The sentences in context show only one or two instances of how the verbs in the infinitive can be used. Keep in mind there are more ways of using these verbs.
| VERB IN THE INFINITIVE | IN CONTEXT | IN ENGLISH |
| ABRIR | Abre mais | Open more |
| ACELERAR | Acelera mais um pouquinho | Go a little faster |
| AFUNDAR | Afunda | Literally. Sink (refers to a specific movement when one leg slides back making the hip roll counter clockwise) |
| ARRASAR | Arrasou! | Coloq. You killed it! |
| BATER | Bate o quadril Bate mais | Move/shake your hips Move them more |
| COLOCAR | Coloca o braço mais pra frente | Place your arm forward a little more |
| CONTINUAR | Continua | Keep going |
| CRUZAR | Cruza (as pernas) | Cross (your legs) |
| DANÇAR | Dança sem parar | Dance without stopping |
| DOER | Minhas pernas doem Meu pé dói/está doendo | My legs hurt My foot hurts/is hurting |
| ENTRAR | Entra no samba Quando você entra no palco | Start the samba step(can refer to the transition from a dance movement to the actual samba step) When you go on stage |
| ESTAR | Estou um pouco perdida na sequência Estou muito feliz de dançar com você/ vocês! | I’m a bit lost in the sequence/routine I’m very happy to dance with you/you all! |
| ESTICAR | Estica a perna | Stretch your leg |
| FAZER | Faz a sequência | Do/execute the sequence |
| GIRAR | Gira mais o quadril | Turn/rotate your hips more |
| IR | Vai! Vai embora! | Go! Go ahead! |
| JOGAR | Joga o cabelo Joga mais! Jogou! | Use/play with your hair Put more energy! Coloq. You killed it! |
| LIMPAR | Limpa a sequência Limpa com a perna direita | Clean the sequence Clean with your right leg (can refer to a movement where one leg is sliding with the foot on the floor then lifted, thus “cleaning” it) |
| MACHUCAR | Machuquei o ombro dançando | I injured/hurt my shoulder while dancing |
| OLHAR | Olha pra mim/pra ela | Look at me/ at her |
| OBSERVAR | Observa | Look |
| PARAR | Não para! Não é pra parar | Don’t stop! Don’t stop |
| PISAR | Pisa, pisa, gira | Step, step, turn |
| PODER | Pode girar mais | You can move/rotate your hips more |
| QUEBRAR | Quebra! | Coloq. Get it! |
| REBOLAR | Rebola, rebola, rebola! | Do a rebolada! (Refers to a hip rotation. This movement is called rebolada and is when you “make circles” with your hips) |
| SAMBAR | Vai sambando Só samba | Go ahead and samba Just samba |
| SEGURAR | Segura o/seu tronco | Hold your upper body still |
| SOLTAR | Solta o quadril Quando a música começar, se solta, se entrega! | Release your hips When the music starts, don’t hold back, surrender! |
| SUBIR | Sobe na(s) ponta(s) do(s) pé(s) Sobe mais o braço | Stand on tiptoes Lift your arms more |
| TER | Hoje tenho uma dor muscular nas coxas Tenho dificuldade com o pulo Você tem uma dica para melhorar minha musicalidade? | Today my thighs are sore I have a hard time with the jump Do you have any tips to improve my musicality? |
| TRAVAR | Está travando/ travou Trava o abdômen | It’s frozen/it froze (refers to the image when taking online classes) Contract your abdomen/suck your stomach in |
| TIRAR | Tira o pé do chão | lift your feet off the floor |
| TRAZER | Traz a perna pá trás | Bring your leg back |
| VIRAR | Vira de costas | Turn around |
Os numeros. Numbers
- Um = one
- Dois = two
- Três = three
- Quatro = four
- Cinco = five
- Seis = six
- Sete = seven
- Oito = eight
- Vamos dançar três oitos = we’re gonna dance three eights of samba/ eight sambas three times.
- Um e dois e três e quatro = one and two and three and four
- Usually, the “e” corresponds to a “contra tempo.” A “contra tempo” means literally “off beat.” The “e” (“and”) is used to count an additional step and is therefore done faster than the regular pace.
- For example, in the following count, “1 and 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, 7, 8,” “1 and 2” and “5 and 6” are done faster than the rest of the counts.
O corpo. The body
- O abdomen = the abdomen
- A barriga = the belly
- A batata (da perna) = the calf
- A boca = the mouth
- O(s) braço(s)= the arm(s)
- O bumbum/a bunda = the booty/butt
- A cabeça = the head
- O cabelo = the hair
- O calcanhar = the heel
- A cara = the face
- A cintura = the waist
- O colo = the cleavage/area between the breasts
- As costas = the back
- O(s) cotovelo(s) = the elbow(s)
- A(s) coxa(s)= the thigh(s)
- O(s) dedo(s) = the finger(s)
- O(s) joelho(s)= the knee(s)
- Os lábios = the lips
- A(s) mão(s)= the hand(s)
- O nariz = the nose
- O olhar = the look (in one’s eyes)
- O(s) olho(s) = the eye(s)
- O(s) ombro(s) = the shoulder(s)
- O(s) pé(s)= the foot, feet
- A ponta do pé = tiptoe
- O peito = the chest
- A(s) perna(s) = the leg(s)
- O pescoço = the neck
- O quadril (os quadris) = the hip(s)
- O sorriso = the smile
- O tornozelo = the ankle
- A(s) trança(s) = the braid(s)
- O umbigo = the belly button
- A(s) unha(s) = the nail(s)
- O ventre = the belly
Alguns passos de dança. A few dance steps
| STEP NAME | TRANSLATION | EXPLANATION |
| A caminhada | The walk | Used to talk about the steps used to walk/move forward |
| A vassoura | the broom | When the feet are traveling sideways from point A to point B and hips are twisting and following the movement. For example, your left foot goes to the front and back of your right foot while you are traveling to the right. |
| A tesoura | The scissors | One leg is bent with the knee forward while the other leg is lunging back. |
| Afunda | “afunda” (to sink) | Movement that brings one hip+leg back by lifting your foot, opening the knee, and scooping the air with your hip counter clockwise. |
| Limpa | Clean (verb) | Leg movement consisting of lightly “sweeping” the floor with the foot. |
| A trança | The braid | Samba de Gafieira step. It looks like the feet are making a braid. |
| O pulo, pular | The jump, to jump | Dance movement consisting of a jump. |
| Firulas | Flourish | Refers to steps or movements done to embellish the samba step |
| Entrar no palco, entrar em cena | To enter the stage | __ |
MAIS QUADRIL! 