# Common room



## ayupshiplad

Evening all 

I was wondering if their was an equivalent thing to a 'common room' in any Portuguese speaking country?

When you are in 6th year (your final year) in the UK most schools have 1 or 2 sixth year common rooms, which are places where you can go in your free periods, at lunch, after school etc to sit and chat, watch tv, play video games and have general banter. 

Is it completely unrealistic to hope that such a translation exists, or do I just have to explain what they are?

Thanks!


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## FranParis

It exists and it's pretty obvious: sala comum.


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## Outsider

As far as I know, _sala comum_ means something else: a room in a house that is used both as a living room and as a dining room.

What Ayupshiplad described I would call a _sala de convívio_, or simply _sala_.


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## joanamcbarata

I would definitely choose "sala de convívio". 
"Sala comum", as defined by Outsider, is something you see among the details of houses that are on sale.


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## FranParis

Claro, não obstante, em incontáveis documentos educativos se vê a expressão sala comum mas parece ser mais usada no Brasil.


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## avok

what about "espaço comum"?


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## IsaC

Definitely *sala de convívio *in Portugal. And is not only for the 6th year, it exists for all students, at least since the first year after primary school, which for us is the 5th year. By the way, what is your 6th year? The one before highschool?


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## Macunaíma

avok said:


> what about "espaço comum"?


 
É o que vemos nos hotéis . Ou "área comum".

Nas escolas onde estudei, pelo menos, não havia "salas comuns", o que havia era o pátio, a biblioteca, o auditório, etc. Existe nas escolas britânicas esse espaço para a vagabundagem oficializada?


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## ayupshiplad

IsaC said:


> By the way, what is your 6th year? The one before highschool?


 
Ah for us 6th year is 12o ano. We have Primary 1-7, then Secondary 1-6, then university and beyond!

And yes, Macu, these are official spaces for laziness, raving, general banter, fort building etc in your free periods, in periods you skive, at lunch time, after school, before school...we basically live there, especially seeing as there are tvs, microwaves, video games, tea and coffee making facilities, cd players, sofas, fridges...basically everything we need!!


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## Outsider

A nossa sala de convívio era no pátio!


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## IsaC

Ayupshiplad, why is that room only for the 6th year? Is there a guard outside blocking the entry to everyone that is not from the 6th? eh eh


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## ayupshiplad

IsaC said:


> Ayupshiplad, why is that room only for the 6th year? Is there a guard outside blocking the entry to everyone that is not from the 6th? eh eh


 
They are just for 6th year pupils simply because you cannot fit everyone into them!! At my school, we have 2, and you can't fit 1000 people into 2 rooms  Anyway, my school is very big on '6th year priviledges'. 6th year priviledges include being able to go for driving tests, getting free periods, use of the common rooms, use of the 6th year study area (it's like this secret room that is concealed that you only discover in 6th year and it is rather cool and makes you feel like you are in Hogwarts!!!) and other things which I can't really remember. 

Actually, there is no-one blocking the door, but no-one would dare going into a common room if they weren't in 6th year, unless they had an intense desire to get savagely owned!


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## avok

But I also think that the pupils who are not in the 6th year wear school uniforms whereas 6th year pupils dont wear school uniforms, so there is no need for a guard to block the entry ????


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## ayupshiplad

avok said:


> But I also think that the pupils who are not in the 6th year wear school uniforms whereas 6th year pupils dont wear school uniforms, so there is no need for a guard to block the entry ????


 
I think you are thinking of English schools. There they have this thing called '6th Form', and to be honest I have absolutely no idea what it is, but I know they don't wear uniform...but that is the extent of my knowledge!

I had forgotten another 6th year priviledge! I go to a private school which is very strict on uniform (bad schools have a 'uniform' which is incredibly loose and you can basically go dressed as a slapper to school) and we are not allowed to wear make up, but in 6th year you are! (However, of course everyone wears make up so this is an unrealistic rule, but some teachers are still really strict on it).

People don't go into common rooms if they aren't in 6th year cause everyone will know they are in a younger year anyway, and even if they didn't, 6th years have different ties and purple bands on the sleeves of our blazers


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## IsaC

You are not allowed to wear make up? Ah ah! That's crasy! 
Well, in Portugal there is no such thing, there are probably 2 ou 3 high schools where students wear an uniform, is not very popular. I personaly hate it and fortunately I never had to wear it.
I can see that being on the 6th year is almost the students goal, so much priviledges! Good for us we all had the same priviledges. My high school had a common room but we didn't use it much, we prefered to go out the school, to coffees. We never really liked to stay inside, always at the street!


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## avok

ayupshiplad said:


> I think you are thinking of English schools. There they have this thing called '6th Form'...


 
Hmmm you're right, I thought that this would be the case in Scotland too.


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## ayupshiplad

IsaC said:


> I can see that being on the 6th year is almost the students goal, so much priviledges! Good for us we all had the same priviledges. My high school had a common room but we didn't use it much, we prefered to go out the school, to coffees. We never really liked to stay inside, always at the street!


 
My school is in the city centre, so everyone always goes out for coffee and food etc too...but try going to school in a Scottish winter, I'm sure you would like to have a cosy room to stay inside as well, especially seeing as all younger years have to stay outside!!!  

Again, thank you all for all your replies! And I am rather pleased there is an actual equivalent!


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## IsaC

ayupshiplad said:


> My school is in the city centre, so everyone always goes out for coffee and food etc too...but try going to school in a Scottish winter, I'm sure you would like to have a cosy room to stay inside as well, especially seeing as all younger years have to stay outside!!!


 
Well, I didn't remember that little problem  In that case I'm sure we would use a common room a lot more! But over here we never stay inside much. And now I pity those kids who have to stay outside, oh a student suffers!


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