Love letter in Portuguese

October 5, 2005 7:24 AM

PortugueseFilter: So there is this smoking hot Brazilian in my writing discussion...

and I'd like to give her a nice, anonymous note written in Portuguese, and I have a better mind than to use a free web translator. Any suggestions of what to say and how to say it?

posted by anonymous to Human Relations (33 answers total)

You should open with something like, "I don't actually know Portuguese, but ...." Otherwise she might end up thinking that you're a schmuck later.
posted by TurkishGolds at 7:36 AM on October 5, 2005

My advice exactly TG. When you start off with a lie, things don't go well from there on out. Be honest about your lack of ability. Maybe you could suggest that you would be interested in learning more?
posted by Pollomacho at 7:40 AM on October 5, 2005

Concordo! Or learn some Portuguese. Maybe an anonymous note is um pouco estranho?

The most basic intro could just be "Oi, tudo bem?" Why pretend you know more than you do?
posted by sagwalla at 7:46 AM on October 5, 2005

What in god's name is an anonymous note going to accomplish? Why start out with games? How bout you walk up to her and ask her if you can take her to dinner and learn a little portuguese? Sack up, cowboy/girl.
posted by spicynuts at 7:54 AM on October 5, 2005

tu es munto bonita
posted by RobotHero at 7:55 AM on October 5, 2005

>>tu es munto bonita

Maybe AskMeFi is not the best place to seek advice. Or offer it.
posted by sagwalla at 8:03 AM on October 5, 2005

This borders on insulting.
posted by cadastral at 8:07 AM on October 5, 2005

It borders on incorrect.
posted by sagwalla at 8:12 AM on October 5, 2005

Proibido fumar.
posted by ikkyu2 at 8:15 AM on October 5, 2005

smoking hot Brazilian!
posted by sagwalla at 8:19 AM on October 5, 2005

That was my Portuguese co-worker who typed that.
posted by RobotHero at 8:25 AM on October 5, 2005

O que é munto?
posted by sagwalla at 8:30 AM on October 5, 2005

Girl speaking here - An anonymous note like that would creep me out big time, and when I found out who it was from, I would probably make a point of keeping my distance. Your idea is highly unlikely to be construed as either mysterious or romantic, I'm afraid, and is more likely to backfire. Whatever happened to going up to someone and introducing yourself?

Minor pick: She's a woman from Brazil, or a Brazilian woman, not "a Brazilian."
posted by boomchicka at 8:31 AM on October 5, 2005

brasileira
posted by sagwalla at 8:33 AM on October 5, 2005

boomchicka, are you an American?
posted by dydecker at 8:37 AM on October 5, 2005

Unless you're the aloof, affable Hugh Grant don't do this. When a girl looks over and sees a note and you're anything short of handsome times ten, than it won't work. And if you were handsome times ten you'd probably wouldn't need our advice.
posted by geoff. at 8:40 AM on October 5, 2005

You could probably convince MiguelCardoso to help you with this. Of course, inevitably, the note he wrote would a) be way too long, and b) lead only to a discussion of the merits/flaws of Miguel Cardoso.

Or c) work perfectly!
posted by Hildago at 8:48 AM on October 5, 2005

Mil e uma noites de amor com você
Na praia num barco
Num farol apagado
Num moinho abandonado
Em mar grande alto astral
Lá em Hollywood pra de tudo rolar
Vendo estrelas caindo
Vendo a noite passar
Eu e você
Na ilha do sol
Na ilha do sol
posted by driveler at 8:54 AM on October 5, 2005

Actually, I can guarantee you'll make a much better impression by just walking over, saying 'Hi', and starting a pleasant conversation with her.
posted by driveler at 9:01 AM on October 5, 2005

what spicynuts and boomchicka said.
posted by ambrosia at 9:20 AM on October 5, 2005

Forget the note (that would be kinda creepy) and try geography. Get a tourbook for Brazil, or look online. Then if you talk to the girl and ask her where she's from, you will probably impress her more and freak her out less by having a vague notion about the region she is from than pretending to know a language.

This site was recommended to me when I went to Brazil. In addition to the phrases, it has a bit of the culture thrown in. I got a Lonely Planet phrasebook instead and that was more useful.
posted by Yorrick at 9:22 AM on October 5, 2005

That's like me walking up to the Mexican lab assistant and asking who dropped the chalupa. English apparently doesn't suffice!
posted by sian at 9:39 AM on October 5, 2005

it will probably help you get laid if you let her know that you appreciate her for something less shallow than her "smoking hotness" or her ethnicity. hope this helps!
posted by naxosaxur at 10:42 AM on October 5, 2005

There's a huge number of Brazilians on Fotolog. Maybe you could learn something from there.
posted by hellbient at 10:53 AM on October 5, 2005

I agree with those who advise against anonymous pretensions of Portugosity. Just say "Hi!" and start talking.

As a side note, I don't think I've ever flagged so many comments as "noise" in a single AskMe thread.
posted by languagehat at 11:28 AM on October 5, 2005

Oh well, one more couldn't hurt:

>>As a side note, I don't think I've ever flagged so many comments as "noise" in a single AskMe thread.

sem sentido de humor

&lt/noise&gt

Você é linda, Mefi.
posted by sagwalla at 12:26 PM on October 5, 2005

Oh, hell, that looked okay in preview...
posted by sagwalla at 12:27 PM on October 5, 2005

not "a Brazilian."

exactly. that makes me think of wax, frankly. "Brazilian woman" sounds way better. and I second those who say that saying her "hi" and introducing yourself sounds like a much better idea. trying to be interested in something more than her "hawtness" would probably help, too. it makes for more interesting conversation



I don't think I've ever flagged so many comments as "noise" in a single AskMe thread.

partypooper
;)
posted by matteo at 12:42 PM on October 5, 2005

As someone who has been on the receiving end of anonymous notes/flowers, it's really not as fun/cute/romantic as it appears in the movies. For me it was annoying and bordered on creepy.

I definitely agree with Yorrick. Geography in this case would be much more impressive. If you could find out in advance what city she was from and then do a little research into the region, you could initiate a conversation about something specific to it. That would be great for her saudades and quite endearing. Don't try to pass yourself off as an expert, just use it as a starting point for conversation. As a Brazilian overseas, she probably only gets asked about certain stereotypical things (e.g. Carnaval) so it will probably be exciting to her to get to really talk about herself and where she comes from.
posted by wallaby at 1:37 PM on October 5, 2005

Walk up to her and say "You know, Miguel Cardoso and I contribute to the same web site."
posted by mr_crash_davis at 4:20 PM on October 5, 2005

Forget the whole Brazilian angle whether it by language, geography, or wax. She's in your writing discussion. Sit next to her and discuss writing.
posted by Asef Jil at 5:58 PM on October 5, 2005

Don't make a point of the fact that she's Brazilian. That's what every other schmuck does, she's tired of it. Plus, anglo people (I assume you're one) have these lame stereotypes about how passionate/rythmic/romantic latinamericans and especially brazilians are and it's also tiring (not saying that you have these stereotypes, just that if your whole angle is 'hey, you're from Brazil!' it might fall flat).
Ask her (intelligent) questions, listen to the answers and take it from there.
posted by signal at 9:26 PM on October 5, 2005

Brasileiras... they can take a man to crazyness...

Why not start by:

"Estar ao pé de ti dá-me vontade de aprender português; Como seria bom partilhar contigo essa aprendizagem..."
posted by LittlePrince at 5:50 AM on October 6, 2005