The biggest challenge for most language learners is actually speaking their target language. In order to have successful interactions with native speakers, one must have a solid working knowledge of the language in question. But luckily, we can also rely on subtle cues from body language, eye movement, and even the context to help us navigate our conversations with others.

That is, unless we’re on a phone call. 

When speaking on the phone, we no longer have this additional input to fall back on. 

If the thought of having a telephone conversation in Portuguese makes you anxious, you’re not alone. This is a common fear among learners of the language! How can you expect to put together a coherent sentence on the phone with a stranger, when it’s hard enough chatting with friends and acquaintances in person? 

But if you know the rules, the game will be much easier to play. If you practice, you may actually end up enjoying the game! 

In this article, we’ll teach you the most useful Portuguese phone call phrases for each stage of a phone conversation. Knowing these phrases will prepare you to greet your interlocutor, introduce yourself, handle both casual and professional calls, deal with connection issues, and much more. By the time you finish reading, you’ll be able to handle any phone call in Portuguese with greater ease and confidence—whether you’re phoning a friend, your boss, or a complete stranger.

→ If you’re short on time or want a snapshot before reading further, head over to our free vocabulary list Useful Phrases for a Phone Call!

Table of Contents

1. Vocabulary Terms Related to Phone Calls
2. Picking up the Phone
3. Introducing Yourself
4. Stating the Reason for Your Call
5. Asking to Speak to Someone
6. Asking Someone to Hold
7. Leaving a Message
8. Asking for Clarification
9. Ending the Phone Call
10. Samples of Telephone Conversations in Portuguese
11. Takeaway

1. Vocabulary Terms Related to Phone Calls

Let’s get into the basics before we reach out to make a call, right?

Before you jump right into your next phone call, it would be wise to learn some general Portuguese phone call words and phrases. Here are some common terms you should know: 

• Telefone – “Phone”
• (Telefone) celular – “Mobile phone”
• Telefone fixo – “Landline”
• Bateria – “Battery”
• Carregador – “Charger”
• Carregar / Recarregar – “To charge” / “To recharge”
• Ligação (telefônica) – “Phone call”
• Número de telefone – “Phone number”
• Ligar – “To call”
• Desligar – “To hang up”
• Ligar de volta / Retornar – “To call back”
• O telefone está tocando – “The phone is ringing”

You might want to learn some specific vocabulary related to mobile phones in our free vocabulary list Screen Time: Words and Phrases for Using Your Smartphone on PortuguesePod101.com.

Some phone phrases in Portuguese are suitable for both formal and informal contexts. Those that are only suitable in formal contexts are distinguished through the use of formal language. Here are some respectful terms you might use during a formal or professional phone call:

• Doutor / Doutora – “Doctor” or “Dr.”
• Senhor – “Mr.”
• Senhorita – “Ms.”
• Senhora / Dona – “Mrs.” 

2. Picking up the Phone

Of course, your Portuguese phone conversation is going to start with a greeting. There are three common ways to answer the phone in Portuguese:

• Alô! – “Hello!”
• Pronto. – “Ready (to talk).”
• Estou. [Portugal] – “I am (listening).”

The most frequent phone greeting in Portuguese is Alô, though older people tend to answer the phone by saying their name or family name. This goes back to when landline phones were more common and people could not see who was calling or picking up. 

3. Introducing Yourself

The next set of Portuguese telephone phrases you need to learn are those for introducing yourself: 

• Aqui é o Pedro, sobrinho da Marisa. – “This is Pedro, Marisa’s nephew.”
• É a Ana. – “It’s Ana.”
• Quem fala? / Quem está falando? – “Who is speaking?”
• Sou amigo dele. / Sou amiga dela. – “I am a friend of his.” / “I am a friend of hers.”

Note: Amigo is the singular masculine noun for “friend,” while amiga is the singular feminine form. 

A polite addendum is to ask if the person is busy before moving forward with your call: 

• Você pode falar agora? – “Did I catch you at a bad time?”
• Você está ocupado / ocupada? – “Are you busy?”

Note: Ocupado is the singular masculine adjective for “busy,” while ocupada is the singular feminine form.

4. Stating the Reason for Your Call

“I’d like to make a dentist appointment.”

Things start to get interesting here—we’re getting somewhere. Here’s an informal Portuguese phone phrase pattern to discuss your reason for calling: 

• Estou ligando para perguntar sobre a operação. – “I’m calling to ask about the surgery.”
• Estou ligando para saber das novidades. – “I’m calling to check on you.”

Now, here are some formal phrases: 

• Eu gostaria de marcar uma consulta. – “I’d like to make an appointment.”
• Eu gostaria de confirmar a presença dela no meu evento. – “I’d like to confirm her presence at my event.”
• Eu queria fazer uma reserva para três pessoas para hoje à noite. – “I would like to make a reservation for tonight for three people.”
• Recebi uma ligação deste número e estou retornando a chamada. – “I’ve received a call from this number and am returning the call.”

5. Asking to Speak to Someone

Did you call the right number? Will you be able to reach the right person on this call? 

Here are the most common phone call phrases in Portuguese for asking to speak to someone:

• Posso falar com a Marisa? – “May I talk to Marisa?”
• Marisa está? – “Is Marisa there?”
• É do gabinete da Dra. Márcia? – “Am I talking to Dr. Márcia’s cabinet?”
• Eu gostaria de falar com o Dr. Stefano, por favor. – “I’d like to talk to Dr. Stefano, please.”

Sometimes we know our reason for calling, but we aren’t sure who we need to talk to. But fear not. It’s simple to inquire about this:

• Com quem eu posso falar para resolver problemas sobre o meu plano de internet? – “Who can I talk to to solve problems with my internet plan?”

6. Asking Someone to Hold

Perhaps you’re the one receiving a call, and you need to ask the other person to wait while you retrieve information or transfer them to another department. Below are a few Portuguese telephone phrases you can use to ask the caller to wait a moment. 

• Um minuto, por favor. – “Just a minute, please.”
• Um instante, por favor. – “Just a moment, please.”
• Poderia aguardar na linha por um segundo? – “Could you hold the line for a second?”
• Vou passar para ele / ela. – “I’ll put him / her on.”
• Vou lhe transferir para o escritório dele / dela. Não desligue. – “Let me transfer you to his / her office. Don’t hang up.”

7. Leaving a Message

“No problem, I’ll call later!”

If you’re unable to reach the person you wanted to speak with, you should have the opportunity to leave them a message. Below are a few common phone call phrases in Portuguese that are often used in this type of situation. Keep in mind that these phrases can be used in both formal and informal contexts. 

• No momento, ele / ela não está. Gostaria de deixar um recado? – “(S)he is not here at the moment. Would you like to leave a message?”
• Ele / ela não está disponível no momento. – “(S)he is not available right now.”
• Não posso falar agora. Posso te ligar daqui a pouco? – “Can’t talk to you now. Can I call you soon?”
• Posso deixar um recado? – “Can I leave a message?”
• Você poderia pedir para ele / ela me ligar de volta ainda hoje? – “Would you ask him/her to call me back today?”
• Eu ligo depois então. – “I’ll call later, then.”

8. Asking for Clarification

Unfortunately, electronic communications are vulnerable to technical problems that can lead to misunderstandings. This is when we need to take a step back and take things slow. Here are several Portuguese phone phrases you can use to let your interlocutor know there are connection issues or to ask for clarification:

• Desculpe, não consigo te ouvir direito. – “Excuse me, I can’t hear you.”
• A ligação está ruim. – “The connection is bad.”
• O sinal (do celular) está péssimo. – “The (cell phone) signal is awful.”
• Você poderia soletrar seu nome, por favor? – “Could you spell your name, please?”
• Desculpe, a ligação caiu. – “I’m sorry, we got cut off.”
• Você ligou para o número errado. – “You’ve dialed the wrong number.”
• Desculpe, foi um engano. – “I’m sorry, I have the wrong number.”
• A bateria do celular está fraca. – “The cell phone battery is almost dead.”

If your mobile phone just isn’t working at all, maybe you should resolve some issues with your phone plan. In that case, don’t hesitate to check out our vocabulary list Words and Phrases for Talking About Your Phone Plan on PortuguesePod101.com.

9. Ending the Phone Call

It’s been an interesting ride. But all things must come to an end. 

The final set of Portuguese phone call phrases you’ll learn today are those for ending the phone call.

• Muito obrigado / obrigada pela ajuda. – “Thank you very much for helping.”

Obrigado is used by male speakers to say “thank you” and obrigada is used by female speakers.

• Está bem. Nos falaremos mais tarde. – “Alright. We’ll speak later.”
• Até logo! – “Goodbye!”
• Tchau! – “Bye!”

If you’re ending a formal call, consider using this one: 

• Obrigado / Obrigada por ligar. Tenha um ótimo dia. – “Thanks for calling. Have a great day.”

10. Samples of Telephone Conversations in Portuguese

You’ve now seen a variety of phone call phrases in the Portuguese language, but do you know how to use them? To make the learning process more organic for you, we’ve included two sample phone dialogues below. The first one is an informal conversation between two friends; the second one is a formal conversation between one of those friends and a restaurant attendant. 

Informal telephone conversation in Portuguese

Set up an appointment in two steps: one formal call and one informal call.

Michel calls his friend Rosa to make an invitation for breakfast together on a weekend:

Dona Lara: Alô!	Mrs. Lara: Hello!
Michel: Alô! Rosa? Aqui é o Michel, tudo bem?	Michel: Hello! Rosa? Michel speaking, how are you?
Dona Lara: Oi, Michel. Aqui é a mãe dela. Só um minuto, já passo pra Rosa.	Mrs. Lara: Hi, Michel. This is her mother speaking. Just one minute, I’ll put Rosa on.
Michel: Oi, Dona Lara! Desculpe, não te reconheci. Estou bem, obrigado.	Michel: Hello, Mrs. Lara! I’m sorry, I didn’t notice it was you. I’m fine. Thanks.
Rosa: Alô! Michel?	Rosa: Hello! Michel?
Michel: Oi, Rosa. Tudo bem?	Michel: Hello, Rosa. How are you?
Rosa: Tudo, e aí? Me desculpa, mas acabou a bateria do meu celular.	Rosa: I’m fine, how are you? I’m sorry, my phone’s battery is dead.
Michel: Sem problema. Escuta, você tem planos pro fim de semana?	Michel: No problem. Listen, do you have plans for the weekend?
Rosa: Não tenho nada marcado ainda. Por quê?	Rosa: I don’t have anything scheduled yet. Why?
Michel: Quer tomar um café da manhã no restaurante do clube no domingo?	Michel: Would you like to have breakfast in the club’s restaurant on Sunday?
Rosa: Acho a ideia legal, mas domingo eu vou à igreja.	Rosa: It’s a nice idea, but I go to church on Sunday.
Michel: E de sábado, você está livre?	Michel: What about Saturday? Do you have something on?
Rosa: De sábado está bem. A que horas?	Rosa: Saturday’s okay. At what time?
Michel: Legal! É às nove e meia, mas ainda vou ligar lá pra reservar. Depois te ligo pra confirmar, beleza?	Michel: Cool! At half past nine, but I still have to call to make reservations. I’ll call you later to confirm, right?
Rosa: Ótimo! Obrigada pelo convite.	Rosa: Alright! Thanks for the invitation.
Michel: Por nada! Até mais!	Michel: You’re welcome! See you later!
Rosa: Tchau!	Rosa: Bye!

Formal telephone conversation in Portuguese

The two friends have set the time and place. Now Michel calls the restaurant to reserve a table.

Atendente: Restaurante do Clube Gaivota, Regiane, boa tarde.	Attendant: Clube Gaivota’s Restaurant. Here’s Regiane, good afternoon.
Michel: Boa tarde, Regiane. Meu nome é Michel e eu gostaria de fazer uma reserva de mesa para o sábado.	Michel: Good afternoon, Regiane. My name is Michel and I’d like to make a reservation for a table for Saturday.
Atendente: Senhor?	Attendant: Sir?
Michel: Alô! Você está me ouvindo?	Michel: Hello! Are you listening?
Atendente: Desculpe, a ligação está ruim. Mas eu consigo te ouvir agora.	Attendant: I’m sorry, the connection is bad. But I can hear you now.
Michel: Certo. Gostaria de reservar uma mesa para dois no café da manhã de sábado.	Michel: Right. I’d like to make a reservation for two on Saturday for breakfast.
Atendente: Está bem. O café começa às sete e meia. A reserva é para que horas?	Attendant: Okay. Breakfast starts at half past seven. What is the time of the reservation?
Michel: Às nove e meia.	Michel: Half past nine o’clock.
Atendente: Certo, temos uma mesa disponível para este horário. A reserva é em nome de quem?	Attendant: Right. We have a table available for this time. Who’s making the reservation?
Michel: Michel.	Michel: Michel.
Atendente: Está bem, senhor Michel. A reserva foi feita: mesa para dois no sábado, às nove horas e trinta minutos.	Attendant: Alright, Mr. Michel. The reservation is complete: table for two on Saturday at half past nine o’clock.
Michel: Perfeito! Muito obrigado. Tchau, tchau.	Michel: Perfect! Thank you very much. Bye, bye.
Atendente: Até mais.	Attendant: See you later.

11. Takeaway

The aim of this guide was to familiarize you with the most essential Portuguese phrases for a phone call. Once you have these down, you’ll feel more comfortable with both the relevant vocabulary and the more specific phrases for personal and business purposes. 

Are there any phone call phrases or situations we didn’t include that you’d like to learn? Let us know in the comments and we’ll get back to you! 

This is a great step toward improving your language skills. But if you want to go deeper, you’ll have to use more precise and powerful learning tools.

PortuguesePod101 offers a comprehensive teaching program that combines multimedia resources, short vocabulary lists, and detailed lessons for learners at every level. 

