Breakdown of No verão costumo levar a prancha para o mar e apanhar uma onda suave.
e
and
em
in
para
to
uma
a
levar
to take
apanhar
to catch
o verão
the summer
costumar
to tend to
o mar
the sea
a prancha
the board
a onda
the wave
suave
gentle
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Questions & Answers about No verão costumo levar a prancha para o mar e apanhar uma onda suave.
Why do we say No verão instead of Durante o verão?
No is the contraction of em + o, so no verão literally means “in the summer.” It’s the most idiomatic way in European Portuguese to talk about seasons. You can also say durante o verão, which emphasizes “throughout the summer,” but no verão is shorter and more common for general habits.
What does costumo levar mean? How does the verb costumar work?
Costumar + infinitive expresses a habitual action. So costumo levar a prancha means “I usually take the board.” You conjugate costumar (eu costumo, tu costumas, ele costuma, etc.) and then add another verb in the infinitive (here, levar).
Why is levar used instead of trazer?
In Portuguese, levar means “to take” something from here to there, while trazer means “to bring” something from there to here. Since you move your surfboard from the shore out into the sea, you levar a prancha para o mar (take it to the sea), not trazer.
Why para o mar and not ao mar or no mar?
Para indicates direction toward a place (“to the sea”).
- ao mar (a + o) could also work but sounds slightly more formal or poetic.
- no mar (em + o) would suggest being inside or on the sea, not the action of taking something toward it.
In Portugal, is apanhar the usual verb for “catch” a wave? What about pegar?
Yes, apanhar uma onda is the idiomatic way to say “to catch a wave” in European Portuguese. Pegar is more typical in Brazilian Portuguese for that meaning, but in Portugal surfers will almost always use apanhar.
What does suave mean in this sentence?
Here suave describes the wave as “gentle,” “smooth,” or “easy-going.” It’s the opposite of a big, powerful wave, so uma onda suave is one that beginners or anyone looking for an easy ride would enjoy.
Could I say levar a tábua instead of levar a prancha?
While tábua literally means “board” or “plank,” in surfing contexts Portuguese speakers always say prancha de surf or simply prancha. Using tábua would sound odd to a native speaker when talking about a surfboard.