Portuguese: Beyond the Basics
Like Duolingo, but for Portuguese: Beyond the Basics. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
Free during early access · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Portuguese: Beyond the Basics
- Vague complaints like 'está ruim' don't help the staff fix the issue
- Specific nouns like 'água quente' identify the exact service failure
- Vazamento refers specifically to plumbing leaks
- Queda de energia is the standard term for a power outage
- Using 'queria' (I was wanting) is more polite than 'quero' (I want)
- Explain the specific error to the first clerk before escalating
- The imperfect tense acts as a social softener in service interactions
- Ask for a manager only if the clerk cannot provide a solution
- Mapping common household service failures to their specific Portuguese terms
- The logical sequence of escalating a service issue
- Establishing a timeline with Quando
- Accountability through specific timing
- Using queria to soften requests
- Using trocar for replacements
- Terms for refunds
- Logical sequence of escalation
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Portuguese: Beyond the Basics the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
Imagine you're shivering after a cold shower. Which specific phrase should you use to tell the front desk exactly what's missing?
Get it right to open this lesson and 194 more in the app.
Where Portuguese: Beyond the Basics takes you
Move past simple greetings and start navigating real-life conversations with confidence. Master the nuances of social interaction, express complex opinions, and understand the cultural heartbeat of the Lusophone world.
- 1
Navigating Daily Life with Ease
- Handling Unexpected Service Issues
- Describing Specific Symptoms at the Doctor
- Renting an Apartment: Questions to Ask
- Navigating Bureaucracy and Official Forms
- 2
The Art of Social Connection
- Softening Requests to Sound More Polite
- Expressing Enthusiasm and Disappointment
- Telling Short Stories About Your Weekend
- Using Fillers to Sound More Natural
- Reacting to News in Conversation
- 3
Expressing Opinions and Hypotheticals
- Talking About What Might Happen
- Expressing Doubts and Uncertainties
- Giving Advice and Making Suggestions
- 4
Workplace and Professional Interaction
- Participating in a Team Meeting
- Writing Professional Emails
- Describing Your Career and Skills
- Negotiating Deadlines and Tasks
- Formal vs. Informal Address in the Office
- 5
Mastering Time and Sequences
- Describing Habits in the Past
- Connecting Events with 'Before' and 'After'
- Talking About Long-Term Future Goals
- Simultaneous Actions: Doing Two Things at Once
- 6
Regional Flavors and Slang
- Common Slang in Lisbon vs. Rio
- Understanding Different Accents
- Idiomatic Expressions About Food
- Social Etiquette and Unwritten Rules
- Humor and Sarcasm in Portuguese
- Pop Culture References You Should Know
- 7
Nuanced Descriptions
- Using Comparisons to Describe People
- Describing Textures, Smells, and Sounds
- Expressing Degrees: 'Very' vs. 'Extremely'
- 8
The Mechanics of Flow
- Connecting Sentences with Logic Words
- Using Pronouns to Avoid Repetition
- The Role of Word Order in Emphasis
- Shortening Words in Casual Speech
- Mastering Nasal Vowels and Difficult Sounds
- 9
Deep Dive into Meaning
- Words with No Direct English Translation
- The Difference Between 'To Be' and 'To Be'
- How Small Changes Alter a Verb's Meaning
- The History of the Portuguese Language
9 sections · 39 units · 195 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
Portuguese: Beyond the Basics is taught in the The Storyteller style: every lesson is a story. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start Portuguese: Beyond the Basics today.
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