You can learn even faster using our MyTeacher service. This gives you 1-on-1 interaction with a personal tutor who can help boost your performance while delivering solid results. 

Master Portuguese phone conversations and so much more with PortuguesePod101!

Everyone knows that love is the universal language… But still, learning the mother tongue of your beloved or potential love interest can do no harm when it comes to flirting or enhancing your communication. 

Trust us: Saying “I love you,” in Portuguese to a native speaker is the surest way to capture that person’s heart! After all, wouldn’t you like to see an attractive foreigner sweat a little bit to get your attention in your mother tongue? 

But while there’s beauty in this simplicity, there are many steps and eventualities one must get through before reaching the “I love you” stage. 

This collection of Portuguese love phrases will serve as a reference for all the basics you need to know for every step of a relationship. You’ll pick up several expressions you can use to make small talk, confess your love in Portuguese, and even propose marriage!

Table of Contents

1. Confess Your Affection: Pick-up Lines
2. Fall in Deeper: “No, I Love You More…”
3. Take it One Step Further: “Will You Marry Me?” and More
4. Endearment Terms
5. Must-know Love Quotes
6. Don’t say adeus, say até logo!

1. Confess Your Affection: Pick-up Lines

Better to get your words straight when the fire of love is burning!

The first step regarding how to express love in Portuguese is to begin a conversation with that special someone who has caught your eye. This means saying hello, introducing yourself, and getting your flirt on. 

Perhaps it’s a good idea to practice these romantic Portuguese phrases in front of the mirror before going out “hunting.” Take a deep breath, don’t stutter, and prepare to get in touch with a new face wherever you are: in a club, at the movies, at the beach, in the park…

A- Meeting and flirting

One initial insight you should keep in mind about Portuguese love phrases—and communication in general—is that the pronoun vós (formal “you”) is hardly ever used for talking to strangers. Instead, people use tu or você.

• Quer dançar? / Dança comigo! – “Do you want to dance?” / “Dance with me!”
  
  When using você (“you”), the imperative form of dançar (“to dance”) is dance. But in informal contexts, it’s very common to use dança as an imperative.

• Você é solteiro/solteira? – “Are you single?”
  
  Solteiro is the masculine form of “single,” whereas solteira is the feminine form.

• Seu sorriso é lindo. – “Your smile is beautiful.”
• Quer ir para outro lugar? – “Shall we go somewhere else?”
• A gente pode se encontrar de novo? – “Can we meet again?”
• Eu te levo para casa. – “I will drive you home.”
• Gosto de você. – “I like you.”

B- Going out

Quiet nights of quiet stars, quiet chords from my guitar floating on the silence that surrounds us… Frank Sinatra, anyone?

So, you’ve met someone interesting and would definitely like to see them again! 

There are some key phrases you’ll need to know in order to ask him or her out on a date—and to have a great time as you talk and get to know each other better. It’s time to gather your courage, plan your interesting night out, and let them know you’re interested in another meeting. 

• Você gostaria de sair para jantar comigo? – “Would you like to go out for dinner with me?”
• Você gostaria de sair comigo? – “Would you like to hang out with me?”
• A que horas a gente se encontra amanhã? – “What time shall we meet tomorrow?”

If you’re inviting the person, you might prefer to establish the time of the meeting as part of the suggestion. In this case, you could give a more subtle suggestion by saying: 

• Você está livre às ___ horas? – “Are you free at ___ o’clock?”

And of course, you’ll want to offer your date a genuine compliment and let them know you enjoyed your time together: 

• Você está bonito/bonita. – “You look handsome/beautiful.”
• Adorei te conhecer! – “I loved meeting you!”

2. Fall in Deeper: “No, I Love You More…”

The start of a romantic relationship feels like blending two people into one.

Now’s the time to dim the lights, make some chamomile tea, burn some incense, and sit beside your loved one to pamper him or her. The flowers of romance have bloomed and now it’s time to smell their perfume.

As you walk along the magical yellow brick road of love, you’re going to experience some of the best moments of your life. With each step, you’ll get to know your partner in greater depth and continuously look for new ways to make them happy. 

To give you a headstart, here are some sweet words of love in Portuguese that are sure to melt their heart. Your friends might not be able to keep a straight face as you exchange these expressions with your lover, but we think it’s worth it. 

Ready? 

• Eu te amo. – “I love you.”
• Não, eu te amo mais. – “No, I love you more.”
• Eu te amo tanto… – “I love you so much…”
• Acho que estou apaixonado (a) por você. – “I think I am in love with you.”
• Sonhei com você esta noite. – “I dreamed of you last night.”
• Quero estar com você para sempre. – “I want to be with you forever.”
• Você me faz querer ser uma pessoa melhor. – “You make me want to be a better person.”
• Você é tudo para mim. – “You are everything to me.”

3. Take it One Step Further: “Will You Marry Me?” and More

Old friends, sat on their park bench like bookends…

Wow, you really made it! It has been quite a ride from your first “I love you” in Portuguese to where you are now. Marriage is the turning of a new page in life, and with this fresh chapter comes the forming of comprehensive and ambitious plans for the future. 

Soon enough, memorizing Portuguese love phrases will be your smallest concern—hopefully!

• Você quer casar comigo? – “Will you marry me?”
• Você me daria a honra de ser minha esposa/meu marido? – “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife/husband?”
• Quero que você conheça os meus pais. – “I want you to meet my parents.”
• Eu nunca morei junto com ninguém. – “I have never moved in with somebody.”
• Estou grávida. – “I am pregnant.”
• Ele vai ter o nome do pai. – “He is going to have his father’s name.”
• Ela vai ter o nome da mãe. – “She is going to have her mother’s name.”

4. Endearment Terms

If you call someone chuchu, there is no coming back: you are already madly in love.

Another way to express your love in the Portuguese language? Calling your dearest one by a cute pet name! The following endearment terms are even more poignant when spoken in a childlike voice. Ah! It is good to be in love… 

• Meu amor – “My love”
• Amorzinho – Literally: “My little love”
  
  This is an example of a diminutive form, which typically denotes affection and/or cuteness. But keep in mind that context is important; if used in an ironic manner, it shows disdain.

• Docinho – “Sweetie” [ Literally: “Little candy” ]
• (Minha) vida – Literally: “(My) life”
  
  This one is a social media favorite, especially among couples who insist on sharing the same profile and publishing photos subtitled with inspiring love confessions.

• Meu bem / Querida(o) – “(My) dear”
  
  You can try some alternative versions for querido (male) or querida (female), such as queridinha (“little darling”) or queridíssima (“dearest”).

• Meu chuchu – Approximately: “honey boo”
  
  This one is awkward. A chuchu is a chayote, which is an edible green plant. It has a soft texture, is very watery, and has an unremarkable taste, yet it’s very popular and generally cheap. The French call their darlings their chouchous. This unintentionally comical adaptation of the idiom to Portuguese resulted in meu chuchu, which is one of the corniest ways to say “I love you,” in Portuguese to someone. To make it extra corny, use the diminutive form meu chuchuzinho.

• Bebê – “Baby”
• Coração – “Sweetheart”

5. Must-know Love Quotes

Hilda Hilst and her crew are here to tell you some things about love.

Love is one of those ubiquitous themes that inspire both the most tinny and the most brilliant statements and artistic expressions. As such, there are quotes about love in Portuguese that fall on both ends of the spectrum—but for your reading pleasure, we’ve included only the most poetic remarks on the universal feeling we call “love.”

No phony stuff in here, just some good material about love in Portuguese from modern authors. Vinicius de Moraes (1913 – 1980), Carlos Drummond de Andrade (1902 – 1987), Hilda Hilst (1930 – 2004), and Ferreira Gullar (1930 – 2016) are among the most expressive and respected Brazilian poets of the 20^th century.

Eu possa lhe dizer do amor: Que não seja imortal, posto que é chama Mas que seja infinito enquanto dure	Shall I tell you of love:  Let it not be immortal, since it is flame But let it be infinite while it lasts
Quote from Soneto de fidelidade (“Fidelity Sonnet”) by Vinicius de Moraes

Há vários motivos para odiar uma pessoa, e um só para amá-la; este prevalece.	“There are many reasons to hate a person, and just one to love them; this one prevails.”
Aphorism from O Avesso das Coisas by Carlos Drummond de Andrade

Amar É coisa de morrer e de matar Mas tem som de sorriso	To loveI Is about dying and killing But it sounds like a smile
Quote from a nameless, tragic chronicle/poem by Hilda Hilst

Mais dia menos dia toda a lembrança se apaga e te surpreendes gargalhando, a vida vibrando outra vez, nova, na garganta, sem culpa nem desculpa. E chegas a pensar: quantas manhãs como esta perdi burramente! O amor é uma doença como outra qualquer.	“Day after day, every memory fades away and you get surprised laughing, life vibrating once again, new, in the throat, without guilt or excuses. And you even wonder: how many mornings like these have I stupidly lost! Love is a disease like any other.”
Quote from the chronicle Sobre o amor (“On Love”) by Ferreira Gullar

We’re curious: Which of these love quotes in Portuguese did you find most moving? 

6. Don’t say adeus, say até logo!

It has been a pleasure to present you with this quick guide to expressing love in Portuguese. You’ve learned a good variety of Portuguese love phrases as well as some important details regarding idioms and cultural information.

If you feel we’ve missed some good Portuguese love phrases, please share with us your contribution!

Also, don’t miss out on the opportunity to continue developing your knowledge of all things Portuguese. The best way to do so is by exploring PortuguesePod101.com, the number-one place online to study this romantic language. 

PortuguesePod101 provides a variety of free learning resources and engaging lessons, combining the best of solo study materials and more conventional classroom teaching methods. You can expand your vocabulary using our themed vocab lists, go through one of our learning pathways, or even upgrade to a Premium PLUS membership to take advantage of our MyTeacher service. 

Video, audio, text, and real human contact blend in a most interesting learning experience on PortuguesePod101.com. Take your first step toward fluency today—your Portuguese-speaking partner will thank you for it. 

Happy learning!

Are you the type of person who has trouble saying no? Or, on the opposite side of the spectrum, is saying no your way of life? Regardless of your answer, learning how to deny something, answer negatively, or simply say no in Portuguese is a super-important step in your language-learning journey.

After all, without the power of “no,” mix-ups and miscommunication could happen. Thankfully, you won’t find negation in Portuguese particularly difficult, as it has many similarities to negation in English. After learning just a few negative words and sentences, you’ll be prepared to deny anything. 

Don’t worry about sounding too negative after this article, though. We’ll look into ways to make a negative sentence sound polite, teach you the power of double negation in Portuguese for getting our point across, and even show you how to ask negative questions. To make sure everything is clear and understandable, we’ll give plenty of examples throughout.

Não gostei. (“I didn’t like it.”)

Table of Contents

1. Negating a Statement
2. Negation and Questions
3. Other Negating Words
4. Double and Triple Negatives
5. Continue Learning More Portuguese with PortuguesePod101

1. Negating a Statement

The first thing we’ll talk about is how to make a positive sentence negative in Portuguese. 

1 – The holy grail of negation: Não (“No”)

The first and most important part of negation in Portuguese is this little word: não (“no”). 

It’s a nasal word, which may sound a bit different to your ears. To make sure you get it, we suggest practicing its pronunciation with one of our vocabulary lists. 

Não is used in Portuguese exactly as “no” is used in English. It can be used to answer a question by itself, to construct negative sentences, or to ask negative questions. Throughout this article, you’ll see não pop up again and again, so keep an eye out for it.

2 – Making a positive sentence negative

This is one of the greatest things about negation in Portuguese: Just like in English, you can simply add the word não to a positive sentence. 

• Nós temos uma televisão. (“We have a TV.”)
• Nós não temos televisão. (“We don’t have a TV.”)

• Ela é brasileira. (“She is Brazilian.”)
• Ela não é brasileira. (“She is not Brazilian.”)

As you can see, não goes after the subject of the sentence but before the verb. Some sentences have implicit subjects, in which case we just put não before the verb.

• Vou limpar a casa. (“I’ll clean the house.”)
• Não vou limpar a casa. (“I will not clean the house.”)

Não sei, tenho que pensar. (“I don’t know, I have to think.”)

→ Need a refresher lesson on subjects, verbs, and word order? Check out this complete guide by PortuguesePod101!

2. Negation and Questions

Now let’s examine how Portuguese negatives apply to asking and answering questions! 

1 – Giving a negative response to a question 

You can always answer with a simple não or, instead, make it more elaborate. Take a look at the different ways we can negatively answer the question, Você gosta de sopa? (“Do you like soup?”)

• Não. (“No.”)
• Eu não gosto de sopa. (“I don’t like soup.”)
• Não, eu não gosto de sopa. (“No, I don’t like soup.”)

Sometimes, especially when being offered something, simply saying “no” might sound a bit rude, like in the example below.

• Você quer um pedaço de bolo? (“Do you want a piece of cake?”)
• Não. (“No.”)

To make it sound more polite, it’s a good idea to add “thank you” to your reply.

• Você quer um pedaço de bolo? (“Do you want a piece of cake?”)
• Não, obrigado. (“No, thank you.”) [masculine]

Another common way to soften the harshness of the word não is to downplay it a bit by saying instead não muito (“not much”).

• Você gosta dessa banda? (“Do you like this band?”)
• Não muito. (“Not much.”) 

This 3-minute video by PortuguesePod101 has many more examples of negative answers and sentences.

2 – Asking Negative Questions

You can also use negative words to ask the question itself. It’s very easy to transform a positive question into a negative question—or even to transform a positive statement into a negative question. 

