# Penar nas aulas



## eu não sou daqui

Hi everybody!

First of all, I hope this post will not get me in trouble...it's about a stripper!  But wait a second!  It's about something from a newspaper.

I was reading the captions of a photo essay about Ellen Cardoso, who is learning how to dance like a stripper.  I got most of it, but I'm not sure about the last phrase:

_'Estou adorando a dança. É sensual, mas não é vulgar', diz Ellen Cardoso, que está penando nas aulas.

_Now, how can I translate the idiom, "penando nas aulas".  The best guess I can come up with is, "suffer through classes", or "go through classes".  I did an image search on google and the caption for one picture suggests it's a fancy way of saying, "estudar".

Can you guys help me and give me another example or two?  Oh, and thanks ahead of time because I'm off to start a busy day and won't be able to respond until later.

You can see that photo essay at O Dia Online, by the way.  I'm new and I guess I can't post the link.


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## Vanda

Right now I am penando with the review of some texts (lots of work in little time to do it. 

penar- Causar dor ou pena a; fazer padecer ou sofrer; /  Sofrer, padecer

You can understand that in the context of someone who is working hard on something: studies, developing certain skills they are not prepared for, and things like that.

Suppose you haven't exercised for a long time and suddenly you have to run some miles when you aren't even prepared to walk them! You are going to penar to run those miles. 

So Ellen Cardoso is working very hard trying to learn the dance. Maybe it is difficult, maybe she is not in proper shape, maybe she hasn't dance skills like others and has to work double.


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## washingtondc

penar=ter dificuldade

"estou penando nas aulas" quer dizer que estou tendo dificuldades nas aulas.


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## Ricardoreis

Pode se dizer em inglês "I am struggling through classes"?


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## Outsider

Boa tradução. 

Penar neste caso significa fazer um esforço intenso.


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## Desastre

Acredito que "penar" nesse contexto não é equivalente a "struggle", já que essa palavra inglesa leva a crer que ela não está bem nas aulas. Na minha opinião, "penar" significa que a moça está se esforçando bastante, mas não é possível inferir seu desempenho.


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## Desastre

Só uma adição: acho que o mais próximo em inglês seria *work hard*.


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## Outsider

Desastre said:


> Na minha opinião, "penar" significa que a moça está se esforçando bastante, mas não é possível inferir seu desempenho.


Estou de acordo, mas acho que "to struggle through" tem precisamente esse sentido.
"To struggle in" é que daria a ideia de que ela está tendo dificuldades em acompanhar as aulas.


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## Desastre

De acordo. Li excessivamente rápido.


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## eu não sou daqui

Well, Desastre, Outsider, Ricardoreis, Washingtondc, & Vanda...thanks so much for your replies.

I'm still not clear on a few things, though.  Firstly, is the complete idiom, "penar nas aulas" or simply "penar"?  

Second, is it possible to say "penar nas aulas para fazer a pole dance"?  Or does this idiom always stand alone as "penar nas aulas"?  I'd like, if it's not to much to ask, to see another example, in Portuguese, unrelated to pole dancing (though it's an interesting topic, guys).

Now, as for the translation, I'm getting the following from what was written:

_"It's sensual, but not vulgar," said Cardoso, who is struggling through the class / having a hard time with the class / working hard in the class.

_So, back to what I mentioned earlier...if I take out "nas aulas", do I have:

_...said Cardoso, who is having a hard time.

_???

And if you all have time for one more note.  There was an accompanying story to the photo essay that I didn't notice the first time and I think it gives an even clearer picture.  Here's a line from it:

Says Cardoso, “_É muito difícil subir no poste. Já estou com hematomas_."  Well, if that doesn't say it, what does?


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## Vanda

Well the idiom goes as penar em.... (put here your own suffering with Portuguese words. )

“_É muito difícil subir no poste. Já estou com hematomas_."  Well, if that doesn't say it, what does?

She says: It is very difficult to climb the pole. I have bruises already. So, yes she is having a hard time, penando with her classes.


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## Outsider

eu não sou daqui said:


> Now, as for the translation, I'm getting the following from what was written:
> 
> _"It's sensual, but not vulgar," said Cardoso, who is struggling through the class / having a hard time with the class / working hard in the class._


Either "struggling through" or "working hard" seem OK to me. I know they have different meanings, but the Portuguese phrase can be ambiguous. "Having a hard time" doesn't seem to match the tone of the rest of the article. She's struggling, but she's not complaining...


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## eu não sou daqui

Thanks!  This is my first thread and I'm impressed with how friendly and helpful everyone is.


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## Frajola

Ricardoreis said:


> Pode se dizer em inglês "I am struggling through classes"?


 
That's exactly what it means!

The idiom 'penar' might be used on its own when the reference as to what one is struggling with is clear.

A: O João está fazendo aula de recuperação. Em plenas férias!
B: Ele deve estar _*penando*_...

Also, _*penar*_ can be combined with prepositional phrases other than the ones opened by the preposition *EM*:

> O João está *penando para* encontrar um emprego.

> A empregada do João pediu demissão. Ele está *penando sem* empregada.


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## Benvindo

eu não sou daqui said:
			
		

> ... I'd like, if it's not to much to ask, to see another example, in Portuguese, unrelated to pole dancing (though it's an interesting topic, guys)...
> 
> - - -
> Hi.
> "Eu penei muito para passar em Física no segundo ano da Faculdade."
> "Todo dia eu tenho de penar para chegar ao trabalho, naquele trem lotado."
> "O Corinthians penou para permanecer na primeira divisão, mas não conseguiu."   [Corinthians is a soccer team of São Paulo.]
> By the way: WELCOME to the Forums!


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## eu não sou daqui

Frajola, Benvindo...thanks.  Those are great examples, exactly what I was looking for.  

Benvindo, I'm glad you explained that about the Corinthians.  Otherwise, I would have read that and thought to myself, "Great example, but what are the Corinthians doing playing soccer?  I don't remember that part in Saint Paul's letter."

So, to reiterate, I can use penar by itself (when context is clear), with para, or with em.


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## Frajola

eu não sou daqui said:


> So, to reiterate, I can use penar by itself (when context is clear), with para, or with em.



That's about right!

There are a bunch of other phrases you can tag onto 'penar'. Another one off the top of my head (with literal translation to help*):

Eu *penei até* pegar o jeito.
(_I *struggled with it* *until *I got the hang of it_*)


I'm sure more examples will pop up if you keep on the lookout for them.

Boa sorte!


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## Dom Casmurro

eu não sou daqui said:


> "Great example, but what are the Corinthians doing playing soccer? I don't remember that part in Saint Paul's letter."


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## eu não sou daqui

You guys rock, is all I can say.


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## Wagner Roberto Fadini

To  show a very popular understanding of the frase " Estou penando nas aulas"  , you have the following:

 -* I am working my ass off in these classes.* 

Got it?


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## eu não sou daqui

Wagner Roberto Fadini said:


> To  show a very popular understanding of the frase " Estou penando nas aulas"  , you have the following:
> 
> -* I am working my ass off in these classes.*
> 
> Got it?



Perfect.


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