Why Take a Chance?
The following is a quote by Edgar Bergen:
Hard work never killed anybody, mas porquê arriscar?but why take a chance?
Click to reveal translation
Click the sentence again to see the Portuguese
The Plus version of this story
O trabalho árduo* nunca matou* ninguém. Mas porquê* arriscar*?Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?
🔎 Words in this story
✴️ Árduo (hard)
This is the masculine singular form of the adjective. The feminine “árdua” applies to singular feminine nouns. For example: “Foi uma tarefa árdua” (It was an arduous task).
✴️ Matou (killed)
The verb “matar” (to kill) is also used in the reflexive form (matar-se). It can have the literal meaning of killing oneself, but it is commonly used figuratively, meaning someone makes a huge effort, till exhaustion. For example: “Ela mata-se a trabalhar” (She kills herself working).
The expression “ficar a matar” means “to match to perfection.” For example: “Esse casaco fica-te a matar!” (That jacket looks killer on you!).
There is a Plus version of this story
The same story, taken further, for DailyNata Plus members. This one works on question words.
- The whole story in Portuguese, and its English
- The words in it, explained, with examples
- An interactive exercise
Written for level A2. Every story has its own, anywhere from A1 to B2.