Let’s take a look:

Positive statement	Positive question	Negative question
Você gosta de pão. (“You like bread.”)	Você gosta de pão? (“Do you like bread?”)	Você não gosta de pão? (“Don’t you like bread?”)
Ela mora no Brasil. (“She lives in Brazil.”)	Ela mora no Brasil? (“Does she live in Brazil?”)	Ela não mora no Brasil? (“Doesn’t she live in Brazil?”)
Nós gastávamos muito dinheiro. (“We used to spend a lot of money.”)	Nós gastávamos muito dinheiro? (“Did we used to spend a lot of money?”)	Nós não gastávamos muito dinheiro? (“Didn’t we used to spend a lot of money?”)

You can also use other negating words to ask negative questions. We’ll look at those words soon, but let’s go ahead and take a look at some examples.  

• Você nunca visitou a Inglaterra? (“You’ve never been to England?”) 
• Você nem se despediu? (“You didn’t even say goodbye?”)

Notice that the words are placed in the same spot não would be in.

Você não gosta de ervilha? (“You don’t like peas?”)

3. Other Negating Words

Time to spice up your negation skills. There are many words you can use besides não, which also add more context to your sentences. 

1 – Nem (“Neither” / “Nor”)

Nem is a very popular negating word. 

• Não como peixe nem carne. (“I don’t eat fish nor meat.”)
• Ele ainda não sabe ler nem escrever. (“He still doesn’t know how to read nor write.”)
• Nem meu pai e nem minha mãe falam inglês. (“Neither my father nor my mother speaks English.”)

Colloquially, nem is also used as “not,” replacing não. It is not uncommon to hear Brazilians saying:

• Nem começa. (“Don’t even start.”)
• Nem adianta. (“It’s no use.”) 

2 – Nunca and Jamais (“Never”)

Want to talk in absolutes? These are your go-to words! Note that nunca is much more commonly used than jamais, which has a stronger connotation.  

• Ela nunca come depois das 20 horas. (“She never eats after 8 p.m.”)
• Eu jamais viajarei de avião. (“I will never travel by plane.”)

Both words can also be used by themselves, when answering a question.

• Você já voou de asa delta? (“Have you ever flown by hang gliding?”)
• Nunca. (“Never.”)

You can even use jamais to make it clear you have never done something, and will also never do it in the future.

• Você já voou de asa delta? (“Have you ever flown by hang gliding?”)
• Jamais. (“Never.”) [meaning that you never have, never will]

Another common expression is nunca mais (“never again”).

• Eu nunca mais quero te ver. (“I don’t want to see you ever again.”)
• Viajei sozinha uma vez e foi horrível. Nunca mais! (“I traveled by myself once and it was horrible. Never again!”)
• Ele nunca mais vai poder jogar futebol. (“He will never be able to play soccer again.”)

3 – Não mais (“Not anymore”)

Want to talk about something you don’t do anymore? Then use não mais, which can also include a verb in between both words. Take a look: 

• Eu não nado mais. (“I don’t swim anymore.”)
• Ela não come mais carne. (“She doesn’t eat meat anymore.”)
• Não encontro mais minha caneta. (“I can’t find my pen anymore.”)

• Você gosta de viajar de ônibus? (“Do you like traveling by bus?”)
• Não mais. Antes, eu adorava, mas hoje acho desconfortável. (“Not anymore. I used to love it, but today I find it uncomfortable.”)

4 – More Negating Words

There are some more negative words you can use. Here are some examples of how to use them.

Ninguém (“Nobody”)	Ninguém chegou ainda. (“Nobody arrived yet.”)
Nenhum (“None,” masculine) Nenhuma (“None,” feminine)	Nenhum motorista está disponível. (“None of the drivers are available.”) Nenhuma casa nesse bairro tem jardim. (“None of the houses in this neighborhood have a garden.”)
Nada (“Nothing”)	Nada funciona nessa casa. (“Nothing works in this house.”)

The expression below is always paired with the word não. But don’t worry, we’ll go over double negatives soon. 

Lugar nenhum (“Anywhere” / “Nowhere”) Nenhum lugar (“Anywhere” / “Nowhere”)

Não encontro a chave em lugar nenhum. (“I can’t find the key anywhere.”) Não encontro a chave em nenhum lugar. (“I can’t find the key anywhere.”)

All of the negative words above can be used by themselves when it comes to answering questions, although it can sound a bit blunt. 

A: Alguém já chegou? (“Has anyone arrived?”)
B: Ninguém. (“Nobody.”)

A: Tem alguma camisa para me emprestar? (“Do you have a shirt to lend me?”)
B: Nenhuma. (“None.”)

A: Temos algo para comer? (“Do we have something to eat?”)
B: Nada. (“Nothing.”)

A: Aonde você vai? (“Where are you going?”)
B: Lugar nenhum. (“Nowhere.”)

Não encontro minha carteira em lugar nenhum. (“I can’t find my wallet anywhere.”)

4. Double and Triple Negatives

Double negatives are very common in Portuguese. Luckily, they’re also very easy to use and understand! Simply put, double negatives are used to emphasize a negative statement. In other words, the negatives don’t cancel each other out.

You’ll see double negatives containing many of the negation words we covered previously. 

• Eu não quero nada. (“I don’t want anything.”)
• Ela não conhece ninguém. (“She doesn’t know anyone.”)
• Você não trouxe nenhum livro? (“You didn’t bring any book?”)
• Vocês nunca disseram nada. (“You never said anything.”) [plural]

There’s also such a thing as triple negatives. I know, I know, it’s getting a bit excessive. But it doesn’t really change things. Triple negatives continue to have a negative meaning, and they’re very common in spoken Portuguese.

If anything, triple negatives can convey a stronger negation.

• Eu não quero nada, não. (“I don’t want anything.”)
• Ela não conhece ninguém, não. (“She doesn’t know anyone.”)
• Você não trouxe nenhum livro, não? (“You didn’t bring any book?”)
• Você nunca disseram nada, não. (“You never said anything.”) [plural]

And to finish up, a curious little Portuguese phenomenon you might encounter are the expressions pois sim and pois não. In these cases, the word pois (“since” / “because”) works as a negation of the following word. Take a look:

• Oi, você pode me ajudar rapidinho? (“Hi, can you help me really quick?”)
• Pois não. (“Yes.” / “Certainly.”)

If you’re calling an office or going shopping in Brazil, you might hear pois não from the store or office employee. Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean no! In this case, it’s exactly the opposite: they are politely telling you yes. 

The same thing might happen in some regions of Brazil when dealing with pois sim. It carries an ironic connotation, as if you were saying “Oh, sure,” while meaning exactly the opposite.

• Pode me emprestar mais dinheiro hoje? (“Can you lend me more money today?”)
• Pois sim! Até hoje você não me pagou o que me deve! (“No! You still haven’t paid me what you owe me!”)

Check out this lesson with double negative examples by PortuguesePod101!

Eu não entendo nada não. (“I don’t understand anything.”)

5. Continue Learning More Portuguese with PortuguesePod101

This article explained how to build negative sentences and questions in Portuguese, introduced you to the most useful negative words, and showed you how to make it sound polite. Remember to come back to this guide anytime you need to refresh your negation knowledge. 

Did you like this article? Did we miss any important or interesting negation words you’d like to see? Let us know in the comments below!

Now, don’t stop learning! There are more free Portuguese resources and a variety of vocabulary lists available on PortuguesePod101.com. Go ahead and choose your favorite tools to expand your learning opportunities.

If you want to take your learning experience further, members of PortuguesePod101.com get access to the largest language lesson library in the world, with thousands of real lessons by real teachers. Perfect for anyone who wants to learn from anywhere, feel motivated, and be ready to speak Portuguese with confidence.

Picking up a second language comes with several added benefits. To learn a new language is to acquire a powerful communication tool that will help you dig up new opportunities and get in touch with extraordinary worldviews you would otherwise never experience. 

But considering the vast number of world languages you could choose from, why study Portuguese? After all, Portuguese is not a common choice among language learners and there are plenty of others that are higher in demand on a global scale. 

Sure, eccentricity could be a driving force (we don’t judge anyone around here). But there are certainly more rewarding answers for why you should learn Portuguese.

This language is often overlooked in a growingly multicultural world. It’s one of the top 10 most widely spoken languages, with more than 250 million speakers across at least three continents—but it’s not even close to being one of the 10 most studied languages.

Has this made you more curious about the Portuguese language and what makes it stand out from all others? Then let’s dive in! But before looking at our 10 good reasons to learn Portuguese, let’s talk a bit about where this language is spoken.

Table of Contents

1. About Lusofonia and Portuguese
2. General Reasons to Learn Portuguese
3. Personal and Professional Advantages
4. Conclusion

1. About Lusofonia and Portuguese

“Lusofonia” is a broad term used in reference to the Portuguese-speaking world’s cultural sphere of influence. The root of this word lies in Lusitania, which was the name given the Roman province where Portugal now stands.

Long oceanic distances separate the lusophonic community, but the language binds it.

Nowadays, Lusophone countries comprise the Community of Countries of Portuguese Language (CPLP). There are also some other territories outside the CPLP that, surprisingly, have a Lusophone background—but don’t worry, we’ll get there soon.

This extensive cultural reach worldwide is quite remarkable, even in comparison to that of other popular languages such as French and Spanish. To give you a clearer idea of what kind of reach we’re talking about, here are some facts about the CPLP’s many countries.

Angola

Angola’s ethnic mélange is most noticeable in the influence of Bantu languages such as Umbundu, Kimbundu, and Kikongo on the country’s Portuguese.

Brazil 

The population of Brazil accounts for around 80% of the world’s Portuguese speakers.

Cape Verde

This 10-island archipelago was uninhabited until Portuguese colonization in 1456. It’s one of the most stable African governments, and is home to volcanoes as well as beaches of Caribbean-like white sand and crystal-clear waters. Natives also speak Kriolu in normal day-to-day interactions.

East Timor

East Timor’s independence is still very recent: Until 2002, it was under Indonesian rule. The Malayo-Polynesian background of this nation is very unique in the Lusophonic world.       

Guinea-Bissau 

Guinea-Bissau is a largely Muslim nation and is very much linked to other Guinea Coast countries, especially Senegal and The Gambia.           

Mozambique 

Mozambique is well-known for its outstanding coral reefs and safaris in the Gorongosa National Park.         

Portugal

Portugal has been attracting tourists and expatriates from many parts of the world for some years. Many people are attracted to its location, climate, and culture.      

Saint Tomé and Príncipe 

This is a beautiful country, but is somehow ranked as one of the world’s least visited countries.        

2. General Reasons to Learn Portuguese

Now that you’re more familiar with Portuguese-speaking countries and their cultural backgrounds, it’s time to explore the top reasons as to why you should learn Portuguese! 

1. The language is elegant and plural.

The Portuguese language was combining influences from at least three continents way before globalization and plurality were “cool.” Portugal’s pioneering naval explorations led this European kingdom to disseminate its language in America, Africa, and Asia. This resulted in centuries of mutual feedback and influences on culture and language throughout the local populations.

These varieties of Portuguese combine the structural elements of a Romance language with vocabulary and expressions (and consequently, diverse perceptions) from different populations of those three continents.

2. It will give you access to different cultures.

Following the previous point, learning Portuguese can help build a bridge to better communication and understanding of local populations—even if they don’t speak Portuguese. 

This is because learning the language will make it easier for you to study the cultural background of a given group of people. For example, you’ll be able to draw parallels between their idioms and those of Portuguese. You could also read primary sources on the topic in their original language. And let’s not forget that a sound knowledge of Portuguese will also give you some familiarity with other Romance languages, such as:

• Italian
• French
• Spanish
• Romanian

The African continent alone is home to speakers of more than 2000 languages, plus thousands of dialects, accounting for some 30% of the world’s languages. Portuguese speakers in Africa have spread throughout countries in the Guinea Coast, Eastern Africa, and Southwest Africa. It will thus be difficult to gain contact with the various African cultures through any other language—unless you’re willing to learn Arabic or Swahili… 

It’s a brave new world of cultural knowledge. Instead of asking, “Why should I learn Portuguese?” maybe you should view this as only the tip of the iceberg on your way to a very rich knowledge of various cultures and languages.

3. You’ll be able to form stronger bonds with native Portuguese speakers.

Learning Portuguese will help you develop a whole new way to look at your touristic destinations.

Here’s a fun reason why you should learn Portuguese: To exponentially boost the quality of your upcoming trip!

Knowledge of the language will enrich your travel experiences and enhance your understanding of other cultures, colonial relations, and historical data. Even if Portugal’s influence in the Lusophonic world is not politically significant nowadays, its language and culture are still relevant—even in other, non-Lusophone countries. 

The autonomous region of Macau in China is one example. Though the teaching of Portuguese has been decreasing since the handover of Macau from Portugal to China in the early 2000s, the territory still retains many buildings of the colonization period and some other Portuguese-influenced cultural traits.

Goa, in India, is another example. Again, Portuguese is not the official language there: Hindi and Konkani are the most common modern languages. But many Portuguese words still linger in the daily life of this Indian province, such as:

• Mez – Table (Mesa in Portuguese)
• Jonel – Window (Janela in Portuguese)
• Pão – Bread
• Colher – Spoon
• Vistid – Dress (Vestido in Portuguese)

4. You’ll meet interesting people.

If you want to meet new, interesting people, raise your hand!

There are hundreds of millions of Portuguese speakers worldwide, yet their culture is not as prominent as that of the most studied languages. Make a quick search for videos and texts about some of the countries mentioned in this article, and you’ll probably conclude that there’s more material made by tourists and foreigners than locals! If you want more local results, try to search in Portuguese and with the country code (BR for Brazil, PT for Portugal or Portuguese).

Digital technologies have made communication more horizontal, but it’s still very hard to reach radically different cultures without a mediator. The complex realities of some countries and some people can only be reached, even if superficially, through real-life experience outside the media and our digital screens.

If someone asks you why you want to learn Portuguese, one of the best answers you could give is that it represents a good opportunity to get in touch with other ways of thinking and different lifestyles. You’ll better understand aspects of the culture such as fashion, dances, music, celebrations, food, and religion, for instance. 

