"Qual é o sobrenome do coronel?"

Translation: What is the Colonel's last name?

[CutePorcupine]

What is the colonel?

[Danmoller]

In Brazil, coronel is a military rank.
It's also the status of some people, mainly in the northeast region of the country, who has control over the people. Their power comes from their havings compared to a very poor people.

[KTKee-EnglishEng]

No-one says their havings.

[Danmoller]

I do!.....or should I say I did??? :p

Their....possessions?

[KTKee-EnglishEng]

It depends what you are trying to say. I think the more natural way to say it would be their wealth or from what they own. Possessions tends to describe more intimate things.

[Danmoller]

Ok!!! Thank you!. "from what they own".

[PHScanes]

Sorry... why only in Northeast? From south to north there was coronéis...

[Danmoller]

It's because they are still there.

[PHScanes]

Do you know Minas Gerais (Southeast), Santa Catarina e Rio Grande do Sul (South), Mato Grosso e do Sul (Central West), Tocantins, Rondônia, Acre (North) etc...?

[Danmoller]

Well....I don't know by experience, I confess....I know by school books.

I've been to Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso do Sul.

[SlowerPhoton]

It seems to me he pronounces "du" instead of "do". Is that the way they pronounce it in Brazil?

[Paulenrique]

Yes, the letter "o" (without an accent) sound like /oo/ when it comes at the ned of a word.

[SlowerPhoton]

Do they do the same in Portugal?

[Paulenrique]

Yes, it is pretty much the same.

[isabelnic]

Why doesnt it accept "what is the surname of the cornel"