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🇺🇸 English for Brazilians · Fluency Level 3

PART 3 · LESSON 25 OF 30 · 30 MINUTES

A word has no direct equivalent

Lena says her mother had a jeitinho for everything, Walt doesn't understand, and Ana learns to check interpretation with the speaker before offering an approximate, situated equivalent. Say my mother had a jeitinho for everything, a what, let me check before I explain Lena is the idea that she found a way around rules, not rules problems with charm not with money, in this context it means something like a clever, friendly way of solving a problem nobody else could, like talking the landlord into one more week, exactly that, did I get it right Lena, you got the friendly part the clever part almost, then the table can finish the definition.

Audio instruction: Brazilian Portuguese

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THE STORY

At table two, Lena uses the word jeitinho, Walt asks a what, and Ana checks with Lena before explaining, until the table finishes the definition.

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Words and phrases

The lesson is for your ears. Open this afterwards, to see what you learned.
My mother had a jeitinho for everything.mai MÂ-ther réd a jeitinho for É-vri-thingMy mother had a jeitinho for everything.
A what?a uátA what?
Let me check before I explain. Lena, is the idea that she found a way around rules?lét mi tchék bi-FÓR ai iks-PLÊIN. LÍ-na, iz thi ai-DÍ-a thét shi fáund a uêi a-RÁUND rulzLet me check before I explain. Lena, is the idea that she found a way around rules?
Not rules. Problems. With charm, not with money.nót rulz. PRÓ-blemz. uíth tcharm, nót uíth MÂ-niNot rules. Problems. With charm, not with money.
In this context, it means something like a clever, friendly way of solving a problem nobody else could.in this KON-tekst, it mínz SÂM-thing láik a KLÉ-ver, FRÉND-li uêi ov SÓL-ving a PRÓ-blem NÔU-ba-di éls kudIn this context, it means something like a clever, friendly way of solving a problem nobody else could.
Like talking the landlord into one more week.láik TÓ-king tha LÉND-lord ÍN-tu uân mór uíkLike talking the landlord into one more week.
Exactly like that.ig-ZÉKT-li láik thétExactly that.
Did I get it right, Lena?did ai guét it ráit, LÍ-naDid I get it right, Lena?
You got the friendly part. The clever part, almost.iú gót tha FRÉND-li part. tha KLÉ-ver part, ÓL-moustYou got the friendly part. The clever part, almost.
Then the table can finish the definition.then tha TÊI-bol ken FÍ-nish tha de-fi-NÍ-shanThen the table can finish the definition.