When you learn this fascinating language and immerse yourself in the culture, you’re bound to meet some very interesting people along the way! 

3. Personal and Professional Advantages

Still wondering why to learn Portuguese? Well, in addition to the more generic reasons to study Portuguese we mentioned earlier, there are more pragmatic reasons for getting in touch with Camões’ language.

5. Improve your memory.

Learning a new language can be a tool for improving your brain’s health.

Want to improve your memory in a fun, non-medical way? Go study a foreign language. There is ample and consistent scientific evidence that students of another language have improved memory capacity compared to people who have not learned another language. This active maintenance of your brain’s health can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia for up to five years.

6. Portuguese has some interesting phonological phenomena.

Why would you want to learn Portuguese if you’re headed to Eastern European countries on your vacation? Actually, it might be helpful for your oral Slavic language skills—and maybe even your Chinese. 

There are some sounds in the Portuguese language that are very different from those of other Germanic and European languages. The ‘hissing’ (as in the ‘sh’ phoneme) and the closed-sounding pronunciation of some words resemble certain Slavic languages such as Russian, as improbable as it might sound to you.

Also, the language contains nasal sounds that other Romance languages don’t. (This particular feature is more common in African countries and Brazil than it is in Portugal.)

Familiarity with these phonological phenomena can satisfy your linguistic curiosity, help you learn other languages in the future, and maybe even help you out in certain situations!  

7. Keep an eye on the developing world.

Most Portuguese-speaking countries belong to the developing world and have large potential for growth and foreign investment. And we all know that making or breaking a great deal can boil down to whether we speak the local language or not. 

For instance, Mozambique is one of the world’s poorest countries. Yet, there’s a lot to improve upon there and much potential for growth, as in the gas and oil mining projects that have the potential to become the largest infrastructure enterprises on the African continent.

Also, Brazil is an industrialized country and ranked ninth place on the list of the world’s biggest economies in 2019. Still, it’s far from having a fully developed structure of sewers and drinking water.

Portugal, too, can be a good destination for foreign investment. Even though it’s not a developing nation, it is a member of the European Union. 

These are only three examples, but if you look into all the countries on this list, you may find great business opportunities.

8. There are big consumer markets to be found.

Open up the Portuguese door to new business opportunities.

Another reason why learning Portuguese is important businesswise is the potential for consumers in Lusophonic communities. Though Portuguese is not widely studied, it is vastly spoken, as we mentioned previously. It’s hard to ignore an almost 300 million-strong population.

Brazil is a huge country where many multinationals own operations. The bilateral trade with the U.S. is significant, and Brazil maintains various types of exchange with other countries: educational, cultural, economic, and more.

9. There’s a competitive advantage for English-speakers in Brazil.

Many job positions in Brazil and other Lusophone countries demand a good knowledge of English, but this language may still not be widespread among local populations. Within this context, an English-speaking individual with additional knowledge of Portuguese (and skills specific to the job, of course) could have a strong professional edge in comparison to competitors!

4. Conclusion

There are many reasons why you should learn Portuguese, but the ultimate purpose remains within your individual interest in the language. Yet, there’s a very motivating final reason to study this widely spoken language. 

Reason #10: It’s easier than ever to master it.

In our increasingly digital world, we have a vast multitude of media resources that make our lives more convenient. Imagine if you could combine these highly engaging virtual formats with a well-structured and fun approach to grammar, oral practice, writing exercises, and interaction with native speakers.

PortuguesePod101 brings to you the best of both worlds of language learning: autonomous discovery and directed instruction. Don’t miss the opportunity to get in touch with thoughtfully crafted content suitable for learners of all levels. We even offer private lessons and dynamic content to speed up your Portuguese learning! 

Before you go, let us know in the comments if this article helped you decide whether to learn Portuguese or not. We hope we inspired you to give it a try! 

Most aspiring language learners ask themselves this fundamental question at some point: How long does it take to learn Portuguese? 

Building knowledge is very fulfilling and leads to expectations of improvement, so it’s only natural to wonder what kind of time commitment you’re looking at. However, the answer to this question is quite subjective! 

For example, what’s your definition of “learning” in the first place? 

No, we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. 

Everyone needs to master the same basic grammar concepts and learn the same essential vocabulary. There’s definitely a learning curve. But one of the biggest factors in how long it takes to learn Portuguese is the level of proficiency one wants to achieve. 

For example, some people are only seeking enough Portuguese fluency to interact with locals while traveling. Others want to achieve full fluency so they can work or go to universities in a Portuguese-speaking country, which demands a whole different level of knowledge.

In this article, we’ll take a look at additional factors to consider, discuss what language skills and abilities are expected at each proficiency level, and give you advice on how to learn Portuguese faster using the best tools. 

Table of Contents

1. Just One Thing Before We Start
2. Beginner Level
3. Intermediate Level
4. Advanced Level
5. Conclusion

Just One Thing Before We Start

If you’re excited to start this learning journey, raise your hand!

This article will provide you with time estimates regarding how long it takes to reach each level of Portuguese, but these times can vary depending on numerous factors. Perhaps the number-one factor to consider is how similar one’s native language is to Portuguese. 

The timeframes given in this article are for English speakers looking to learn Portuguese. Because Portuguese is a Romance language and English is a Germanic one, there are considerable differences between the two (despite their having some shared influence from other languages, such as French). That said, the United States’ Foreign Service Institute (FSI) ranks Portuguese as a Category I language—this means that it’s relatively easy for native English speakers to pick up, compared to other more “distant” languages. 

As far as ease of learning goes, speakers of other Romance languages (Spanish, Italian, French, Romanian) will have the easiest time picking up the Portuguese language. Those who speak languages far outside the Romance language family (Thai, Japanese, Hungarian, Arabic, etc.) will have a more difficult time. English speakers tend to fall somewhere in the middle. 

The skills we’ve mentioned for each level of learning are based upon the required knowledge for levels A, B, and C of the EPE certificate of Portugal’s Instituto Camões. 

Beginner Level

Good resources can lead you to an A grade in the A-level test.

We all have to begin somewhere. For Portuguese learners, mastering levels A1 and A2 is the starting point.

In a nutshell, these are the skills needed for this level:

• Understand everyday expressions and simple statements.
• Formulate simple sentences and introduce yourself.
• Know how to use the present tense.
• Communicate in most basic everyday contexts. 

The estimated time it takes to reach this point is between 80 and 100 hours of active study. 

Study Tips 

Not sure where to start? Here are a few tips on how to learn Portuguese for beginners. 

• Reading & Writing. 
  
  At this point, your reading skills should consist of being able to identify the key information of short texts on different topics. You should also be able to write down very basic sentences. You’ll need to build up a solid core vocabulary and become familiar with Portuguese syntax.
  
  Here are some useful resources from PortuguesePod101.com you can use to improve your beginner-level reading and writing skills:
  
  Portuguese Alphabet
  100 Core Portuguese Words
  Cracking the Portuguese Writing System! 
  
  Make sure to peruse our wide array of themed vocabulary lists and make use of our spaced repetition flashcards (or make your own) to maximize your study efforts. If you opt to go the traditional route, you can place your flashcards on the objects they identify to help you better associate each word with its meaning in context. Either way, we recommend you study them for at least 15 minutes a day!

• Speaking & Listening. 
  
  As for speaking and listening, you should be able to interact with native speakers using simple phrasal structures. You should also be able to understand simple daily communication and identify the key information in dialogues.
  
  You can gain these basic skills by going through short listening exercises, practicing your pronunciation, and engaging in short conversations with native speakers (if possible).
  
  Here are a few resources on PortuguesePod101.com we recommend:
  
  Listening Comprehension for Beginners
  Ultimate Portuguese Pronunciation Guide
  Learn Portuguese in Three Minutes

Of course, there are plenty of other ways to learn Portuguese online. For example, there are some interesting flashcard apps such as AnkiDroid (for Android) and Anki (for PC). 

As a beginner, you should also focus your efforts on reading. PortuguesePod101 has several lessons with transcripts you can go over, and you can also check out some Portuguese-language children’s books or magazines. The digital GoRead platform is an interesting source for Brazilian magazines, for instance. 

Intermediate Level

Meet your new assistant for remote cultural research.

At the intermediate level (B1 and B2), students are able to identify primary and secondary information through both reading and listening. 

In a nutshell, these are the skills needed for this level:

• Participate in daily interactions.
• Explain ideas, present opinions, and participate in arguments. 
• Know how to use different verb tenses.
• Be familiar with different phrase patterns.
• Recognize and use both the formal and informal register.
• Express yourself creatively.

In essence, it’s time for some hard work—that pays off. So how long does it take to learn Portuguese up to the intermediate level? Around 350 to 400 hours of study.

Study Tips

As you approach and make your way through the intermediate level, there’s a lot of new ground to cover and the learning dynamics get more interesting. You’ll find yourself becoming more able to understand complex communication in various contexts. While there are no shortcuts in language learning, we do have some tips on how to learn Portuguese more easily at this stage. 

• Reading & Writing. 
  
  Of course, your reading and writing skills will benefit from additional vocabulary at this point. Continue studying your flashcards and make new ones, broaden your reading to more complex mediums (such as newspapers or short non-children’s books), and learn more about the Portuguese syntax and writing system.
  
  Here are a few resources from PortuguesePod101 you may benefit from:
  
  Reading Comprehension for Intermediate Learners
  Master Portuguese Word Order & Sentence Structure for Good
  The Easiest Way to Start Writing and Improve on Your Own

• Speaking & Listening.
  
  There are two things that will immensely help your speaking and listening comprehension at this stage: dialogue-based lessons and Portuguese-language media.
  
  A good way to start is by watching Portuguese Netflix series, films, and YouTube channels with subtitles. Also, news podcasts are ideal for getting in touch with objective content and plain language, which is easier to understand. At the beginning of the intermediate level, you can focus on shorter podcasts with headlines and then move on to more complex ones.
  
  Watching and listening to this type of media is also really important because it will help you start grasping cultural context and information. A good Portuguese course will already introduce you to some of this cultural information, but seeing it applied in character and in realistic situations outside the classroom is something completely different.
  
  Here are some PortuguesePod101 resources for you:
  
  Intermediate Season 1
  Listening Comprehension for Intermediate Learners
  Must-Know Portuguese Holiday Words

Advanced Level

Studying abroad can be very helpful for the advanced learner.

You’re almost there. You’re almost fluent in Portuguese.  

Advanced Portuguese fluency corresponds to levels C1 and C2, and this level of fluency is often required for those interested in working or studying abroad. Some people simply want to achieve total fluency for personal reasons or self-satisfaction! 

In a nutshell, these are the skills needed for this level:

• Interpret and write complex texts using advanced grammar knowledge.  
• Speak fluently in nearly all contexts. 
• Be capable of flexible communication.
• Have a comprehensive vocabulary.

To achieve the advanced level, the student needs 850 to 900 hours of studying. 

Study Tips

This is quite a time commitment, but we have some advice on how to learn Portuguese faster and more effectively. 

• Reading & Writing. 
  
  As an advanced listener, you’re expected to comprehend both explicit and implicit information in messages. You must be able to distinguish between factual information and expressions of opinions, feelings, or arguments.
  
  In terms of writing, you should have enough knowledge of Portuguese grammar and syntax to develop coherent, complex texts on abstract, scientific, technical, and cultural themes.
  
  At this stage, you may find our Level 5 Portuguese lesson pathway quite useful as you continue to develop and hone your reading and writing skills. You can also continue to expand your reading to include larger books, more detailed magazines or blogs, or anything else you find interesting.

• Speaking & Listening. 
  
  Because your speaking and listening skills should be fairly solid by now, you should start conversing with native speakers as often as possible (if you aren’t already!).
  
  One good way to do this is to visit online chats, forums, and language exchange programs that allow you to converse with native Portuguese speakers. You should also consider doing a student exchange program, which will give you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture firsthand.
  
  Culture and language deeply influence each other, so becoming familiar with Portuguese and Brazilian culture will work wonders for your speaking and listening abilities.
  
  Here are some resources for you:
  
  Listening Comprehension for Advanced Learners
  Video Culture Class: Brazil Holidays

Conclusion

In this article, we answered the question: How long does it take an English speaker to learn Portuguese?

We also went into some detail about what’s expected of a learner at each proficiency level and gave you some useful tips on how to learn the Portuguese language effectively. 

Remember: If your goal is to learn Portuguese fast online, you can’t lower the bar. As presented, learning Portuguese isn’t too difficult for English speakers—but constant learning efforts and motivation are still important, as they can fuel the process to promote lasting results.

These factors, when combined with your learning tools of choice, will determine how well and how quickly you can learn Portuguese. 

PortuguesePod101 is an intuitive and well-structured website that delivers a range of Portuguese learning materials on many topics. Our grammar lessons, listening and reading comprehension exercises, and speaking/pronunciation practice tools are all organized and presented in bite-size chunks that help students learn Portuguese one step at a time. 

We combine video, text, and audio in the right doses to stimulate every learner to achieve their goals. Get access now to digital flashcards, a word bank, personal one-on-one teaching, and much more.

How fast can you learn Portuguese? As fast as you try PortuguesePod101.

Before you go, we’re curious: How likely are you to start learning Portuguese after reading this article? And if you’ve been learning a while, how long did it take you to reach your current level? 

There’s something very satisfying about using a proverb that perfectly fits the situation. These gems of popular wisdom are passed from generation to generation, sometimes suffering alterations and adaptations, but always remaining witty or wise. Portuguese proverbs are no exception, carrying much meaning in a few words.

Proverbs are also a repository of local culture. Many times, a proverb only makes sense in one place or culture until explained, because it’s very closely tied to local traditions and mindsets. It’s also interesting to see how globalization, miscegenation, and cultural exchanges are reflected in proverbs.

