Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): O pai tem raiva às vezes, porém procura consolo na companhia dos filhos e dos netos. - The father is angry sometimes, but he seeks comfort in the company of his children and grandchildren.

O pai literally means “the father”, but in context it often works like “Dad / the father in question”.
It can even stand for “my/our father” if the context is clear: O pai tem raiva às vezes ≈ “Dad sometimes gets angry.”
Saying just Pai tem raiva is not natural; bare pai as a subject usually needs an article or a possessive.
Meu pai tem raiva specifically means “my father sometimes gets angry.” Using o pai is more neutral or narrative.

In European Portuguese you’ll also often hear o meu pai instead of just meu pai.

Why is it tem raiva and not something like está com raiva or está zangado?

All of these express anger, but with slightly different patterns and regional preferences.

ter raiva = literally “to have anger”, idiomatic for feeling anger / holding anger.
estar zangado = “to be angry” in a more direct, everyday way.
estar com raiva is much more typical of Brazilian Portuguese; in Portugal people are more likely to say estar zangado, estar furioso, etc.

In this sentence, with às vezes, tem raiva suggests he gets / feels anger at times, possibly as a recurring tendency, not just a single momentary mood. O pai está zangado às vezes would also be grammatically fine, but sounds a bit less idiomatic than tem raiva here.

Does raiva mean “anger” or “rabies” here?

Here raiva clearly means “anger”.

raiva = anger, rage, resentment (common everyday meaning).
a raiva can also be the disease “rabies”, but that use appears mainly in medical/veterinary contexts.

In a sentence about emotions and consolation in the company of children and grandchildren, the emotional meaning is the only one that makes sense.

How does às vezes work? Why the accent on às, and why is it plural?

Às vezes is the standard way to say “sometimes”.

It is formed from a + as vezes → às vezes.
The grave accent in às shows this contraction (preposition a
- article as).
Literally, it means something like “at the times / on certain occasions”, hence it’s plural (vezes = “times”).

Position in the sentence is quite flexible:

Às vezes o pai tem raiva, porém procura…
O pai tem raiva, às vezes, porém procura…
O pai tem raiva às vezes, porém procura… (your version)

All of these are acceptable; the difference is mostly in rhythm and emphasis.

What’s the difference between porém and mas?

Both mean roughly “but / however”, but they differ in tone and usage.

mas is the default, neutral “but”, very common in speech and writing.
porém is more formal or literary, closer to “however” in style, and it typically appears after a comma:
- O pai tem raiva às vezes, porém procura consolo…

In everyday conversation, you’d more likely hear:

O pai tem raiva às vezes, mas procura consolo…

Why is there a comma before porém, and why often another comma after it?

Porém acts like a contrastive conjunction/adverb (similar to “however”).

In Portuguese, when you introduce a contrasting clause with words like porém, contudo, todavia, you normally separate them with a comma:
- …, porém procura consolo…
You can also put a comma after porém if you pause there:
- O pai tem raiva às vezes; porém, procura consolo…

So both are correct:

O pai tem raiva às vezes, porém procura consolo…
O pai tem raiva às vezes; porém, procura consolo…

How does procura consolo work? Why is there no preposition like por or para?

The verb procurar is directly transitive in Portuguese:

procurar algo = “to look for / seek something” (no preposition).

So:

procura consolo = “(he) looks for / seeks comfort.”

Adding a preposition is usually unnecessary in European Portuguese:

procura por consolo is heard more in Brazilian Portuguese and can sound redundant or less standard in Portugal.
procura consolo is the normal, idiomatic structure in European Portuguese.

What’s the nuance of na companhia dos filhos e dos netos instead of just com os filhos e os netos?

Both are correct, but the tone is different.

com os filhos e os netos = “with the children and grandchildren” (simple, neutral).
na companhia dos filhos e dos netos = “in the company of the children and grandchildren” (more formal, slightly more emotional or poetic).

Grammatically:

na = em + a (“in/on + the”).
na companhia de = “in the company of”.
dos = de + os (“of the”).

So procura consolo na companhia dos filhos e dos netos emphasizes their presence and companionship as the source of his comfort.

Why is it dos filhos e dos netos? Could we say dos filhos e netos?

Dos is the contraction de + os (“of the”).

dos filhos e dos netos = “of the children and of the grandchildren.”

In Portuguese, when you list groups with a definite article, it is normal and more natural to repeat the article:

dos pais, dos filhos e dos netos
dos professores e dos alunos

You might occasionally see dos filhos e netos, but it sounds less careful or slightly off.
Omitting the articles altogether (de filhos e netos) would change the feel, making it more generic (“from children and grandchildren (in general)”).

Why is the present tense used (tem, procura) if this happens only “sometimes”?

In Portuguese, the simple present is the normal way to express habitual or repeated actions:

O pai tem raiva às vezes = “The father sometimes gets / is angry.”
…porém procura consolo… = “however he seeks / looks for comfort…”

English also uses the present for habits (“He sometimes gets angry”), so the usage is parallel here. There is no special “habitual tense” in Portuguese; the plain present covers:

general truths: A água ferve a 100 graus.
routines/habits: Ela lê antes de dormir.
and, as here, recurring emotional states: O pai tem raiva às vezes.