The official language of Brazilians is Portuguese – Brazil was a colony of Portugal after the Treaty of Tordesillas 1494. The Brazilian government did not gain independence until 1822, and therefore Brazilians still speak Portuguese. Although there is no Brazilian language, it is still different from the original Portuguese. To start learning, see step 1 below.
Step
Part 1 of 4: Learning the Alphabet and pronunciation
Step 1. Learn to pronounce the Portuguese alphabet
It's not "very" different than Spanish, but it's different enough that even Spaniards can get it wrong. Here are the basic pronunciation sounds (as they stand alone) in the majority of Brazilian Portuguese dialects:
- A = ah
- B = bayh
- C = sayh
- D = day
- E = uh
- F = ehfee
- G = zhayh
- H = ah-gah
- I = ee
- J = zhota
- L = eh-lee
- M = uh-mee
- N = uh-nee
- O = ohr
- P = peh
- Q = qay
- R = uh-rre
- S = uh-sse
- T= tea
- U= oo
- V= vay
- X= shiss
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Z= zay
The letters K, W, and Y are only used for symbols of science and foreign words
Step 2. Become familiar with diacritics
These are accent markers, located above the letters. You are several to choose from and they are in different situations.
- The tilde (~) indicates nasalization. All letters with this symbol will be spoken through your nose.
- /ç is pronounced like "s." It's the cedilla under the "c,".
- /ê is used to emphasize and is pronounced like /e/.
- The grave accent (`) is only used in the letter "A" and is for contraction only. For example, the female pronouns for "it" and "to" are "a." If you go "to that town," it's called "à cidade."
- "á" in Portuguese is only used to indicate emphasis and is only written if it is different than usual.
Step 3. Know the rules and exceptions
Unlike Spanish, Portuguese has some exceptions. Many of the pronunciations of letters depend on their placement in the word. And sometimes what you're used to and how it should sound a bit different. Here are some examples:
- Nasalize (say through the nose) every "m" and "n" at the end of each syllable (but not between vowels) so they sound like "ng." "Bem" (good) is pronounced like "beng."
- The sound "-ão" sounds like "ow," but the tilde above the "a" means it has to be spoken completely through your nose.
- The "S" sounds like a "z" when it's between two vowels, and like an "s" otherwise. So "casa" is pronounced "caa-za", "absinto" is pronounced "abi-ssin-too", and "suave" is pronounced "ssu-aa-ve".
- "D" and "t" become like "j" and "ch" before "e" or "i." So "saudades" is pronounced sa-oo-DA-jeez.
- The pronunciation of "saudades," does not emphasize the "e" at the end of the word and changes to the sound "ee". It's tempting to say "sa-oo-da-jayz," but "jayz" becomes "jeez."
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Not emphasizing the "o" does the same thing – it changes to "oo." "Como" is pronounced like "co-moo."
Sometimes, this is not said at all. "Cohm" will sound like how it's pronounced, depending on the dialect
- "L" changes to "oo," too, when not between vowels and at the end of a syllable. "Brazil" is pronounced "bra-ZEE-oo."
- The vibrating "r" we know in Spanish turns into an "h" sound. So if that's the case, how do you pronounce "morro?" This is so weird "MO-hoo."
Step 4. In general, emphasize the second syllable
If it's not the second syllable, you'll see a sign indicating where the emphasis should be. If not there? Emphasize the second syllable. "CO-moo." "Sa-oo-DA-jeez." "Bra-ZEE-oo." Have you found the pattern?
"Secretária" or "automático" on the other hand, tells you that the emphasis is on the antipenultimate syllable
Step 5. If you are familiar with Spanish, know the difference
In general, European Spanish is more markedly different from Brazilian Portuguese than South American Spanish. But although South American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese are still similar, there are some differences, namely:
- Always use the conjunction "ustedes" for the second and third person plurals, "they" and "you" are the same – even if pronounced formally. Whether you are giving a speech or talking to a friend, always use "ustedes".
- Vocabulary may vary slightly – even in basic words. Red in Spanish is "rojo"; in Brazilian Portuguese, is "vermelho." Don't make assumptions, there are a lot of wrong native languages out there!
- There are only three conjunctions. Yay! But they use a completely different tense, the future subjunctive. So this is given and taken when it comes to difficulties.
Step 6. Know that accents in Brazil can change greatly if you go to a different city
If you go or move to Rio de Janeiro, it's good to know that they developed their own accent and way of speaking. Most of it is in the expressions they use, the emotive exclamations they like. But there are some different pronunciations too.
- Things like "OK" to confirm the offer rather than "Demorou!" "Bacana" means "cool," and "intelligente" becomes "cabeçudo." And these are just 3 examples!