Studying Brazilian proverbs will help you understand a bit more about the country and its people, and also increase your vocabulary. And who knows? It may even impart you with some age-old wisdom! 

In this article, we’ll dive into the curious world of Portuguese proverbs. With each proverb listed, we’ve included a literal translation, an equivalent in English (where one exists), and information about when you can use it. Hope you’re ready for a fun ride!

Deus ajuda quem cedo madruga.
“God helps those who wake up early.”

Table of Contents

1. Proverbs About Relationships
2. Proverbs About Work and Success
3. Proverbs About Life and Wisdom
4. Proverbs About Overcoming Adversities
5. Continue Learning Portuguese with PortuguesePod101

1. Proverbs About Relationships

Relationships make life all the more precious, but they can also be quite trying. Below are a few Portuguese proverbs about family, friendship, and romance to give you some cultural perspective on the topic! 

Portuguese	Diga-me com quem andas e eu te direi quem és.
Literal translation	“Tell me who you walk with, and I’ll tell you who you are.”
English equivalent	A man is known by the company he keeps.
Language note	The conjugation in this proverb is in second-person singular, which is considered more formal in most of Brazil.
This saying means that the people we surround ourselves with is a good indication of our character. Another English proverb that comes to mind is, “Birds of a feather flock together.”  Since people with similar values and dispositions tend to spend time together, we can know a lot about a person based on his/her friends.

Portuguese	Cada macaco no seu galho
Literal translation	“Each monkey on its own branch”
English equivalent	“Every jack to his trade”
This is a witty way to say, “Mind your own business.” It indicates that each person has their place, and shouldn’t try to meddle in other people’s affairs. Imagine that someone is feeding you some juicy gossip about one of your friends, and asks for your opinion. You could say: Cada macaco no seu galho, eu não sei. / “Each monkey on its own branch, I don’t know.”

Portuguese	Amigos, amigos, negócios à parte.
Literal translation	“Friends, friends, business aside.”
English equivalent	“Business is business.”
This is a warning about the dangers of mixing friendship and money matters. When it comes to business, having a friend as a coworker or business partner can cause the demise of the friendship.  This Portuguese proverb can be used for any similar situation, whenever professional and personal lives risk getting caught up in each other. For example, if you’re considering whether or not you should lend money to a friend, someone might tell you this proverb as a word of advice.

Portuguese	Roupa suja se lava em casa.
Literal translation	“Dirty laundry is washed at home.”
English equivalent	“Don’t wash your dirty linen in public.”
Exactly like its English equivalent, this proverb means that one should not discuss private or family problems in public.  Imagine a couple is in a shopping mall, and they begin a heated argument. One of their friends approaches and says: Agora não, roupa suja se lava em casa. / “Not now, dirty laundry is washed at home.”

Portuguese	Por ele eu ponho minha mão no fogo.
Literal translation	“For him, I put my hand on fire.”
Language note	You can substitute the pronoun ele (“he”) for any other personal pronoun, or even the person’s name.
To ‘put a hand on fire’ for someone means you trust them completely—so much so that you would be willing to go through the terrible pain of having your hands burned for that person. Figuratively speaking, of course. For example, if someone you trust very much is accused of doing something bad, you could say to everyone: Eu não acredito nisso, por ele eu ponho minha mão no fogo! / “I don’t believe it, for him, I put my hand on fire!”

Portuguese	O que os olhos não veem, o coração não sente.
Literal translation	“What the eyes don’t see, the heart doesn’t feel.”
English equivalent	“Out of sight, out of mind.”
This proverb is common in several cultures, and can be applied to many scenarios. As long as the person doesn’t know about something, it can’t hurt them.  The most traditional use, however, is to reference romantic relationships and affairs.

→ Expand your Portuguese vocabulary about relationships with this lesson from PortuguesePod101!

Portuguese	A união faz a força.
Literal translation	“Unity is strength.”
English equivalent	“United we stand, divided we fall.”
We all know it: When people come together, nothing can stop them! Or at least, that’s what this proverb means. It can be used when trying to finish a group project or when you need to convince your siblings to help you clean up quicker.

Portuguese	Pimenta nos olhos dos outros é refresco.
Literal translation	“Pepper on others’ eyes is a refreshing drink.”
English equivalent	“Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else.”
Just like its English equivalent, this Portuguese proverb means that misfortunes can seem less serious—or even funny—when they’re happening to someone else. Let’s imagine you’re telling your friend about an embarrassing experience you just had, and your friend starts laughing. You could say: Pimenta nos olhos dos outros é refresco, quero ver se fosse com você. / “Pepper on others’ eyes is a refreshing drink, I’d like to see if it were you.”

Portuguese	Antes só que mal acompanhado.
English equivalent	“Better alone than in bad company.”
Here’s another proverb that has a direct equivalent in English. Sometimes it’s preferable to be alone than to be with someone who causes us pain or wants to bring us down.  If you have a friend who’s keeping bad company, don’t hesitate to tell them: Você tem que cuidar de si mesmo, lembra que antes só que mal acompanhado. / “You have to take care of yourself, remember that ‘better alone than in bad company.’ “

Portuguese	Filho de peixe, peixinho é.
Literal translation	“Son of fish is little fish.”
English equivalent	“Like father, like son.”
This Brazilian proverb is used to highlight the similarities between parents and their children. Another English equivalent is, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Someone might say this when a child shows interest in the same career as their parent.

→ Want to learn more sentences about friendship and relationships? Check out our vocabulary list on the Top 10 Quotes About Friendship and practice your pronunciation!

Cada macaco no seu galho.
“Each monkey on its own branch.”

2. Proverbs About Work and Success

Hard work is an inescapable part of life, and we all hope that our efforts will bring us success. Here are some Portuguese proverbs to inspire and motivate you to be your best. 

Portuguese	Deus ajuda a quem cedo madruga.
Literal translation	“God helps those who wake up early.”
English equivalent	“The early bird catches the worm.”
A similar idea is conveyed in proverbs around the world: wake up early to improve your odds in life. Note that religiosity is present in the Portuguese saying, unlike in its English equivalent. You could imagine a mother saying this to her children after dinner: Hora de ir para cama. Deus ajuda quem cedo madruga. / “Time to go to bed. God helps those who wake up early.”

Portuguese	Não deixe para amanhã o que você pode fazer hoje.
English equivalent	“Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”
Procrastinators are sure to have heard this saying many times. Although one could argue whether this proverb holds a universal truth or not, it’s a good idea to become familiar with it. After all, we have the tendency to think that our schedules and to-do lists in the future will be emptier than they are now…but experience shows that’s not always the case. Imagine you’re trying to convince a friend to finish his part of the group assignment. You might say: Você consegue fazer a sua parte bem rápido. Não deixe para amanhã o que você pode fazer hoje! / “You can do your part really quickly. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today!”

Portuguese	De grão em grão, a galinha enche o papo.
Literal translation	“Grain by grain, the hen fills her belly.”
English equivalent	“Little strokes fell great oaks.”
Slowly but surely, we can achieve our goals. With a bit of patience and persistence, we can finish big projects and get far in life. This Portuguese proverb paints a picture in our minds of a hen pecking away, one grain at a time, until she’s no longer hungry.

Portuguese	A pressa é inimiga da perfeição.
Literal translation	“Haste is the enemy of perfection.”
English equivalent	“Haste makes waste.”
Doing things in a hurry can lead to many mistakes and sacrifice the quality of our efforts. Who can’t remember a time when they overlooked an important detail in order to deliver more quickly? Imagine a mother has just asked her children to help wash the dishes. If they start doing it quickly and poorly, she would surely say: Lave os pratos com mais calma. A pressa é inimiga da perfeição. / “Wash the dishes more slowly. Haste makes waste.”

Portuguese	Quem tem boca vai a Roma.
Literal translation	“Who has a mouth goes to Rome.”
English equivalent	“Better to ask the way than to go astray.”
There are actually two versions of this proverb, and there’s some debate as to which one is the correct and original version:  Quem tem boca vai a Roma. / “Who has a mouth goes to Rome.” Quem tem boca vaia Roma. / “Who has a mouth boos Rome.”  The latter means that we need to speak up against wrong or negative attitudes. Regardless, the first form is more widely used. It means that asking questions takes us a long way, so we should feel free to ask away!

Portuguese	O barato sai caro.
Literal translation	“The cheap ends up expensive.”
English equivalent	“You get what you pay for.”
Saving some money upfront when purchasing a product or service might come back to haunt us, especially if it means opting for a lower-quality version.  For example, buying a cheap used car might be a good deal at first—but if the car comes with a lot of problems, the repair fees might be much more expensive than the car itself. In that case: O barato sai caro. / “The cheap ends up expensive.”

→ Sometimes things are just so expensive they scare us, like in this dialogue lesson from PortuguesePod101.

Portuguese	Nem tudo o que reluz é ouro.
Literal translation	“Not everything that shines is gold.”
English equivalent	“All that glitters is not gold.”
This Portuguese proverb has the same meaning as: As aparências enganam. / “Appearances deceive.” Just because something shines, it doesn’t mean it’s valuable. It could very well be a cheap imitation or even a wolf in sheep’s clothing. So be attentive and careful when making judgements about something’s value.

Portuguese	Cavalo dado não se olha os dentes.
Literal translation	“In a given horse, we don’t look at the teeth.”
English equivalent	“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”
This proverb (or a very close version of it) is present in English, French, Italian, and other languages. By looking at the teeth of a horse, it’s possible to determine its approximate age and thus avoid being swindled in a negotiation. An ill-intentioned seller could very well try to sell you an older horse by making it appear younger, but looking at the horse’s teeth would alert you of such a scam.  However, when it comes to gifts, it isn’t polite to do that. This proverb means that you should never refuse a gift nor show dissatisfaction with it.

Nem tudo o que reluz é ouro. 
“Not everything that shines is gold.”

3. Proverbs About Life and Wisdom

We all try to live our lives to the fullest and in the best way possible, and we require a good dose of wisdom to do so. Here are some Portuguese proverbs about life to give you that additional wisdom and insight! 

Portuguese	Cão que ladra não morde.
Literal translation	“Dog that barks doesn’t bite.”
English equivalent	“Barking dogs seldom bite.”
Dogs that are always barking are also the least likely to bite. Likewise, this proverb says that those who easily make threats rarely take action. But again, we could argue over the truth of this proverb since it might be better not to tempt a dog.  You could hear this proverb in the context of a romantic relationship, in which one person is always saying they will leave. In this case, people might say: Duvido que ele vá terminar o namoro. Cão que ladra não morde. / “I doubt he is going to end the relationship. Barking dogs seldom bite.”

Portuguese	Quem com ferro fere, com ferro será ferido.
Literal translation	“Who hurts with iron, with iron will be hurt.”
English equivalent	“Live by the sword, die by the sword.”
This is a way of saying, “What goes around, comes around,” in Portuguese. It means that a person’s bad deeds will come back to them in a similar fashion. This proverb might come up in a conversation about a person who is always harming others. You could then say: Uma hora ele vai aprender que quem com ferro fere, com ferro será ferido. / “One day he will learn that who hurts with iron, with iron will be hurt.”

Portuguese	Casa de ferreiro, espeto de pau.
Literal translation	“Blacksmith’s house, wooden skewer.”
English equivalent	“The shoemaker’s son always goes barefoot.”
Just because someone has a specific skill or profession doesn’t mean they can put it into practice when it comes to themselves or their families. For example, imagine a teacher who never helps their own children with their homework or a doctor who smokes.

Portuguese	Saco vazio não para em pé.
Literal translation	“Empty sack doesn’t stand still.”
English equivalent	“An empty sack cannot stand upright.”
We all know, intuitively, what this saying means: without food, we have no energy to do anything—just like how an empty sack will collapse onto itself when empty, but stand upright when full of potatoes! You can use this proverb when your boss is holding you up, and all you want to do is have lunch: Daqui a pouco continuamos. Saco vazio não para em pé! / “We’ll continue soon. Empty sack doesn’t stand still.”

Portuguese	O seguro morreu de velho.
Literal translation	“The safe person died of old age.”
English equivalent	“Better safe than sorry.”
A person who plays it safe and takes care of possible issues before they even occur will die of old age, and not of a preventable disease or accident. Just be careful and protect yourself. Another proverb with the same meaning in Portuguese is: Um homem prevenido vale por dois. / “A prepared man is worth two.” Its English equivalent would be: “A stitch in time saves nine.”

Portuguese	Mente vazia, oficina do diabo.
Literal translation	“Empty mind, devil’s workshop”
English equivalent	“An idle brain is the devil’s workshop.”
This Portuguese proverb means that if you have nothing to do or to occupy your mind with, you’re more likely to do something bad or mischievous.  Imagine a grandmother and her teenage grandson living together. The grandmother might think the grandson is spending too much time at home doing nothing productive, and say: Por que você não procura um trabalho? Mente vazia, oficina do diabo. / “Why don’t you look for a job? Empty mind, devil’s workshop.”

→ Want to avoid an empty mind? Learn how to talk about your hobbies in Portuguese with PortuguesePod101!

Portuguese	De médico e louco todo mundo tem um pouco.
Literal translation	“Of doctor and crazy, everybody has a little.”
No one is completely sane, according to this proverb. Everybody has a bit of insanity within them, as well as a responsible side. Just like in the novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, both sides of our personality exist.

Portuguese	Em terra de cego, quem tem um olho é rei.
English equivalent	“In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.”
This proverb means that you don’t need to be a genius to make the most of an opportunity. For example, having a little bit of knowledge or experience on a topic that those around you do not have can give you a leg up.  Imagine your company has many technical employees. They’re good at coding, but no one is interested or experienced in business strategy. But if you, as a technical employee, did have this interest or experience, you could quickly climb the ranks.

