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Is the word ficando the same in Brazilian and European Portuguese?
No.
While the semantic meaning of the word "ficando" (the gerund of the verb ficar) is the same in both dialects, the grammatical usage of the gerund form is a major difference between Brazilian and Continental Portuguese. In Brazil, the gerund is the standard way to express continuous or ongoing actions (e.g., "estou ficando"). In Portugal, the gerund is rarely used for this purpose; instead, the preposition a + the infinitive form is the natural and standard construction (e.g., "estou a ficar").
Brazilian Portuguese usage
- Estou ficando com muita fome. (I am getting very hungry.)
- A situação está ficando complicada. (The situation is getting complicated.)
- Ele está ficando em um hotel de luxo. (He is staying in a luxury hotel.)
- Nós estamos ficando amigos aos poucos. (We are becoming friends gradually.)
- O tempo está ficando frio hoje. (The weather is getting cold today.)
Continental Portuguese usage
- Estou a ficar com muita fome. (I am getting very hungry.)
- A situação está a ficar complicada. (The situation is getting complicated.)
- Ele está a ficar num hotel de luxo. (He is staying in a luxury hotel.)
- Nós estamos a ficar amigos aos poucos. (We are becoming friends gradually.)
- O tempo está a ficar frio hoje. (The weather is getting cold today.)
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· BR vs PT Word Differences