"Eles amam café."

Translation: They love coffee.

[esjlim]

Maybe it's just me, but recording does not sound like the word "amam". Would anyone else agree?

[erudis]

It sounds right to me, despite the robotic voice. You can compare with it a human voice here: http://pt.forvo.com/word/amam/

[algrego1]

Whoa, this website is great! Thank you!

[Danmoller]

Three years ago, there was a different voice.

But the current voice (october/2016) is just perfect.

[melesana]

I find it difficult to get used to that Portuguese sometimes pronounces "a" like English pronounces "uh."

[Danmoller]

Thats the "m/n" effect, which makes the vowels sound "nasal" (through the nose).

So "am", "an" and "ã" sound like "sung". (without the S, and without saying the "g" at all).

[krausmeg]

Is there another form for "love?" In Spanish, one uses "amar" when referring to a person and "encantar" when referring to a thing. Does Portuguese follow a similar rule?

[Danmoller]

We use "adorar" mostly. It's much less a big deal than "amar", and yet, much more than just "liking".

If you're saying it to a person, "eu te amo" is something you'd say to your boy/girlfriend, while "eu te adoro" can be said with less compromising.

If you're talking about things, "adorar" is the most common option. "Amar" is still possible and still more sentimental.

Maybe you could scale them like this:

• Gostar = To like / To appreciate
• Adorar = To like very much / To love
• Amar = To love

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"Encantar" has something magical to it. To "charm", "amuse" or "fascinate" may be good translations.

It should be used the other way around, though:

• Eu amo algo
• Algo me encanta

[Lahure]

You can use 'adore' - I adore coffee - (eu) adoro (o) café.

[deactivated user]

I came here to ask a similar question, still curious. Is Brazillian portuguese as liberal with amar as English is with to love? Thanks.

[Danmoller]

It would be safer to go with "adorar". It's not wrong to use "amar", but it may sound a little too much, especially when it's about people.

[bpopes]

Shouldn't this be 'eles amam O café'?

[erudis]

You're not talking about a specific coffee.

[bpopes]

Thanks!
I had the opportunity to google it now and I see that you are right. However:
J'aime le café (French)
Me gusta el café (Spanish)
Gústame o café (Galician)
And probably many more that I don't know about, hence my doubt xD

[Danmoller]

I don't know about the others, but French has a strong restriction about leaving a noun unaccompanied.

But Portuguese is much more like English: articles for specific things, no articles for general things.

A few differences occur about:

• Portuguese allowing "singular countable" nouns to be used without articles having a general meaning.
• Portuguese requiring definite articles in many cases for nouns that English sees as naturally general nouns: "Nature, Peace, Mankind".
• Portuguese often using definite articles in general plural subjects.

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Examples:

• Gosto de bolo = I like cakes
• A humanidade precisa parar e pensar = Mankind needs to stop and think
• As coisas estão esquisitas por aqui = Things are strange around here

[Oceanotti]

It seems that too many people who write in the Internet do not know that.