Portuguese	Quem canta seus males espanta.
Literal translation	“Who sings scares away his woes.”
Dom Quixote de la Mancha is known for using this famous saying. The proverb means that singing is good for the soul and will lift your spirits. Next time you’re feeling down, try and put it to the test!

Portuguese	Não julgue um livro pela capa.
English equivalent	“Don’t judge a book by its cover.”
Appearances don’t tell the full story of a person, so don’t judge somebody only by their looks or superficial interactions. Take time to read the book—or get to know the person—before making any judgements. You might hear this proverb, for example, after meeting a very stern-looking person. A friend might tell you: Não julgue um livro pela capa. Ele é muito gentil e bem intencionado. / “Don’t judge a book by its cover. He is very kind and well-meaning.”

Portuguese	Mentira tem perna curta.
Literal translation	“A lie has short legs.”
English equivalent	“A lie has no legs.”
According to this proverb, lies are short-lived and can’t go too far before being discovered. This saying exists in several languages, including Italian and Spanish.

Portuguese	Não adianta chorar pelo leite derramado.
English equivalent	“It’s no use crying over spilled milk.”
This is a reminder that there’s no use stressing out or being sad about things that have already happened. If it can’t be changed or undone, it’s better not to worry about it. This proverb is originally English, and it was recorded for the first known time in 1659 in the form: “No weeping for shed milk.” In Brazil, the proverb continues to be popular—you can still find children’s books including a story about a farmer girl who spills all the milk she intended to sell and, as you can imagine, cries over it.

Portuguese	Não ponha a carroça na frente dos bois.
Literal translation	“Don’t put the cart before the oxen.”
English equivalent	“Don’t put the cart before the horse.”
This proverb is especially useful when dealing with a hurried person. The saying suggests that people shouldn’t try to hurry things too much, skipping important steps along the way just to complete tasks quicker. It also reminds us to let things run their natural course.  It’s interesting how the English equivalent mentions horses, while the Portuguese one uses oxen. Although horses are used much more in Brazil as well, using oxen was common during colonial times and is still the norm in some parts of the country. You could use this proverb when a friend starts telling you about his plans to buy a car and travel the world, before he’s even started working: E com que dinheiro você vai fazer isso tudo? Não ponha a carroça na frente dos bois. / “And with what money are you going to do all of that? Don’t put the cart before the oxen.”

Quem canta seus males espanta.
“Who sings scares away his woes.”

4. Proverbs About Overcoming Adversities

Sometimes life hits us hard, people hurt us, and things just don’t go our way. It’s important to remember that you’re never alone in your pain, and that things will always get better in the end. Below are some of the best Portuguese proverbs to help you (or a loved one!) get through tough times. 

Portuguese	Um dia é da caça, outro, do caçador.
Literal translation	“One day is the hunted’s, another is the hunter’s.”
English equivalent	“Every dog has its day.”
We all have good days and bad days. Sometimes things work in our favor, and sometimes they don’t. That’s just a part of life. Keep that in mind when things look grim: a good day is never too far away. This proverb can be used to cheer somebody up or to give them the motivation they need to continue working toward their goals. For example, imagine someone in your family didn’t get the job they wanted. You could tell them: Não desista; lembre que um dia é da caça, outro do caçador. / “Don’t give up, remember that one day for the hunted, another for the hunter.”

Portuguese	Quem não tem cão caça com gato.
Literal translation	“Who doesn’t have a dog, hunts with a cat.”
English equivalent	“There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”
It’s said that the original version of this proverb was: Quem não tem gato, caça como gato. / “Those without a cat, hunt like a cat.” In that case, it would mean that, when the situation requires, people might have to be sneaky and cunning like a cat hunting prey.  Nowadays, the version we listed is overwhelmingly more popular. It suggests that we need to improvise and use whatever we have available to solve problems, even if the tools we have aren’t ideal.

Portuguese	Água mole em pedra dura, tanto bate até que fura.
Literal translation	“Soft water, hard stone, beats until it punctures.”
English equivalent	“Water dripping day by day wears the hardest rock away.”
The Roman poet Ovid wrote that “dripping water hollows out stone,” and this is the origin of similar proverbs in other languages. The idea is that with perseverance and consistency, we can achieve even the hardest tasks.

→ PortuguesePod101 has a list of even more encouraging phrases you can learn for when times get tough!

Portuguese	Deus escreve certo por linhas tortas.
Literal translation	“God writes straight over crooked lines.”
Here’s another proverb with a strong religious connotation. This saying means that, even when facing adversities, you can expect some good to come of it. This might be because there’s a divine plan laid out for you, because of destiny, or simply because you’re an optimist…it’s up to you to decide!

Portuguese	Há males que vêm para o bem.
Literal translation	“There are evils that come for good.”
English equivalent	“A blessing in disguise.”
Sometimes we don’t see it immediately, but the negative or difficult situations we face could have positive outcomes.  Maybe you lost a job opportunity, just to find out later that it was all a scam. Or perhaps you were rejected by a love interest who wasn’t that good of a person. Sometimes, bad experiences turn out to be good things!

Quem não tem cão, caça com gato.
“Who doesn’t have a dog, hunts with a cat.”

5. Continue Learning Portuguese with PortuguesePod101

Now you’re ready to start using these smart-sounding Portuguese proverbs in a variety of situations! But don’t stop here! There are many more fun and interesting sayings used in Brazil, so you should continue learning Portuguese, expanding your vocabulary, and sounding profoundly wise!  

Did you find this article helpful? Did we miss any popular proverbs you know? Drop us a comment with your thoughts!

And now, it’s time to continue your Portuguese learning journey. You can read more in-depth articles about the language and culture on our blog page, or scour through our vocabulary lists or the other free resources on PortuguesePod101.com.

If you want to take your learning experience further, members of PortuguesePod101.com get access to the largest language lesson library in the world, with thousands of real lessons by real teachers. Perfect for anyone who wants to learn from anywhere, feel motivated, and be ready to speak Portuguese with confidence!

In this interconnected world, it’s no surprise that many English words have made their way into the Portuguese vocabulary. As we consume entertainment from other cultures and travel the globe, the constant exchanges result in new words and an ever-expanding language. 

The term Porglish (or Portuglish) refers to the phenomenon of using both English and Portuguese words in a given sentence. Many of the common English words used in Portuguese entered the language via English speakers living in Portuguese-speaking countries (and vice-versa). Now, with the internet and the limitless opportunities to watch movies or listen to songs from anywhere in the world, the Porglish phenomenon has become more widespread. 

For Portuguese-speaking millennials, born in the social media era, Porglish words are part of the daily vocabulary. This is, in part, because English words that were introduced in the past are now better consolidated into the Portuguese language. On the other hand, English words are entering the language faster than ever due to the always-developing digital landscape. For many of the same reasons, you’ll also find a few English words of Portuguese origin. 

In this article, we will cover all sides of the Porglish phenomenon: common English words in Portuguese, changes in pronunciation, and the most common loanwords between the two languages.

Ready to discover the curious world of Porglish?

You won’t need to translate a lot of words related to technology!

Table of Contents

1. Some Traps
2. Friendly Loanwords
3. Pronouncing Brand Names and Titles in Portuguese
4. Portuguese Words in English
5. Continue Learning Portuguese with PortuguesePod101

1. Some Traps

To start, let’s look at some English words used in Portuguese with a different meaning than the original. 

They can be a bit tricky, leading you to think they mean one thing when they’re something else entirely. But as you can see, there are not too many of them—and seeing these different translations might even make you laugh!

• Chip

In English, a “chip” can refer to many things: a computer chip, a snack food, or a fragmentation of something.	In Brazil, it’s the word used for SIM cards.
Preciso comprar um novo chip pro meu celular. (“I need to buy a new SIM card for my cell phone.”)

• Outdoor

In English, it means “done, situated, or used out of doors.”	In Brazil, it’s used to refer to billboards.
Você viu aquele outdoor? (“Did you see that billboard?”)

• Step

In English, this word has several meanings: a “doorstep,” the act of putting one foot in front of the other, or a stage of a project or process.	In Brazil, it refers to the spare tire kept in cars.
Não se preocupe, temos um step no porta-malas. (“Don’t worry, we have a spare tire in the trunk.”)

• Smoking

In English, “smoking” is often associated with cigarettes or cigars.	In Brazil, it refers to a tuxedo.
Quero usar um smoking para o evento. (“I want to use a tuxedo for the event.”)
The origin of the word smoking in Brazilian Portuguese can probably be traced back to when smoking jackets were popular—although they are very different from a tuxedo. A smoking jacket is an informal lounge jacket normally made from velvet or silk, while a tuxedo (smoking, in Brazil) is considered semi-formal attire for evening events.

• Notebook

In English, the word “notebook” is used to refer to a small, slim type of laptop computer. It can also refer to a paper notebook.	In Brazil, the word refers to all kinds of laptops.
Você vai comprar um novo notebook? (“Are you going to buy a new laptop?”)

Você fica muito elegante de smoking. (“You look very elegant in a tuxedo.”)

2. Friendly Loanwords

Now, let’s look at English loanwords used in Brazil with their original English meaning. Learning these loanwords will give you quite an advantage, since they will automatically boost your vocabulary! 

Here are some examples for you, but keep in mind that there are many more Portuguese words of English origin for you to discover.

Business

Merchandise

O merchandising continua a ser muito importante para nossa empresa. (“Merchandising continues to be very important for our business.”)

Royalty

O livro terá os royalties revertidos para caridade. (“The book will have its royalties reverted to charity.”)

Performance

Sua performance foi impressionante este ano. (“Your performance this year was impressive.”)

Freelance

Precisamos contratar um freelancer para essa tarefa. (“We need to hire a freelancer for this task.”)

Ranking

Nosso competidor lidera o ranking de melhor empresas para investir. (“Our competitor leads the ranking of best companies to invest in.”)

Food

Delivery

Estamos abertos para delivery. (“We are open for delivery.”)

Light

Compra a opção light pra mim, por favor. (“Buy the light version for me, please.”)

Diet	Não gosto de produtos diet. (“I don’t like diet products.”)

Milkshake	Adoro milkshake de chocolate! (“I love chocolate milkshakes!”)
In Portugal, it’s also called batido.

Bacon	Quer adicionar mais uma porção de bacon? (“Do you want to add an extra portion of bacon?”)
The words toucinho and torresmo can also be used, although bacon is already more popular amongst younger generations.

Cupcake	Que tal um cupcake de sobremesa? (“What about a cupcake for dessert?”)
Other baked goods that keep their English name in Portuguese are: brownie, waffle, cake pop.

Self-service	Tem um restaurante self-service aqui perto. (“There is a self-service restaurant closeby.”)
Pay per kilo self-service restaurants are very common in Brazil.

Happy hour

Vamos no happy hour hoje? (“Are we going to the happy hour today?”)

Some words have minor changes in the way they are written, but you can still recognize them.

Picles

O picles acabou, pode comprar mais para mim? (“I’m out of pickles, can you buy some more for me?”)

Uísque

Esse uísque é um dos melhores que temos. (“This whiskey is one of the best we have.”)

Sanduíche

Estou com vontade de comer um sanduíche! (“I’m craving a sandwich!”)

Hambúrguer	Vou te levar para comer o melhor hambúrguer do mundo! (“I’ll take you to eat the best hamburger in the world!”)
When it comes to cheeseburgers, these are often called X-burguer, because in Portuguese, the letter x sounds similar to the word “cheese.”

→ Hungry for more food talk? Learn about famous Brazilian food with PortuguesePod101!

Technology

Mouse	Acho que o meu mouse quebrou. (“I think my mouse is broken.”)
In Portugal, the literal translation of “mouse” is more commonly used: rato.

Email

Qual é o seu email? (“What is your email?”)

Site / Website

Preciso criar um site para o nosso restaurante. (“I need to create a website for our restaurant.”)

Chat	Vou perguntar no chat no site da empresa. (“I’ll ask in the chat on the company’s website.”)

Internet

A velocidade da nossa internet é muita boa. (“The speed of our internet is very good.”)

Download

Não consigo fazer download do documento. (“I can’t download the document.”)

Tablet

Quero comprar um tablet novo. (“I want to buy a new tablet.”)

There are also several new and easily recognizable verbs used in Portuguese that derive from English technology-related words. 

Deletar

Vou deletar esses documentos. (“I’ll delete these documents.”)

Logar

Conseguiu logar no site? (“Were you able to log in to the site?”)

Hackear

Hackear não é muito difícil. (“Hacking is not very hard.”)

Pausar

Vou fazer pipoca, pausa o filme. (“I’ll make popcorn; pause the movie.”)

Postar

Posso postar essa foto? (“May I post this photo?”)

Sports and Entertainment

Fitness	É muito difícil ser fitness. (“It’s very hard to be fit.”)
“Fitness” is used colloquially as an adjective to indicate being fit or liking to exercise.

Personal trainer

Vamos contratar uma personal trainer esse ano. (“We’ll hire a personal trainer this year.”)

Surfe

Essa praia é boa para surfar. (“This beach is good for surfing.”)

Boxe	Ele gosta muito de boxe. (“He really likes boxing.”)

Hobby

Meu hobby é correr. (“My hobby is running.”)

Spoiler

Não vai me dar spoiler! (“Don’t give me spoilers!”)

Video game

Quero jogar esse video game novo. (“I want to play this new video game.”)

Trailer

Já assistiu ao trailer? É incrível! (“Have you seen the trailer? It’s incredible!”)

→ Are you a sports enthusiast or passionate about fitness? Then you’ll want to see our vocabulary lists for Talking About Olympic Sports and At the Gym!

Other Loanwords

Jeans

Você gosta dessa calça jeans? (“Do you like these jeans?”)

Short

Está calor, vou colocar um short. (“It’s hot, I’m putting on shorts.”)

Cardigã

Não esquece de trazer o meu cardigã. (“Don’t forget to bring my cardigan.”)

