"A gente tem conversado bastante."

Translation: We have been talking a lot.

[gpriddy]

Why can't "a gente" be "the people"?

[BrasilGIlyeah]

it can but I was just in Rio and a gente is used constantly (as "we").

[Danmoller]

Yes, it doens't mean "the people".

We would say "o povo", "as pessoas".

[UserBob]

Only if is "a gente brasileira", but if is "a gente" are us.

[Danmoller]

Yes, in most other cases, with complements or different words, "gente" will mean "people". But "a gente" alone will mean "we/us".

It happens also in contractoins: "da gente = nosso = ours".

[jonathan.j5]

Related to this, should "People have talked a lot" be accepted?

[saschambaer]

Since 'a gente' is only used as 'we', no.

[andreaparker]

why is 'enough' not acceptable here?

[langdabbler]

'Enough' would translate as 'o bastante/suficiente'; 'bastante' alone after a verb means 'a lot'.

[JCMcGee]

Cool. thank you.

[UserBob]

The tongue is alive. "Vós que quereis aprender a língua portuguesa" - I never heard this. Only in the school. But it is not natural. Vós heis de suplicar entender este cidadão. Don't worry. This is the portuguese to the past.

[wwhoyt]

Since "a gente" is we, shouldn't ter be conjugated as temos?

[emeyr]

"A gente" is used to avoid having to conjugate the first person plural. One less verb ending to use.

[dlung1]

I have read that explanation before, however it seems to me that native speakers would have no problem conjugating the verbs. Us foreigners would have that problem, but we're not the ones that establish the usage of words in Portuguese.

[emeyr]

We foreigners would...

And if there is an easier way to say things, people usually do - which is why you won't find many Brazilians using the conditional tense (imperfeito is easier), and you won't find Brazilians using the future perfect, past perfect or the simple future - it's more difficult to pronounce. Who wants to say "eu quererei" when you can say "(eu) vou querer"?

[Danmoller]

Yep....souns like that.

We only have problems with "tu" and "vós". But we choose the easy path to walk on :p

[Danmoller]

Yes, "me dá" is just so easy!

Dá-me (tu - correct) is weird
Dê-me (você - correct) less weird but weird too
Dai-me (vós - correct) common only in the idiom "dai-me forças/paciência (asking God for strenght/patience).

[ScarlettK1]

I think is something like "one can go crazy" and I am referring to myself...right?

[bjornstar3]

"we have talked enough" is now accepted - however, "the people have talked enough/a lot" isn't :(

[heitorgiuliani]

The case "nós-a gente" is like "tu-você-

[AnnarHolm]

When to use tem and when têm ?

[emeyr]

A gente/ele/ela tem
Eles/eles têm