How to Make Polite Requests in Portuguese
[!related]
Translating "I want a coffee" directly into Portuguese results in Eu quero um café. It is technically correct grammar. If you're using this to actually order a coffee, it's going to make you sound weirdly toddler-ish.
This is a hurdle for those of us trying to handle daily situations. We may learn basic verbs and notice they sound off, but not have the tools to improve them. I spent my first few months pointing at pastry cases because I was unsure how to ask politely.
The solution lies in the [[theimperfectstorytelling_tense|imperfect tense]], which, amongst other things, acts as a...