Laser

O laser é muito utilizado na medicina. (“Lasers are often used in medicine.”)

Spray

Também temos esse produto em spray. (“We also have this product in spray.”)

Freezer

O nosso freezer está cheio. (“Our freezer is full.”)

Bullying

Essa campanha contra o bullying é importante. (“This campaign against bullying is important.”)

Táxi	Elas vão vir de táxi. (“They will come by taxi.”)

Air bag

Hoje em dia, todos os carros têm air bag. (“Nowadays, all cars have airbags.”)

You can think of loanwords as linguistic twins!

3. Pronouncing Brand Names and Titles in Portuguese

English brand names are generally not translated, while movie and book titles are.

That said, there are a few changes in the Brazilian pronunciation. The term for this is abrasileirar (“to make it Brazilian”).

1 – Rule of Thumb

Brand names are “made Brazilian” with a few slight pronunciation changes. In general, most of the English words that end in consonants other than R and L gain a slight Y sound. For example:

• Facebook – pronounced as Facebook-y.
• McDonald’s – pronounced as McDonaldy’s, or simply Méc-y.
• Walmart – pronounced as Walmart-y.

2 – Acronyms

English names made up of acronyms are pronounced according to Portuguese phonetics. For example:

Name	Letter sound	Letter sound (IPA)
KFC	Cá – Efe – Cê	/ka/ – /ˈɛfi/ – /se/
C&A	Cê – E – A	/se/ – /i/ – /a/
H&M	Agá – E – Eme	/aˈɡa/ – /i/ – /ˈemi/
M&M	Eme – E – Eme	/ˈemi/ – /i/ – /ˈemi/
IBM	I – Bê – Eme	/i/ – /be/ – /ˈemi/
LG	Ele – Gê	/ˈɛli/ – /ʒe/
HP	Agá – Pê	/aˈɡa/ – /pe/

→ Feeling lost? Reading this guide on Portuguese Pronunciation is a great way to refresh your memory!

3 – Entertainment

Book and movie titles are generally translated to Portuguese. Sometimes those translations are almost literal, and other times they make no sense. Some of the most famous franchises, like Star Wars and The Hunger Games, might be recognized by their English names, but it’s a good idea to check the particular title in Portuguese.

Here are some famous titles and their Brazilian Portuguese version:

Original title	Brazilian Portuguese title
Star Wars	Guerra nas Estrelas (“War in the stars”)
The Hangover	Se Beber, Não Case (“If you drink, don’t get married”)
Die Hard	Duro de Matar (“Hard to kill”)
The Hunger Games	Jogos Vorazes (“Voracious games”)
Home Alone	Esqueceram de Mim (“They forgot me”)
The Godfather	O Poderoso Chefão (“The powerful big boss”)
Mean Girls	Meninas Malvadas (“Mean girls”)
Twilight	Crepúsculo (“Twilight”)
The Sound of Music	A Noviça Rebelde (“The rebel novice”)
To Kill a Mockingbird	O Sol É para Todos (“The sun is for all”)
Animal Farm	A Revolução dos Bichos (“The animal revolution”)

→ Curious about other entertainment options that can help you learn Portuguese? Then check out our list of must-watch Brazilian TV shows!

Going to watch a movie? Check the Portuguese title and see how different it is!

4. Portuguese Words in English

The relationship between Portuguese and English is not unilateral, and you can find several English words from Portuguese as well. 

Many of the Portuguese words you’ll encounter in English refer to food, animals, and culture. With time, as the internet and social media continue to connect us across borders, more people around the world recognize these Brazilian specialties, such as açaí and samba. 

Capoeira

An Afro-Brazilian martial art that has spread across the world

Samba

A Brazilian music genre, as well as a kind of dance

Bossa Nova

A style of Brazilian music from the 1950s and 1960s

Caravel

From the Portuguese word caravela, which is a small ship that was common between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries

Baroque

From the Portuguese word barroco, which is a style of art, architecture, and music

Albino

From the Portuguese and Spanish word albo, which comes from albus in Latin, meaning “white”

Breeze

Probably from the Portuguese or Spanish word briza (nowadays, brisa), originating in the sixteenth century

Açai	The fruit of a palm tree very common in northern Brazil (called Açaizeiro) that produces dark purple berries

Caramel

From the Portuguese word caramelo

Cashew

From the Portuguese word cajú, the name of the fruit that carries the cashew nut (castanha de caju)

Manioc

Also known as cassava; comes from the indigenous Tupi word mandioca

Marmalade

From the Portuguese marmelada, meaning “quince jam”

Molasses

From the Portuguese word melaço, the dark syrup obtained from sugar canes when refining sugar

Mosquito

Originated from the Portuguese word for the diminutive of mosca (“fly”), mosquito

The Brazilian samba is famous around the world!

Continue Learning Portuguese with PortuguesePod101

As you can see, English is very much present in the Portuguese language. Hopefully, this article helped you expand your Portuguese vocabulary and made you feel more confident about Porglish! And now you’ll also be able to impress your friends with your knowledge about the origin of words like “cashew” and “albino”! 

Did you enjoy learning about the English words used in Portuguese? Any Porglish details you wish we’d covered? Let us know in the comments. 

And now, it’s time to continue your Portuguese learning journey. You can read more in-depth articles about the language or go ahead and explore the numerous vocabulary lists or other free resources available on PortuguesePod101.com.

If you want to take your learning experience further, become a member! Members of PortuguesePod101.com get access to the largest language lesson library in the world, with thousands of real lessons by real teachers. Perfect for anyone who wants to learn from anywhere, feel motivated, and be ready to speak Portuguese with confidence. 

Happy learning!

In your Portuguese studies, learning new vocabulary and grammar points is a fundamental aspect of improving your skills. But formal study alone cannot help you develop the linguistic abilities required to put your knowledge into action. Talking to local citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries is the most efficient way to truly acquire the language—and to do that well, you must have a basic understanding of their culture! 

Learning about Brazilian culture and traditions will make your time in this beautiful country much more fulfilling and significantly accelerate your language studies!

If we compare language to a beach during a hot summer, then local culture is the ocean that bathes its sand. Sure, you can visit the beach without stepping into the water—but the experience will be far superior when you put the ocean into the equation. If you’ve never been to a beach, for instance, chances are that you would need some time to process and understand the ocean: its sound, its smell, its magnitude…

Similarly, a person is never the same once they get in touch with other cultures, ideas, and values. It’s a personal transformation tool as well as a necessary step in effective language acquisition. 

In this lesson, you’ll learn the most relevant Brazilian culture facts and get a clearer picture of what life in Brazil looks like. Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

1. Values and Beliefs
2. Religions
3. Family and Work
4. Art
5. Food
6. Traditional Holidays
7. Conclusion

1. Values and Beliefs

In many ways, the Portuguese have influenced the development of Brazilian culture and society. 

This influence is most clearly seen in the religious makeup of Brazil today. For instance, the Portuguese have a strong Catholic background which has affected our own views of family, time, and labor. In addition, the Anglo-Saxon cultures have introduced Brazil to Calvinist and Lutheran ideas, though these are not as popular here as Catholicism. This mix of outside religious influences has led to a unique mindset among Brazilians regarding spiritual and sensual topics. 

Despite these strong influences, the culture and customs of Brazil do differ from those of Portugal. Brazil officially lost its ‘colony’ status at the beginning of the nineteenth century. With this change in status, Portugal’s direct influence on Brazil diminished and the country has since developed a separate national identity. Today, there are several marked differences between Portuguese and Brazilian culture, most notably in how the two cultures view relationships and day-to-day interactions. 

Overall, Brazilians are welcoming and tolerant. In the same vein, informality is one of the central cultural aspects of Brazil. While this doesn’t imply a lack of etiquette in everyday relations, Brazilians do have a more loose and open approach to interacting with others. They also consider it important to show sympathy and humor. 

The most problematic Brazilian values and beliefs are linked to social inequality and education. 

Our nation’s education system is not doing well: recent data shows that the knowledge of Brazilian students is below the basic level in 68.1% of cases for mathematics and 50.1% of cases for reading. This leads to poor overall communication skills and may even lead to violent practices. 

Formal education in Brazil was not available until recently. While universities in Spanish America go as far back as 1538 (Universidad de Santo Domingo), Brazil’s first faculty only appeared in 1808 (Escola de Cirurgia da Bahia) and its first university in 1934 (Universidade de São Paulo). 

The press is another thing that didn’t start in Brazil until recently. Latin America’s press started in 1722, but Brazil’s first newspaper dates back to 1808. That year, the arrival of the King of Portugal and his court in Brazil instigated the creation of the press and the first real effort to create cultural institutions within the colony.

Brazil was also the last country in the Americas to abolish slavery, and it failed to properly count this population as citizens. The ramifications of this can still be seen and felt today. Social distinctions and racism are very strong in Brazil, but are different or more veiled than in countries like the USA, for example.

Finally, Brazilians place much importance on one’s looks and personal hygiene. In fact, centuries ago, the indigenous people had a habit of bathing daily. On one hand, these traits promote health and tidiness; on the other, they lead to superficiality.        

2. Religions

Most Brazilians are Roman Catholic, but many other religions play an important role in the country.

A key component in understanding Brazilian culture is becoming familiar with its religious makeup and influences. 

Christianity (Roman Catholicism in particular) is the common denominator of the Lusophone religious background. Protestant denominations—including Assemblies of God, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Adventism—have been on the rise for the last 20-something years in many of these countries.

There are noticeable religious differences throughout the Lusophone countries. Portugal is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic. Angola also has a strong Roman Catholic population, but it also features other religions and syncretic cults such as kimbangoism and tocoism. Mozambique’s population is 19% Muslim. And according to data from 2010, Guinea-Bissau’s population was 45% Muslim.

While Brazil is home to a mix of religions, the country is predominantly Christian. The most recent population census (2010) showed:

• 65% Roman Catholic
• 13.4% Neo-charismatic movement
• 9% Evangelical from missions or undetermined
• 8% No religion
• 2% Spiritist
• 2.6% Other

Spiritism and variations of the Afro-Brazilian religion candomblé are examples of expressive cults in the country that aren’t as present in other countries. Candomblé is an African-rooted religion with devotees in Brazil and other South American countries. There is also the Umbanda syncretism: This Brazilian religion was created at the beginning of the twentieth century and blends elements from Christian, Indigenous, and African traditions.

Though not depicted in the census, religions of African origins are very present in some regions of the land. These religions are often practiced by individuals without a strong African background, which is a great example of Brazil’s cultural diversity.

3. Family and Work

Strong family bonds are a trademark of Brazilian people.

A- Family

Within Brazilian families, there is a strong sense of hierarchy. Children are expected to obey and respect their parents, for example. Men and women have more defined roles here than in most Western countries, yet this has been changing since the acute industrialization process of the 1970s. 

Here are some more facts about the Brazilian family structure:

• Brazil ruled same-sex marriage legal in 2011.
• Single-mother families compose just under 20% of Brazilian families. 
• Nowadays, families are not very big. (Two generations ago, couples were expected to have many children.)

Another aspect of Brazilian culture that might seem odd to foreigners is that adults often live with their parents. This is common for two reasons: 

1) A large part of the population has low income.

2) There is a strong link between relatives.

Sometimes, relatives outside of one’s nuclear family—or even people who are not blood-related, but close to the family—live together. This custom began a long time ago, and was already depicted in the writings of nineteenth century author Machado de Assis, for instance.

B- Work

If you plan on working in Brazil, there are a few things to know about Brazilian culture in business and work settings.

There is a strong sense of hierarchy between boss and employee. Open criticism and confrontation in the workplace is usually not welcome: people tend to be indirect and “friendly” when commenting on others’ actions and ideas. Also, while Brazilians are often hard-working, the importance of work and entrepreneurship is tied more to survival than to one’s moral existence.

Informal communication is common in the workplace. Doing business in Brazil often involves spending time and eating meals with the other party and engaging in trivial conversations before closing the deal. Workplace clothing is typically formal, though there are exceptions.

→ Do you want to work in Brazil? Great! You can check out our article on How to Find Jobs in Brazil to get a head start!

4. Art

Antônio Carlos “Tom” Jobim: the father of bossa nova is a Brazilian artistic icon.

Brazilian culture values modernist, contemporary, and urban arts, as well as literature. Jorge Amado, Paulo Coelho, Monteiro Lobato, Carlos Drummond de Andrade, and Clarice Lispector are some of the most famous authors. Popular names in the plastic arts include Romero Britto, Tarsila do Amaral, Alfredo Volpi, Vik Muniz, and Cândido Portinari.

Many Brazilians also appreciate Baroque art, which is inherently linked to both the religious use of art in the country and our traditional architecture. Antônio Francisco Lisboa, a.k.a. Aleijadinho (“Little Crip”), is one of the major Baroque icons. Indigenous art also resonates with a lot of people: patterns, war bonnets, bows, rattles, and wind instruments are some of its most accessible expressions.

There’s also an immense taste for handicraft, sculptures, art naïf, and cordel poetry. Cordel, for instance, are poetic accounts sold in the form of leaflets. These poetry books can be over sixty pages long, and they blend mythical and daily themes with humor and drama in a lyrical manner. Traditional artists from the Northeast have a lot to offer in this area. 

On the same note, Brazil is also a land of many musical rhythms. Samba became the most popular of them in the twentieth century, even though it began as a marginalized form of music associated with poor people. It can assume different expressions, such as syncopated, calm, frenetic, instrumental, or vocalized.

Axé is another famous example of Brazilian rhythm. It was conceived in the 1980s by merging elements of samba-reggae, pop rock, and other local genres to create a vibrant type of music. This musical style is especially popular during Carnival. The country is home to many other interesting rhythms as well, such as moda de viola, forró, and frevo. 

