Como falo em inglês: É como se

By Ana | Podcast Inglês Online

Feb 07
Como falo em inglês É como se

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How’s it going? Nesse episódio do podcast Inglês Online eu falo sobre o uso da expressãozinha as though em inglês.

Transcrição

Hi, everyone. Today we have a new episode of the inglesonline podcast. Please subscribe to this podcast using the Podcasts app for iPhone and iPad, or listen to the episodes using the Inglesonline Android app.

Today let me give you examples of how to use the expression “as though”. Do you recognize those sounds, especially the last one? “Though” is spelled t-h-o-u-g-h. Listen again: though. We can use “as though” in many ways: It’s as though, It sounds as though, It was as though and the list goes on. Now, what does that mean? The title of this podcast sort of gives it away. Here’s an example: Mary has a three-year old boy. She says that, sometimes, it’s as though she has two children.

She's a handful

She’s a handful

Listen again: Mary has a three-year old boy. She says that, sometimes, it’s as though she has two children. How many kids does Mary have? Just one. She has a three-year old boy. However, she says that sometimes it’s as though she has two children. What does that mean? That probably means that she has a very active child; maybe… maybe Mary’s son is a handful! When someone is a handful, that means that person is difficult to manage, or that they get themselves in trouble a lot, or maybe they have a difficult personality, or they demand a lot of attention all the time. If you’re responsible for looking after a kid who’s a handful, you’ll probably be very busy; too busy to take care of anything else. Do you know anyone who’s a handful? I think I know a few kids who are a handful.

But anyway, back to our example: Mary’s kid is probably a handful, so it feels as though she has two children, and not one. It is as though she has two children, and not one. How would we say that in Portuguese? We could say “A Mary tem um filho, mas é como se fossem dois”. We could also say “A Mary tem um filho só, mas parece dois”. It’s as though she has two children. I live in a big city but on Sundays it’s as though I’m in a small town. São Paulo is a huge city. During the week there’s a lot of car traffic in my neighborhood… it’s really noisy and crowded. On Sundays, though… sometimes, in the afternoon, it’s as though I’m in a small town. Very few cars driving by, only a few people on the street, all very quiet. It is as though I live in a small town. I have a dog, but sometimes I feel as though I have a cat. Why? Because my dog is very quiet and she enjoys being on her own a lot. It’s as though I have a cat.

Last night I walked into a room full of flowers. The scent was unbelievable. It was as though someone had sprayed ten bottles of perfume around the room. Since I’m talking about a smell, or a scent, I could say “The room smelled as though someone had sprayed ten bottles of perfume inside it”. Ok, and who knows what it feels like when you overeat? You know, when you’re not even hungry anymore but you keep eating, and then your belly hurts? So here’s another example: last Saturday Tom had feijoada, then a steak with fries. Ice cream for dessert. He felt as though he was going to explode afterwards. How about this one? Yesterday I tried to lift a suitcase but it was too heavy and I just gave up. My dad then lifted the suitcase with such ease… It was as though the suitcase was full of feathers. It was as though the suitcase wasn’t heavy at all!

So you have probably noticed that we can use “as though” in combination with many different words.  If we’re listening to someone talk about how they spent the entire morning boxing up old stuff that they’re… giving away to some charity, you could say “It sounds as though you worked really hard this morning. You must be tired”. I said “It sounds as though…” because my basis for that conclusion is the story I’m hearing. So it sounds as though my friend worked hard this morning. In Portuguese, we would say something like “Tá parecendo que você deu um duro danado hoje de manhã”. Right now, where I am, it sounds as though it is going to rain. I’m not facing the window, so I can`t see what the weather looks like right now. But I just heard the sound of a thunder. It sounds as though it’s gonna rain. “Tá parecendo que vai chover”.

Has that ever happened to you – you heard the sound of a thunder in the distance, or the wind against the window and it sounded as though rain was about to start? Talk to you next time!

 

Key Expressions

  • a handful
  • it was as though / it felt as though
  • it sounds as though

Glossary

responsible for looking after (someone) = responsável por cuidar de (alguém)

sort of gives it away = meio que entrega (no sentido de entregar o significado)

facing the window = de frente pra janela

Ana
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André 27/02/2013

Today I run 15km, and how the weather was really good, it was as though I had run just 5km.

Amanda Ribeiro 26/02/2013

OI Ana,

Td bem? Ouvi o podcast, entendi o sentido da palavra, mas não encontrei tradução para handful e tb para a expressão “boxing up old stuff. Existe o PDF com a tradução como no restante do material do curso????

Obrigada,

Amanda

Genario França 15/02/2013

hi, ana:
I`ve studied English for a long time, but now it seems as though i´m learning more easily.
I owe that to your classes and the way how you teach. Thanks for all.
Genario

André 13/02/2013

Hi Ana!
Is there any difference between “as if” and “as though”?
“As if” is more formal than that?

Thanks!

Débora 12/02/2013

Sure, it happens all the time in São Paulo. lol…

Ps Ana, in this phrase during the podcast – “So you have probably noticed that we can use “as though” in combination with many different verbs.” You’ve said with differente words and not verbs. Have a look, please.