- Oaths are certainly not frowned upon in formal situations, but in informal situations, they will often be heard. "Porra" is often used to express frustration.
- For sound, the clearest contrast is with the "r" and this should be more pronounced (remember how this is pronounced like "h?") Think of something close to "loch." This applies to all "r" sounds that start at the beginning of a letter, those that are duplicated, and begin with "n" or "l."
- The "S" at the end of a letter or syllable followed by a voiceless consonant (t, c, f, p) is changed to "sh" here. So "meus pais" becomes "mih-oosh pah-eesh."
Step 7. Know how loan letters work
Especially, those ending in a consonant other than "r," "s," or "m." They are pronounced like an "e" which is crushed to the end. "Internet" is pronounced "eeng-teH-NE-chee." Yes. Say 3 times quickly. And words like hip-hop – can you guess? – It's like "hippee hoppee!"
Loan letters are actually more common in Brazilian Portuguese than European Portuguese or European Spanish. For example, "mouse" for computers is pronounced mouse throughout South America, but becomes "ratón" over the ocean. It makes sense – the majority of them are from America – that it's harder to jump over the Atlantic
Part 2 of 4: Making Conversation
Step 1. Learn how to greet people
This is the first thing you do when you walk into a room, and it's important to have something to say. Local people will really appreciate it if you try from scratch. Here's how to get started:
- Olá / Oi. = Hi / Hello.
- Bomb him = Good Morning
- Boa tarde = Good Afternoon
- Boa noite = Good afternoon or evening
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While we're still at it, it's also useful to know the phrases:
- Manhã = Morning
- He = Afternoon
- Noite = Afternoon or Evening
- Tarde = Afternoon before 6
- Pela manhã = In the morning
- De dia = In the daytime
- tarde = In the afternoon
- De noite = At night
Step 2. Know useful everyday phrases
Because maybe you will need it. Or, when you are making small talk in a bar or cafe.
- Eu no falo portugus. -- I don't speak Portuguese.
- (Você) Fala english? - Do you speak English?
- Eu sou de…(Londres). - I'm from… (London).
- Eu sou portugus. - I'm Portuguese.
- Desculpe / Com license. - Excuse me.
- Muito obrigado/a. - Thanks very much.
- De nada. - Does not matter.
- Desculpe. - Sorry.
- Até mais. - See you later.
- Tchau! - Goodbye!
Step 3. Ask questions
You might want to start a conversation to practice your skills, so you'll need a few phrases to prepare ahead of time.
- De onde você é? - Where do you come from?
- Onde vocês moram? - Where do you live?
- Quem é ela? - Who's he?
- O que é isso? - What's this?
- Onde é o banheiro? - Where is the toilet?
- O que você faz? - What are you doing?
- Quanto custa isso? or Quanto isso custa? - How much it costs?
Step 4. Go out to eat
The situation you most often encounter to practice your skills is when you go out to eat. Here are some phrases you can use:
- O que você quer comer? - What would you like to eat?
- Voc esta com fome? - You hungry?
- O que você quer beber? - Would you like something to drink?
- Eu queria um cafezinho. - I want espresso.
- O que voc recommend? - What do you recommend?
- Eu quero fazer o pedido - I want to order now.
- Uma cerveja, por favor. - One beer, please.
- A conta, por favor. - Ask for the bill.
Step 5. Exchange holiday greetings when visiting
If you are in Brazil for a special occasion, you may need to exchange holiday greetings. Here are some examples:
- Feliz Aniversário = Happy birthday
- Feliz Natal = Merry Christmas
- Feliz Ano Novo = Happy new year
- Feliz Dia Dos Namorados = Happy Valentine's Day
- Feliz Dia das Mães = Happy Mother's Day
- Feliz Dia dos Pais = Happy Father's Day
Part 3 of 4: Build your vocabulary
Step 1. Learn numbers
Like being a child. To have a basic understanding, you need to know about numbers. There are male and female versions for one, two, and hundreds. Here's the basics:
- 1 - um / uma (the pronunciation for men is um and women is, uma)
- 2 - dois / duas
- 3 - trs
- 4 - quatro
- 5 - cinco
- 6 - seis
- 7 - set
- 8 - oito
- 9 - nove
- 10 - dez
- 20 - vintage
- 21 - vintage e um
- 30 - ink
- 31 - ink e um
- 40 - quarenta
- 41 - quarenta e um
- 50 - cinquenta
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51 - cinquenta e um
See the pattern? Always tens followed by "e" and ones
Step 2. Learn the day
Because whatever language you speak, it's helpful to know when this happens. In everyday speech, it's very common to omit the "-feira" suffix. So you will find local people using "Segunda", "Terça", and others.
