When you're learning Portuguese, you'll often encounter phrases that help you talk about quantities or approximations. One such phrase is "a cerca de." This means "about" or "approximately" when you're referring to numbers, time, or distances. Think of it like saying "around" in English. For example, if you want to say "about five kilometers," you would say "a cerca de cinco quilômetros." It's a handy phrase for everyday conversations!
§ What "a cerca de" Means
The Portuguese phrase "a cerca de" is an important one for expressing approximation. It translates to "about" or "approximately" in English. Think of it as a way to give an estimate without being too precise. It's super useful in everyday conversation, whether you're talking about time, quantity, or even a general topic.
- Portuguese Word
- a cerca de
- Definition
- About; approximately.
§ Examples in Context
Let's look at some examples to help you understand how "a cerca de" is used in different situations. Pay attention to how it conveys the idea of an estimate.
Eu chego a cerca de dez minutos. (I will arrive in about ten minutes.)
Eles compraram a cerca de cem livros. (They bought about a hundred books.)
Conversamos a cerca de política. (We talked about politics.)
O projeto custou a cerca de dois mil euros. (The project cost approximately two thousand euros.)
§ Where You Actually Hear This Word — Work, School, News
You'll hear "a cerca de" used frequently in various contexts. It's a natural part of daily conversation, formal discussions, and even news reports. Here's how it pops up in different settings:
At Work: When discussing deadlines, project estimations, or general topics. For instance, a manager might say, "Precisamos terminar o relatório a cerca de sexta-feira." (We need to finish the report around Friday.) Or a team member could say, "Tivemos uma discussão a cerca de as novas estratégias." (We had a discussion about the new strategies.)
In School: Students and teachers use it when talking about assignment due dates, lecture topics, or research. A teacher might say, "Vamos falar a cerca de a história de Portugal hoje." (We are going to talk about the history of Portugal today.) A student could ask, "Quantas páginas precisamos ler a cerca de este capítulo?" (How many pages do we need to read about this chapter?)
In the News: Journalists use it to report approximate figures or to introduce topics. You might hear on the news, "A polícia prendeu a cerca de vinte pessoas." (The police arrested about twenty people.) Or a report could state, "O governo está discutindo a cerca de novas leis ambientais." (The government is discussing about new environmental laws.)
As you can see, "a cerca de" is incredibly versatile. It allows speakers to be less rigid with numbers and more conversational when introducing subjects.
§ Practice Makes Perfect
The best way to get comfortable with "a cerca de" is to practice using it. Try to incorporate it into your Portuguese conversations when you need to give an estimate or introduce a topic. The more you use it, the more natural it will become. Listen for it in Portuguese media, too! You'll start noticing it everywhere.
چقدر رسمی است؟
"O seminário começa cerca de cinco minutos."
"Eu chego em casa por volta das seis da tarde."
"Ele aparece lá pelas oito, se não tiver trânsito."
"Nós vamos quase cem quilômetros para chegar na praia."
"A gente tem mais ou menos umas duas horas de jogo ainda."
نکته جالب
While 'cerca' as a noun can mean 'fence' or 'hedge', in this construction, it refers to closeness or approximation, showcasing how words evolve in fixed expressions.
مثالها بر اساس سطح
O voo atrasou a cerca de trinta minutos.
The flight was delayed about thirty minutes.
Chegaremos lá a cerca de duas horas.
We'll get there in approximately two hours.
A reunião começa a cerca de dez minutos.
The meeting starts in about ten minutes.
Moro a cerca de cinco quilômetros daqui.
I live approximately five kilometers from here.
O concerto dura a cerca de uma hora e meia.
The concert lasts about an hour and a half.
Estou a cerca de terminar o livro.
I'm about to finish the book.
O preço é a cerca de vinte euros.
The price is approximately twenty euros.
Ela tem a cerca de trinta anos.
She is about thirty years old.
O projeto está a cerca de terminar, faltam apenas alguns detalhes.
The project is about to finish, only a few details remain.
Here, 'a cerca de' indicates proximity to an action.
Chegaremos a cerca de dez minutos, não se preocupem.
We will arrive in approximately ten minutes, don't worry.
'a cerca de' is followed by a quantity of time.
A reunião durou a cerca de uma hora e meia.
The meeting lasted about an hour and a half.
Used to express an approximate duration.
Existem a cerca de quinhentas espécies de aves nesta floresta.
There are approximately five hundred species of birds in this forest.
Followed by a numerical quantity.
O novo parque custou a cerca de dois milhões de euros.
The new park cost about two million euros.
Indicates an approximate monetary value.
Estudamos a cerca de vinte páginas do livro para o exame.
We studied approximately twenty pages of the book for the exam.
Used with a quantity of items.
Ele mora a cerca de cinco quilómetros daqui.
He lives about five kilometers from here.
Expresses approximate distance.
