Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Às vezes o irmão da Maria é um pouco egoísta com o telemóvel. - Sometimes Maria's brother is a bit selfish with the phone.

It’s a very common and natural way to say "sometimes" in European Portuguese.
Other ways to say something similar:
- "por vezes" – a bit more formal/literary, also “at times”.
- "de vez em quando" – “from time to time”, “once in a while”.
- "algumas vezes" – “a few times / several times” (more about counting than habit).

So "Às vezes" is the normal, everyday equivalent of "sometimes" here.

Why is there a grave accent in "Às"? What is it exactly?

The grave accent ( ` ) in "Às" shows a contraction of two words:

a (preposition “at / to / in”)
as (feminine plural definite article “the”)
= às

So "Às vezes" literally is "a + as vezes" = "às vezes".

The grave accent in Portuguese usually appears when a + a(s) contract (called crase in Portuguese). In this sentence, "às" is always written with the grave accent; you cannot write "as vezes" without it.

Why do we say "o irmão da Maria" and not just "irmão da Maria"?

In European Portuguese, family members and many other nouns are very often used with the definite article.

"o irmão da Maria" = "Maria’s brother", literally "the brother of Maria".
Leaving out the article ("irmão da Maria") is possible, but it sounds less natural in many contexts and can feel a bit telegraphic.

In everyday speech, people almost always say:

o irmão da Maria (the brother of Maria)
a mãe do João (the mother of João)
os pais da Ana (the parents of Ana)

So here, "o" is just the normal definite article “the” that Portuguese tends to keep where English often omits it.

Why is it "da Maria" and not "de Maria"?

"da" is a contraction:

de (of)
a (feminine singular “the”)
= da (“of the”)

So "o irmão da Maria" literally means "the brother of the Maria", which is just how Portuguese structures possession with names.

In European Portuguese, using the article with proper names is very common:
- a Maria, o João, a Ana.
Therefore:
- o irmão da Maria = “Maria’s brother”
- o livro do João = “João’s book”

You could technically say "o irmão de Maria", but:

It sounds more formal or old-fashioned.
In natural European Portuguese, you’ll almost always hear "da Maria".

Why is it "é" and not "está" in "é um pouco egoísta"?

Portuguese has two verbs for "to be": ser and estar.

ser (é) is used for more permanent characteristics or traits.
estar (está) is used for temporary states or conditions.

"Ele é egoísta." = He is (by nature) selfish.
"Ele está egoísta." = He is being selfish (nowadays / at the moment), but it’s seen as a temporary phase or unusual behavior.

In your sentence, "é um pouco egoísta" presents this as a character trait of Maria’s brother, not just how he’s acting on one specific day. That’s why "é" (from ser) is used.

What does "um pouco" really mean here? Is it like “a bit” or “a little”?

Yes, "um pouco" here means “a bit / a little / somewhat”.

"um pouco egoísta" ≈ “a little bit selfish” / “kind of selfish”.
It softens the adjective, so it sounds less harsh than just "egoísta" on its own.

Other similar expressions:

um bocado egoísta – very common, slightly more informal (“a bit selfish”).
um bocadinho egoísta – “a tiny bit selfish” (even more softening/diminutive).

So the sentence doesn’t say he’s very selfish, just somewhat / a bit selfish.

Does "egoísta" change for masculine/feminine or singular/plural?

"egoísta" is one of those adjectives that stays the same for masculine and feminine:

o irmão é egoísta – the brother is selfish
a irmã é egoísta – the sister is selfish

For the plural, you just add -s:

os irmãos são egoístas – the brothers are selfish
as irmãs são egoístas – the sisters are selfish
eles/elas são egoístas – they are selfish

So:

Singular: egoísta
Plural: egoístas
No change for gender in the singular form.

Why do we say "com o telemóvel"? What does "com" express here?

"com" means "with", and in this sentence "com o telemóvel" means “with the phone / about the phone” in the sense of how he behaves regarding the phone.

"ser egoísta com [algo]" = to be selfish with [something], i.e., not wanting to share it, being possessive about it.

So:

"egoísta com o telemóvel" = selfish about the phone / doesn’t like to share the phone, maybe refuses to lend it, etc.

Other examples:

Ela é egoísta com o dinheiro. – She’s selfish with money.
Ele é egoísta com o carro. – He’s selfish with the car.

Why is it "o telemóvel" and not just "telemóvel" without the article?

In Portuguese, definite articles (o, a, os, as) are used much more often than “the” in English.

You normally say:

o telemóvel – the mobile phone
a casa – the house
o carro – the car

Here, "com o telemóvel" suggests a specific phone (in context, almost certainly his own phone). Leaving the article out ("com telemóvel") would sound unnatural in this sentence unless you were in a very specific, technical context.

So "com o telemóvel" is just the normal, idiomatic way to say "with the phone" = “with his phone” here.

What is "telemóvel"? Is it the same as “cell phone” or “mobile”?

Yes. In European Portuguese:

"telemóvel" = “mobile phone / cell phone / cellphone”.

In Brazilian Portuguese, the common word is different:

"celular" – “cell phone”.

So:

Portugal: telemóvel
Brazil: celular

In both cases, they refer to the same thing: your mobile phone.

Is "telemóvel" masculine or feminine, and how do I make it plural?

"telemóvel" is masculine.

Singular: o telemóvel – the mobile phone
Plural: os telemóveis – the mobile phones

The plural is formed regularly:

-vel → -veis
telemóvel → telemóveis

Can I change the word order and say "O irmão da Maria às vezes é um pouco egoísta com o telemóvel"?

Yes, that word order is perfectly correct and very natural:

Às vezes o irmão da Maria é um pouco egoísta com o telemóvel.
O irmão da Maria às vezes é um pouco egoísta com o telemóvel.

Both mean "Sometimes Maria’s brother is a bit selfish with the phone."

The difference is only where you place the emphasis:

Starting with "Às vezes" slightly emphasises the “sometimes”.
Placing "às vezes" after the subject ("O irmão da Maria") is very common in spoken language.

Grammatically, both are fine.

How do you pronounce the nasal "ão" in "irmão"?

The "ão" in "irmão" is a nasal sound that doesn’t exist in standard English, but you can approximate it.

Tips:

Start with something like the English word "own", but:
- open your mouth a bit more on the vowel,
- and let air go through your nose at the same time (nasal).

So:

"irmão" ≈ eer-MAUN (with a nasal “aun”), not eer-MA-oh.

Also:

Final -m in Portuguese often just nasalises the vowel; you don’t actually close your lips in a strong “m” sound here.

Is there any difference in meaning if I say "um bocado egoísta" instead of "um pouco egoísta"?

Both are very close and both are common in European Portuguese:

"um pouco egoísta" – “a bit / a little selfish”; slightly more neutral/formal.
"um bocado egoísta" – also “a bit selfish”; sounds more colloquial / everyday speech.

For most everyday contexts, they’re interchangeable in meaning.
Native speakers in Portugal often use "um bocado" in casual conversation.