A1 · Débutant Chapitre 13

Time, Space, and Future Plans

4 Règles totales
40 exemples
5 min
Règles dans ce chapitre Pratique rapide

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!

Ce que tu vas apprendre

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!

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.

Guide du chapitre

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.

Exemples clés (4)

1

Eu sempre perco meu celular.

Je perds toujours mon téléphone.

À quelle fréquence ? (Toujours, Parfois, Jamais)
2

Ela nunca visualiza as mensagens.

Elle ne regarde jamais les messages.

À quelle fréquence ? (Toujours, Parfois, Jamais)
3

Eu vou comprar pão.

Je vais acheter du pain.

Temps du futur : Utiliser `ir + infinitif`
4

Você vai assistir a nova série na Netflix?

Tu vas regarder la nouvelle série sur Netflix ?

Temps du futur : Utiliser `ir + infinitif`

Conseils et astuces (4)

🎯

La règle du doigt

Si tu peux pointer l'objet du doigt tout en le voyant, utilise sûrement ali.
O carro está ali.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ici vs Là-bas: Aqui, Ali, Lá
💡

La règle du sandwich

Imagine que le verbe est un burger. L'adverbe, c'est le fromage. Pose toujours le fromage SUR le burger (donc avant) :
Eu sempre como pão.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: À quelle fréquence ? (Toujours, Parfois, Jamais)
🎯

Parle comme un local

Au Brésil, pour dire 'nous', on utilise souvent a gente vai au lieu de nós vamos, c'est super naturel :
A gente vai viajar.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Temps du futur : Utiliser `ir + infinitif`
⚠️

Le piège du 'A'

En français on dit 'je vais À la piscine', mais pour une action, n'ajoute rien ! Les deux verbes se touchent : Vou fazer.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Parler du futur (Ir + Infinitif)

Vocabulaire clé (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

Erreurs courantes

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.
Correct: Eu vou comer pizza.

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

Wrong: Eu bebo sempre café.
Correct: 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.
Correct: 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

Pratique rapide (5)

Choisis l'adverbe qui correspond au pourcentage.

Eu ___ como vegetais. (100%)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sempre
100% de fréquence correspond à sempre (toujours).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: À quelle fréquence ? (Toujours, Parfois, Jamais)

Remets les mots dans l'ordre pour dire 'Je suis là-bas'.

Arrange ces mots :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu estou lá
Le sujet (Eu) vient en premier, suivi du verbe (estou) et de l'adverbe (lá).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ici vs Là-bas: Aqui, Ali, Lá

Trouve la phrase qui sonne la plus naturelle.

Find and fix the mistake:

Quelle phrase est correcte ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu sempre jogo video game.
La position la plus naturelle pour sempre est juste avant le verbe (jogo).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: À quelle fréquence ? (Toujours, Parfois, Jamais)

Corrige l'erreur (La personne montre quelque chose de très loin).

O carro está aqui (très loin).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: O carro está lá.
Si la voiture est loin et pas facile à atteindre, 'lá' est le terme correct.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ici vs Là-bas: Aqui, Ali, Lá

Complète la phrase selon la proximité (proche de celui qui parle).

O meu computador está ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: aqui
'Aqui' est utilisé pour les objets proches de la personne qui parle.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ici vs Là-bas: Aqui, Ali, Lá

Score: /5

Questions fréquentes (6)

Ali c'est pour ce qu'on voit. «Lá» c'est pour ce qui est loin ou caché, comme une autre ville. O Rio é lá.
Au Portugal, on dit souvent «cá» pour un mouvement vers soi. Au Brésil, aqui fait tout le boulot. Vem cá!
On te comprendra, mais ça sonne bizarre. Les natifs le mettent avant le verbe : Eu sempre corro.
C'est presque pareil ! Normalmente fait plus routine, geralmente fait plus habitude générale. Utilise celui que tu préfères.
C'est la façon portugaise de dire 'je vais faire quelque chose' pour exprimer un projet : Eu vou viajar.
Non, seulement le premier ! Tu conjugues ir et tu laisses l'autre tranquille : Eu vou comer.
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Describing and Comparing Things
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Identity and Personal States
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