In Portuguese, frequency adverbs like 'sempre' and 'nunca' usually come before the verb.

Wrong: Eu bebo sempre café.
Richtig: Eu sempre bebo café.

Don't stack location adverbs. Choose one based on distance: 'aqui' (close) or 'lá' (far).

Wrong: O livro está aqui lá.
Richtig: O livro está lá.

Next Steps

You've just unlocked the ability to talk about the future! That's a huge milestone in any language journey. Keep practicing those 'ir' conjugations!

Write down 3 things you are going to do tomorrow morning.

Point at 5 objects in your room and name their location (aqui/lá).

Continue to: Identity and Personal States

Schnelle Übung (2)

Korrigiere den Fehler (Die Person zeigt auf etwas Weit entferntes)

Find and fix the mistake:

O carro está aqui (far away).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: O carro está lá.
Wenn das Auto weit weg und nicht leicht erreichbar ist, ist 'lá' der richtige Begriff. 'Aqui' wäre nur, wenn es direkt neben dir steht.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Hier vs. Dort: Aqui, Ali, Lá

Fülle die Lücke basierend auf der Nähe aus (Nah am Sprecher)

O meu computador está ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: aqui
'Aqui' wird für Objekte verwendet, die nahe bei der sprechenden Person sind. Dein Computer ist nah bei dir, also ist 'aqui' richtig.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Hier vs. Dort: Aqui, Ali, Lá

Score: /2

Häufige Fragen (6)

'Ali' ist für Dinge, die sichtbar und relativ nah an beiden Sprechern sind. 'Lá' ist für Dinge, die weit weg oder außer Sicht sind, wie ein anderes Viertel oder Land. Zum Beispiel:
A loja é ali na rua, mas o museu é lá na outra cidade.
In Portugal benutzt man oft 'cá' für 'hier', wenn eine Bewegung auf den Sprecher hin gemeint ist, während 'aqui' eher einen festen Punkt beschreibt. In Brasilien wird 'aqui' für beides verwendet. Denk an: Vem cá!
Man versteht dich, aber es klingt ein bisschen fremd. Muttersprachler setzen es vor das Verb: Eu sempre corro.
Sie sind fast austauschbar. Normalmente klingt eher nach Routine, geralmente nach allgemeinen Gewohnheiten.
Es ist die portugiesische Art zu sagen 'ich werde etwas tun'. Du kombinierst 'ir' (gehen) mit einem Hauptverb: Eu vou viajar.
Nein, das ist das Beste daran! Nur 'ir' wird angepasst, das zweite Verb bleibt in der Grundform: Eu vou comer.
Vorheriges Kapitel
Describing and Comparing Things
Nächstes Kapitel
Identity and Personal States
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