- Domingo = Sunday
- Segunda-feira = Monday
- Terça-Feira = Tuesday
- Quarta-Feira = Wednesday
- Quinta-Feira = Thursday
- Sexta-Feira = Friday
- Sabado = Saturday
Step 3. Learn colors
It is very helpful for shopping, menus and other basic communication.
- Black - preto
- Blue - azul
- Chocolate - marrom
- Gray - cinza
- Green - verde
- Orange - laranja
- Pink - rosa
- Purple - roxo
- Red - vermelho
- White - branco
- Yellow - amarelo
Step 4. Learn some adjectives
Being able to talk about things around you will help! You can give basic opinions about many things that you understand little when you know more than just nouns and verbs. But be careful, there are still male and female versions.
- Ugly - want / má
- Good - bomb / boa
- Beautiful - bonito / bonita
- Big - grande
- Delicious - delicioso / deliciosa
- Delicious - facil
- Sad - triste
- Small - pequeno / pequena
- Bad - feio / feia
- New - novo / nova
- Nouns are inherently male and female in Portuguese and the adjectives must balance them out. Whatever you talk about, know that it has gender. If you need to describe it, the gender has to match. In general, the female version ends with "-a."
Step 5. Learn how to talk to people
Portuguese is one language where verbs balance out nouns, so knowing nouns is important! Here are your options:
- I - Eu
- You - Tu or você
- Dia - Ele / Ela
- Kita - Nós (note: many use "a gente" to pronounce "people")
- "You" - vós
- They- Eles / elas
Step 6. Learn common verbs
Now that you know how to talk about other people, what do they do? The following are frequently used verbs:
- Become - ser
- Buying - comprar
- Drink - some
- Eat - comer
- Giving - dar
- Talk - falar
- Write - escrever
- say - dizer
- Road - andar
Step 7. Can conjunction the verbs
Unfortunately, being able to say "I'm being American" isn't that impressive – you have to make your verbs match the subject. Since the verbs are a bit different, let's study the regular ones first now. If you know Spanish, this will be easy. For those who don't, note that the ending indicates whether the verb matches the subject I, you, he, you or they.
- "Ar" verbs, such as comprar, are combined like -o, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, -am. So"compro," "compras," "compra," "compramos," "comprais," "compram."
- "Er" verbs, such as comer, are combined like -o, -es, -e, -emos, -eis, -em. So "como," "comes," "come," "comemos," "comeis," "comem."
- The verb "Ir", such as partire, is combined like -o, -es, -e, -imos, -is, -em. So "parto," "partes," "parte," "partimos," "partis," "partem."
- Of course, these are just 3 regular examples. There are many other verbs with other tenses, but learning them takes hours of your time.
Step 8. Learn how to say time in Portuguese
Que horas sao, por favor? Meaning - What time is it? Gotta know how much time you still have!
- uma hora = 1 o'clock
- São duas horas = 2 o'clock
- São três horas = 3 o'clock
- São dez horas = 10 o'clock
- São onze horas = 11 o'clock
- São doze horas = 12 o'clock
- São oito horas da manhã = 8 am
- uma hora da tarde = 1 pm
- São oito horas da noite = 8 p.m
- uma hora da manhã = 1 o'clock in the morning
Part 4 of 4: Improve Your Abilities
Step 1. Use interactive online help
There are many sites that can help your speaking skills. The BBC and Memrise are two sites that offer interactive quiz features that can help you develop your knowledge, beyond just reading words and hoping to remember them. This is fun!
Listen to online recordings or videos to help you with pronunciation. Since the rules are a bit too much, immersing yourself as often as possible is the best thing to get you used to it
Step 2. Take a class
Being forced to speak this language for a few hours a week sometimes gives us motivation. Look for nearby schools or communities that offer Portuguese classes, for conversation, business, or general lessons.
The smaller the class, the better. And if it's big, try to meet someone you can practice one-on-one who is better than you. Study groups can allow you to train every day when classes just aren't frequent enough
Step 3. Talk to a real person
It's a bit stressful, but it's the fastest and most effective way to increase your skills. They know their language is difficult, so don't worry about making mistakes. They're already happy you made the effort! It will be less stressful the more you try it.
This is why joining a class is a good idea. Your teacher or classmate may have access to an environment that you don't have and you can join. You can meet people you couldn't meet before, and get something too
Step 4. Use your skills
You may think speaking is the only way to get better at reading, writing, and listening. Indeed, speaking is the best, but being the best at other things is also worth it. So grab a book, start a journal in Portuguese, listen to documentation, movies and music. Do what you can do!
