Alright, let's talk about "verídico" – a useful word, but one that can trip up learners. The good news is, once you understand a few key points, you'll be using it like a pro. The main thing to remember is that "verídico" means 'truthful' or 'speaking/representing the truth.' It's not a direct synonym for 'true' or 'real' in every context where you might use those English words.
§ Mistake 1: Using "verídico" when you mean "verdadeiro" (true) or "real" (real/genuine)
This is probably the most common error. In English, we often say something is "true" or "real" when we're simply stating a fact or describing something genuine. In Portuguese, "verdadeiro" and "real" are usually the correct choices in these situations. "Verídico" specifically emphasizes the truthfulness of a statement, account, or report. It implies that something has been verified or is trustworthy in its representation of facts.
- Wrong usage:
- A porta é verídica. (The door is truthful.)
- Correct usage:
- A porta é verdadeira/real. (The door is true/real.)
You wouldn't say a door is "truthful" in English, so don't say it's "verídica" in Portuguese. This applies to most physical objects or simple facts.
Este anel é de ouro verdadeiro. (This ring is real gold.)
É uma história verdadeira. (It's a true story.)
§ Mistake 2: Forgetting the nuance of "truthful" vs. "true"
Think of "verídico" as having a stronger connotation of honesty and reliability in its presentation. While a "true story" (história verdadeira) is a fact, a "verídico report" (relato verídico) implies that the person giving the report is trustworthy and their account is accurate and faithful to the events.
O testemunho dele foi verídico. (His testimony was truthful/accurate.)
Here, "verídico" works well because it refers to the quality of the testimony – its adherence to the truth, its reliability. If you said "O testemunho dele foi verdadeiro," it would still be understandable, but "verídico" adds that layer of assurance about its accuracy and honesty.
§ Mistake 3: Using it for people's character (when you mean 'honest')
While a truthful person gives verídico accounts, you wouldn't directly call a person "verídico" in the sense of 'honest.' For people, you'd use "honesto" (honest) or "sincero" (sincere).
- Wrong usage:
- Ele é uma pessoa verídica. (He is a truthful person. - Sounds odd)
- Correct usage:
- Ele é uma pessoa honesta/sincera. (He is an honest/sincere person.)
However, you *can* say a person's *statement* or *report* is "verídico."
As declarações dela foram verídicas. (Her statements were truthful/accurate.)
§ Summary of usage points:
- Use "verídico" for statements, accounts, reports, testimonies, or narratives that accurately represent the truth.
- Use "verdadeiro" for general facts, true stories, or to mean 'genuine'/'authentic.'
- Use "real" for something that exists or is not imaginary.
- Use "honesto" or "sincero" to describe a person's character as honest.
By keeping these distinctions in mind, you'll avoid common pitfalls and use "verídico" with precision. It's all about context!
Redewendungen & Ausdrücke
"Pôr os pontos nos is"
To dot the i's (to make something very clear and precise)
Ele fez questão de pôr os pontos nos is para não haver dúvidas. (He made a point to dot the i's so there would be no doubts.)
neutral"Ir direto ao assunto"
To get straight to the point
Por favor, vá direto ao assunto, não temos muito tempo. (Please, get straight to the point, we don't have much time.)
neutral"Falar pelos cotovelos"
To talk a lot, to talk someone's ear off (literally: to talk through the elbows)
A minha tia fala pelos cotovelos quando está animada. (My aunt talks a lot when she's excited.)
informal"Ter a faca e o queijo na mão"
To have all the advantages, to be in a position of power (literally: to have the knife and the cheese in hand)
Com essa promoção, ele tem a faca e o queijo na mão para decidir. (With this promotion, he has all the advantages to decide.)
informal"Estar com a pulga atrás da orelha"
To have a flea behind the ear (to be suspicious or uneasy about something)
Desde a conversa, estou com a pulga atrás da orelha sobre o que ele disse. (Since the conversation, I'm suspicious about what he said.)
informal"Cair a ficha"
To click, to understand something suddenly (literally: the token/coin to fall)
Só depois de um tempo que a ficha caiu e eu entendi tudo. (It only clicked after a while and I understood everything.)
informal"Dar com a língua nos dentes"
To spill the beans (literally: to hit with the tongue on the teeth)
Ele não aguentou e deu com a língua nos dentes sobre a surpresa. (He couldn't resist and spilled the beans about the surprise.)
informal"Estar nas nuvens"
To be on cloud nine, to be daydreaming (literally: to be in the clouds)
Ela estava nas nuvens depois de receber a notícia. (She was on cloud nine after receiving the news.)
neutral"Pão, pão, queijo, queijo"
To call a spade a spade, to be direct and clear (literally: bread, bread, cheese, cheese)
Vamos ser pão, pão, queijo, queijo: a situação é grave. (Let's call a spade a spade: the situation is serious.)
informal"Meter a colher"
To butt in, to interfere (literally: to put the spoon)
Não gosto quando as pessoas metem a colher na minha vida. (I don't like it when people butt into my life.)
informalEinprägen
Eselsbrücke
To remember 'verídico', think of 'verify' – you verify something to check if it's truthful or true.
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a detective holding a magnifying glass, looking intently at a document. The document has the word 'verídico' stamped on it in large, bold letters, signifying that what he's reading is absolutely true and verified.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Complete the sentences with 'verídico' or a related word, ensuring it fits the context of truthfulness. 1. O testemunho dele foi __________ e ajudou muito no caso. (His testimony was truthful and helped a lot in the case.) 2. É importante que as notícias sejam __________. (It's important that the news is truthful.) 3. Eu espero que as informações que você me deu sejam __________. (I hope the information you gave me is truthful.)
Teste dich selbst 12 Fragen
Choose the word that means 'truthful' in Portuguese:
The word 'verídico' means truthful or speaking the truth.
Which sentence uses 'verídico' correctly?
'Verídico' describes a noun like 'história' (story), meaning the story is truthful.
If something is 'verídico', it is:
'Verídico' means true or truthful.
A história é verídica. (The story is true.)
'Verídica' means true, so the statement is correct.
Ele é um homem verídico. (He is a truthful man.)
'Verídico' can describe a person who is truthful.
O carro é verídico. (The car is true.)
'Verídico' describes truthfulness, not an object like a car.
This sentence means 'It is a truthful story.' The verb 'É' (is) comes first, followed by 'uma história' (a story) and then the adjective 'verídica' (truthful) describing the story.
This sentence means 'The fact is truthful.' 'O facto' (The fact) is the subject, 'é' (is) is the verb, and 'verídico' (truthful) describes the fact.
This sentence means 'The news seems truthful.' 'A notícia' (The news) is the subject, 'parece' (seems) is the verb, and 'verídica' (truthful) describes the news.
/ 12 correct
Perfect score!
Verwandte Inhalte
Mehr academic Wörter
a despeito de
A2Despite; in spite of.
a fim
A2In order to; for the purpose of. (Followed by 'de')
a saber
A2Namely; that is to say.
a título de exemplo
A2By way of example; for example.
abordagem
A2A way of dealing with something; an approach.
abordar
B1To deal with (a matter or problem); to approach a topic.
abreviar
B1To shorten (a word, phrase, or text).
abreviatura
B1A shortened form of a word or phrase.
abstração
B1The quality of dealing with ideas rather than events.
abstracto
B1Existing in thought or as an idea but not having a physical or concrete existence.
