Question 1

Why does contamos here mean we tell instead of we count?

Accepted Answer

In Portuguese, the verb contar can mean both to count (e.g. contar números) and to tell (e.g. contar histórias, contar piadas). The presence of the direct object uma piada makes clear that it means we tell a joke here.

Question 2

What tense is contamos, and how would I say we told a joke before dinner?

Accepted Answer

Here contamos is the present indicative (we tell). To express the past (preterite perfect):  
• European Portuguese: nós contámos uma piada antes de jantar (the accent on á marks the past).  
• Brazilian Portuguese: nós contamos uma piada antes de jantar (Brazilians write the same form for both present and past, relying on context).

Question 3

Can I drop the subject pronoun nós? When do I need to include it?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Portuguese is a pro-drop language, so you can say Contamos uma piada antes de jantar without nós. Use nós only for emphasis, contrast, or clarity (especially in spoken European Portuguese).

Question 4

Why is it antes de jantar and not antes do jantar or antes que jantar?

Accepted Answer

• antes de + infinitive (antes de jantar) means before eating/dining.  
• antes do + noun (antes do jantar) means before the dinner event (here you treat jantar as a noun and need the article).  
• antes que + subjunctive (antes que jantem) is used when the subject changes and you follow with a verb in the subjunctive.

Question 5

Why do we use the infinitive jantar after antes de?

Accepted Answer

After a preposition like de, Portuguese requires either a noun or an infinitive verb. Here jantar is the infinitive to dine, functioning like a noun and meaning dining.

Question 6

Why is piada feminine, and why is the article uma necessary?

Accepted Answer

Most Portuguese nouns ending in -a are feminine, so piada takes the feminine article uma. In general, singular count nouns in Portuguese require an article: you can’t normally say just piada when you mean a joke.

Question 7

How do you pronounce piada and jantar in European Portuguese?

Accepted Answer

• piada: [ˈpjadɐ] – the d between vowels is a voiced dental fricative [ð], like the th in English this.  
• jantar: [ʒɐ̃ˈtaɾ] – j is [ʒ] (like the s in measure), ã is nasal, and the final r is a tapped [ɾ] or a guttural [ʁ] depending on the region.

Question 8

How would I specify to whom we told the joke in Portuguese?

Accepted Answer

Use an indirect object introduced by a + noun or a clitic pronoun:  
• Contamos uma piada ao João (we told a joke to João).  
• European Portuguese clitic: Contámos-lhe uma piada.  
• Brazilian speech often simplifies to A gente contou uma piada pra ele.

Question 9

What’s the difference between contar uma piada and fazer uma piada?

Accepted Answer

• contar uma piada focuses on the act of telling a prepared or remembered joke to someone.  
• fazer uma piada means to make a joke (to crack a joke, often a spontaneous quip).

Nós contamos uma piada antes de jantar.

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