    Débora 13/02/2013

    I mean, you’ve changed the words, you said verbs instead of words in the sentence. You may correct me, if I’m wrong.

Fabio 12/02/2013

I do really love your podcasts Ana, you’re incredible and that one was fantastic, I’ve always had difficulty to how to use “though” and also avoid this expression: “como se” I’ve usually used “if” as casual!
Thanks so much, great job.
(:

Andy 11/02/2013

Oi Ana

Eu estou estudando inglês por conta própria e seus podcast estão me ajudando bastante, muito obrigada pela dedicação em manter esse site. Eu confesso que tenho um caderno cheio de anotações e de expressões que eu aprendi através da sua página e eu estou adorando!
Ouvindo o podcast de hoje eu fiquei com uma dúvida com relação a frase: ” I think I know a few kids who are a handful.”
Eu sei que pode parecer erro de principiante e de quem não é familiar com o idioma, mas eu realmente não entendi o porquê daquele “a” em frente ao handful, pois sempre aprendi que o “a” era apenas usado para singular (is a). Você poderia me explicar quando eu posso utilizar “are a” ?

Aguardo um retorno, se possível e novamente obrigada por manter seu site sempre interessante. :-)

Jean Carlos 10/02/2013

Ana,
Na sentença “So you have probably noticed that we can use “as though” in combination with many different verbs. ” eu ouvi no Podcast WORDS em vez de VERBS. As duas ficam corretas eu presumo, acho que foi só um erro de digitação. Parabéns pelos Podcasts, não perco um.

Wanderley 09/02/2013

Ana Luiza, eu tô com uma dúvida numa frase em inglês, pois não consigo traduzi-la.Por favor me ajuda com essa frase: “Here’s to never growing up”… aguardo respostas!

Fátima 09/02/2013

Hello Ann,
I like very much your classes. I am improving my english with you, I am learning new vocabularies and my listening is gonna be good.
I receive e-mails from english expert, and it helps me a lot, too.
Thanks, Ann, Alessandro and Adir for you have the patience to mail e-mails for us.
God bless you and your families.
Fátima

Juçara Duarte 08/02/2013

I’m here just to say: thank you very much Ana for your great job and I like the way you read and have a beautiful voice.
You are so sweet and sometimes I use to listen to some podcasts in English Experts, too.
Congratulations for everything you do and I know you do it full of love.
God bless you and keep helping us for a long, long time.
Thanks!

João Paulo 08/02/2013

Hello Ana,
I’ve been studying English for about 4 months, I’ve been listening your podcast with Adir and Alessandro, i think it’s awesome.
I got your android app and I’m downloading all your podcasts.
Sorry my mistakes.
Thanks by the post

Graziella 07/02/2013

Hello Ana,
It’s my first time here and I’d say that’s all I need. I don’t practice my English very often and now I’m looking foward to do something to change this.
Let me ask something…

Is it correct to say: Mary has a three year old boy, but sometimes it’s as though IF she has two children. Is it wrong if I use ‘IF’?

    Jeff 14/02/2013

    Hi Grazi!

    Honestly you don’t need to use “IF” because “as though” according to the context has that meaning as “COMO SE”. Hope I could help you. :)

Guilherme Costa 07/02/2013

Hello Ana !

Actually I didn’t know this expression, I was used to say ” as if ” but ” as though” sounded more natural to me ;) … By the way, talking about podcasts I’d like to say I loving your podcasts with Alessandro and Adir … it’s amazing, I’m enjoying to much !

Thanks Ana !

Raafael Domingues 07/02/2013

Hello Ana, I am here to say that you are a great person, I’ve been studying English for 2 years and I’ve found your website has about 2 weeks ago. Since I found your site I’ve learned new expressions, new words and my listening is getting better to each podcast I hear. I’d say that you’re doing a great job and I am sure you’re helping too many people. I became a huge fan of yours. and keep doing this wonderful work. God bless you ! :)

Jeff 07/02/2013

My first time seeing “as though” it was when I’ve read a book and then I got the meaning according to the context but now I could make sure that the meaning is exactly what I thought it would be!!!

Loved this one. :)

A kiss!

    Ana 07/02/2013

    Cool, Jeff. Great that you can get the meaning of new words and expressions..!

Fernando Basso 07/02/2013

This sentence in the text:
“It was as though someone has sprayed ten bottles of perfume around the room.”

I believe it should be “It was as though someone _had_ sprayed ten bottles of perfume around the room.

Nice podcast! I always listen to it. You really sound like a native English speaker.

    Ana 07/02/2013

    Thanks, Fernando, you’re right. Fixed!

Al 07/02/2013

Encontrei a expressão “as if” como equivalente. Podemos usá-la nos mesmos casos?

    Ana 07/02/2013

    Sim, Al, é equivalente.

Iramaia 07/02/2013

Although I already knew this expression, it was as though I never had used it before. Oops, I just did! :) And certainly will do more often from now on. Thanks a lot, Ana.

    Ana 07/02/2013

    Yay, Ira !! Thanks for stopping by :)

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