Precisamos de a cerca de mais uma semana para finalizar o relatório.
We need approximately one more week to finalize the report.
Indicates an approximate amount of time needed.
ترکیبهای رایج
عبارات رایج
A cerca de cem pessoas assistiram ao concerto.
About a hundred people attended the concert.
Ele mora a cerca de cinco minutos daqui.
He lives about five minutes from here.
A viagem demorou a cerca de seis horas.
The trip took approximately six hours.
Temos a cerca de duas semanas para terminar o projeto.
We have about two weeks to finish the project.
O custo é a cerca de duzentos reais.
The cost is approximately two hundred Brazilian Reais.
A cerca de trinta por cento dos alunos passaram no exame.
About thirty percent of the students passed the exam.
Ela tem a cerca de quarenta anos.
She is approximately forty years old.
O evento começa a cerca de meia hora.
The event starts in about half an hour.
A cerca de mil pessoas foram afetadas pela chuva.
About a thousand people were affected by the rain.
Ele gastou a cerca de todo o seu salário.
He spent about all of his salary.
ریشه کلمه
From Old Portuguese, 'a cerca de' is a combination of the preposition 'a' (to/at), the noun 'cerca' (proximity/enclosure), and the preposition 'de' (of/from).
معنای اصلی: The literal meaning conveys 'at the proximity of' or 'around of'.
Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Western Romance, Ibero-Romance.بافت فرهنگی
The phrase 'a cerca de' is widely used in both Portugal and Brazil. It's a common way to express approximation in everyday conversation and writing, similar to 'about' or 'approximately' in English. It's practical and doesn't carry any specific cultural connotations beyond its common usage in quantifying or estimating.
خودت رو بسنج 18 سوال
A reunião começa ___ de dez minutos. (The meeting starts ___ ten minutes.)
The phrase 'a cerca de' means 'about' or 'approximately'. In this context, it indicates an approximation of time.
Ele tem ___ de quarenta anos. (He is ___ forty years old.)
'A cerca de' is used here to indicate an approximate age.
O projeto está concluído ___ de noventa por cento. (The project is ___ ninety percent complete.)
This phrase is used to express an approximate percentage of completion.
Custa ___ de duzentos euros. (It costs ___ two hundred euros.)
'A cerca de' denotes an approximate cost.
A distância é ___ de cinco quilômetros. (The distance is ___ five kilometers.)
The phrase 'a cerca de' is used to indicate an approximate distance.
Chegaremos ___ de uma hora. (We will arrive ___ an hour.)
'A cerca de' signifies an approximate arrival time.
Choose the best translation for: 'We arrived about an hour ago.'
The phrase 'a cerca de' is used to express approximation, similar to 'about' or 'approximately'.
Which sentence correctly uses 'a cerca de'?
When 'about' means 'regarding' or 'concerning', the correct form is 'acerca de' (one word). 'A cerca de' is used for approximation.
Fill in the blank: 'O livro tem ___ 300 páginas.'
'A cerca de' means 'approximately' or 'about' when referring to quantity.
The sentence 'A reunião durou a cerca de duas horas.' is grammatically correct.
'A cerca de' is correctly used here to indicate an approximate duration of two hours.
You can use 'a cerca de' interchangeably with 'sobre' when talking about a topic.
'A cerca de' is for approximation. 'Sobre' or 'acerca de' are used to mean 'about' a topic.
The phrase 'a cerca de' is always written as two separate words.
When it means 'regarding' or 'concerning', it's written as one word: 'acerca de'. When it means 'approximately', it's 'a cerca de'.
The meeting starts around three in the afternoon.
They talked for about an hour about the project.
There were about twenty people in the room.
این را بلند بخوانید:
A viagem durou a cerca de duas horas.
تمرکز: a cerca de
تو گفتی:
تشخیص گفتار در مرورگر شما پشتیبانی نمیشود. از کروم یا اج استفاده کنید.
این را بلند بخوانید:
O livro tem a cerca de trezentas páginas.
تمرکز: trezentas páginas
تو گفتی:
تشخیص گفتار در مرورگر شما پشتیبانی نمیشود. از کروم یا اج استفاده کنید.
این را بلند بخوانید:
Ele mora a cerca de dez minutos daqui.
تمرکز: dez minutos daqui
تو گفتی:
تشخیص گفتار در مرورگر شما پشتیبانی نمیشود. از کروم یا اج استفاده کنید.
/ 18 درست
نمره کامل!
محتوای مرتبط
واژههای بیشتر general
à direita
A2To the right side.
à esquerda
A2To the left side.
a fim de
A2in order to
à frente
A2In front of.
a frente
A2At or toward the front.
À frente de
A2In front of
a tempo
A2on time, punctually
à volta de
A2Around.
abaixo
A1At a lower level or layer than; below.
abandonar
B1To abandon, to give up.