Brazil has local variations of rock, pop, rap, and electronica. Some of the most respected Brazilian musicians in these genres include Carlos Gomes, Heitor Villa-Lobos, João Gilberto, and Antônio Carlos Jobim. Modern musical options in Brazil’s entertainment culture range from Sepultura to Olodum—two radically different styles, yet distinctly authentic with external influences.

Our cinema production is relatively strong. While Brazilian cinematic releases are regularly being awarded internationally, they’re not usually very popular in-country. Brazilians are more interested in TV productions and, recently, digital films. Unfortunately, theatrical productions are pretty hard to come by. If you want to see a good play or opera, there are traditional state-funded theatres in some of the country’s biggest cities.

5. Food

The miraculous mango is just one sample of the many fruits available in Brazil.

Getting a taste of Brazilian food culture is an excellent introduction to the culture as a whole. The continental proportions of the country, its tropical characteristics, and its good weather conditions make Brazil one of the biggest places of food production in the world. It is known for its abundance of meat (poultry, beef, and pork), a huge variety of fish, grains, fruits, and fresh vegetables.

We have a rich gastronomy: Our traditional cuisine blends Portuguese, native (indigenous), and African elements. A few of our most popular food items include: 

• Feijoada
• Angu
• Moqueca
• Acarajé
• Cuscuz
• Charque
• Manioc flour
• Chicken
• Okra
• Tapioca

Now it’s time for dessert! We recommend you try:

• Rapadura
• Guava jam
• Mungunzá
• Milk pudding
• Quindim

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, many other cultures have influenced our national food options. To give you an idea, a foreigner could find food from Italian, Spanish, German, Japanese, Arab, and Hebrew origins.

→ Ready to try some delicious Portuguese food for yourself? Then you’re going to need our list of the Most Useful Phrases and Vocabulary for Ordering Food in Portuguese!

6. Traditional Holidays

In Brazilian culture, holidays are an essential aspect of life and reflect the people’s open, sociable nature as well as their religious views. Here’s an overview of the most important Brazilian holidays.

A- New Year

Huge parties welcome the new year in Brazil, also known as Réveillon. The beaches are filled with tourists, while middle-sized and big cities organize musical and cultural spectacles.

B- Carnival

Carnival used to be a very traditional national street and ballroom celebration, but the holiday was deeply changed by samba. Samba was a marginalized rhythm sung mostly by black populations at the dawn of the twentieth century. By the 1940s, it had become so popular that it was elevated to national symbol status during Getúlio Vargas’s dictatorship. 

Nowadays, Carnival is celebrated with sambadromes and street parades, accompanied by a variety of musical rhythms. Meanwhile, the country virtually stops for four days. The most famous celebrations take place in the cities of Recife, Salvador, and Rio de Janeiro.

C- Our Lady of Aparecida

This is the one of the biggest religious holidays in the country. Pilgrimage sites are filled and people devote their prayers to Our Lady of Aparecida, an image of the Holy Virgin that was found in the form of a statue in the Paraíba River in the eighteenth century. Even today, this black Madonna is associated with many miracles across the country.

Civic holidays:

• Tiradentes (April 2)
• Day of Discovery (April 22)
• Independence Day (September 7)
• Proclamation of the Republic (November 15)

7. Conclusion

Becoming familiar with the basics of Brazilian society and culture is an important part of your language studies. And studying with PortuguesePod101 is the most effective way to learn about Brazilian culture alongside the Portuguese language! 

We offer a range of learning materials, including grammar lessons, word lists, and video lessons for learners at every level. It doesn’t take much to get started with our fun and engaging lessons. Just sign up on PortuguesePod101.com today, and you’ll start noticing progress in no time.

Before you go, let us know in the comments how Brazil’s culture compares to that in your country. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Happy learning!

Eating is a universal experience. It’s an essential need and also a delight. The ingredients and cooking methods of the foods we eat can reveal our preferences, our dislikes, our cultural background, and our environment.

Now, consider the mouth. It’s the path of the word and also the gateway to discovering numerous flavors. The same tool that articulates intellectual ideas about the world also takes sensual information from it—what a poetic exchange.

Indeed, truths aren’t contained solely within ideas and debate. New flavors and foods can talk and reveal so much about different countries and people.

Traditional Portuguese food may not be as internationally popular as the French or Italian cuisines, but it’s incredibly rich and diverse. People from Europe, America, Asia, and Africa are bonded by this colorful gastronomic heritage.

In this article, you’ll discover some of the most significant Portuguese foods as well as a few Portuguese food recipes to try at home. Let’s dive into it—a bite at a time.

Table of Contents

1. A Glimpse of the Lusophone Heritage
2. Must-Try Dishes in Portuguese Restaurants
3. “Portuguese” Food Elsewhere
4. Unique Portuguese Foods
5. Portuguese Food-Related Vocabulary
6. Two Simple Authentic Portuguese Food Recipes
7. Conclusion

1. A Glimpse of the Lusophone Heritage

Buckle up: codfish and cream and more of the most amazing Portuguese foods wait for you!

Well before the globalization phenomenon, Portugal delved into a journey of international discovery and commercial experience in the late fifteenth century.

The Portuguese were the first to go through some dangerous, landmark maritime routes and access such territories as: Brazil, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, India, Macau (China), Japan, Angola, Cape Verde, Qatar, Oman…

It was an imperialistic enterprise with both positive and catastrophic consequences. This exchange resulted in the permanence of certain cultural elements in some of these countries, which are still reflected in their gastronomy and language. This can certainly be seen in their adoption of ingredients and food traditions.

Contemporary Portuguese chef Luis Simões states that traditional Portuguese dishes share more similarities with dishes in other Lusophone countries than with those of neighboring European countries, for instance. 

2. Must-Try Dishes in Portuguese Restaurants

Due to this early globalized exchange, some of the best Portuguese food available doesn’t come from Portugal! The following delicacies take part in a parade of delights that are a tour-de-force for every gourmand interested in authentic Portuguese cuisine.

A- Bacalhau com natas (“Cod fish with cream”)

Codfish can be defined as the backbone of Portugal’s cuisine. More than a typical Portuguese food, it’s a symbol of the nation’s past maritime triumphs and of its present life as a coastal country. Cream, though it can be prepared in many fashions, is another essential Portuguese ingredient and is often present in desserts. 

Bacalhau com natas is a very popular Portuguese food, available at nearly every restaurant in Portugal.

Ingredients: codfish, potatoes, cream, béchamel sauce, onions, laurel, nutmeg, garlic, olive oil

It’s delicious because: The combination of fish and cream is undeniably odd. That’s the beauty of this dish: the codfish serves as more of a regular meat than a fish, so mixing it with cream works so well!

Feijoada is the perfect dish to enjoy with a happy squad! 

B- Feijoada

Feijoada is one of the most famous Portuguese food recipes from Brazil.

Black beans are a product of South American land. This dish was conceived when Europeans (most notably the Portuguese) adopted this ingredient in pork meat stews in Brazil. 

Sometimes,  its creation is credited to the slaves, though there’s no full-proof historic support for this assumption. Brazilian folklorist Câmara Cascudo said it was impossibe because it involved pork consumption when many of the enslaved African were of a Muslim background. However, the slaves were of varying religious backgrounds, and the question remains a topic of debate. 

Ingredients: black beans, pork meat (various pieces), pork chop, collard, farofa, pork rind, oranges, laurels, chives, pepper, breaded banana

It’s delicious because: Both the texture and the taste of this dish are hard to parallel. Besides, the consumption of this dish often involves gathering with friends, drinking juice and caipirinha, and having fun—who would want to eat so much by themselves?

C- Chamuça (“Samosa”)

Chamuça dates back many centuries, and today it’s a prime example of Portuguese street food. The Portuguese discovered this incredible snack during their adventure in Goa, part of India. But its origins go even farther back in time, all the way to Ancient Persia. Chamuça is very popular nowadays in Mozambique, Portugal, and India.

This well-loved Portuguese snack is often filled with a mixture of meat, herbs, potatoes, and other vegetables.

Ingredients: flour (wheat), margarine, salt, vinegar, other ingredients for filling

It’s delicious because: It’s a type of fried pastel (“pastry”) that’s made with very fine dough. It’s delicious but not expensive—both necessary features of an ideal Portuguese street food.

D- Alheira

As this is one of the most authentic Portuguese foods, to speak of only one alheira recipe should be a crime. There are many variations of this sausage throughout Portugal, with the Mirandela, Vinhais, and Barroso-Montalegre types being the most popular.

Ingredients: meat (chicken and beef), garlic, bread, ham, pepper, salt, wine, and more

It’s delicious because: Alheiras recipes often include delicious Portuguese wine, and the varieties of sausage across Portugal each have their own unique taste. Since the country’s territory isn’t large, a culinary adventure to explore alheiras is an excellent expedition to promote!

Sweet, sweet bebinca… (Photo by Warren Noronha under CC BY 2.0)

E- Bebinca

Bebinca is one of the amazing Portuguese desserts of Timorese and Indian roots. It’s a moist, delicate, heavily spiced cake. 

Ingredients: egg yolk, sugar, cardamom, coconut milk, flour (manioc or rice), butter

It’s delicious because: Try some slices of it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you’ll understand. It’ll make you forget about the wonders of fondant au chocolat (“chocolate fondant”) in under a minute.

3. “Portuguese” Food Elsewhere

Over time, traditional Portuguese food has found its way into many other countries. These overseas versions are far from being authentic. For example, native Portuguese may never have even heard of supposedly famous ‘Portguese’ dishes from another country. Also, the ingredients and cooking methods of a Portuguese dish may vary widely from one country to another. 

The following are examples of “false” Portuguese food.

A- Feijoada

“False” version: Black beans are not very easy to find in some countries, nor are the spices used in the original dish. Not to mention how expensive pork meat can be… So why not improvise with other ingredients?

Why it sucks: If feijoada lacks pork meat, you end up with a thin broth. By using another type of bean, it’ll taste completely different. And if the spices are missing too, why bother preparing this dish? As an alternative, there’s canned feijoada for sale in some places—according to some myths, there’s a circle in Hell reserved for its producers.

Caipirinha: accept no imitations

B- Caipirinha

“False” version: There are many international twists on the original recipe of cachaça, lemon, and sugar. The most common involves replacing cachaça for vodka or sake. Others involve blending multiple exotic fruits.

Why it sucks: The most famous Brazilian cocktail is the target of many well-intentioned mixologists worldwide (including in Brazil). While its simplicity is the source of its beauty, people insist on delivering “gourmet,” “innovative” renditions of the classic. The world needs an organic apricot-and-sake caipirinha—just like it needs a 3D reshoot of a Chaplin picture featuring Vin Diesel.

C- Churrasco (“Barbecue”)

“False” version: The worst alternative versions of it involve vegetarian meat, meat of poor quality, and lots of sauce. Some ‘Brazilian steakhouses’ out there even sell crocodile meat—crocodiles aren’t even native Brazilian animals! Also, the proportion of the meat served is important: bovine meat is paramount, pork and poultry are auxiliary. Fish can also be a good surprise in some culinary circles.

Why it sucks: Brazilian churrasco involves pieces of meat, coarse salt, coal, fire, and sometimes side dishes. There’s no need for more—or at least call it something other than churrasco. To be fair, there are also many styles of barbecue worldwide. Argentina, Uruguay, the United States, and other countries have their own takes on the dish.

D- Codfish Dishes

“False” version: Codfish is a Portuguese classic which can be prepared in many different ways. But it’s an expensive ingredient in some places, so the cook’s solution is often to hide small pieces of codfish among lots of potato, eggs, and olive.

Why it sucks: Well, if you order a codfish dish, it’s preferable to have codfish in it!

4. Unique Portuguese Foods

Some of the best Portuguese food products can only be found in one or two Lusophone countries, yet they’re so popular that language learners should know about them. Check out these unique Portuguese food and drink options you need to try!  

A- Fruits

Guaraná: the fruit’s appearance kind of resembles how you look before consuming it… (Photo by AnitaFortis under CC BY-SA 3.0)

Açaí (Brazil) – This is a little, energetic, dark berry from the Amazon that’s growingly popular among foreigners. They can be consumed in salty dishes with fish and shrimp, by itself as a fruit, or in an icy dessert.

Guaraná (Brazil) – Another highly energetic fruit from the Amazon, this is typically used as an ingredient for guarana soda pops. Because the guaraná seed contains around twice as much caffeine as a coffee bean, the guaraná powder is also used as a stimulant supplement and as an ingredient in energy drinks. 

Caju (Brazil, Angola) – Otherwise known as cashew nuts, this nut is a famous fruit which should not be eaten raw. It contains a toxin that burns the skin, which is why it’s usually sold after being processed. What many people don’t know is that the orange part that hangs from the nut is also edible. It can be consumed fresh, in desserts, or as a juice. Tasty!

Banana da Madeira (Portugal, Cape Verde) – This banana from Madeira Island is very sweet and relatively small. It’s a good ingredient to add something different to dessert recipes!

B- Drinks

Ginja (Portugal) – Also known as ginjinha, this is a liquor made of sour cherries. A very sweet and popular drink for shots, ginja is from Óbidos and Alcobaça.

Bibidi (Angola, cashew cachaça) – If you were surprised about the existence of the cashew fruit, you might be interested in tasting this liquor. It’s hard to find a bottle outside of Angola, though.

→ Want more? Then see our vocabulary list of 20 Drinks to Quench Your Thirst!

5. Portuguese Food-Related Vocabulary

Before you can have a taste of traditional Portuguese food, you have to learn how to order it. Check out the most important expressions for talking about food in Portuguese:

A- Describing Food and Hunger

• Este é o meu prato preferido! (“This is my favorite dish!”)
• Estou faminto/faminta. (“I am starving.”)
• Perdi o apetite. (“I’ve lost my appetite.”)
• Essa sopa está muito gostosa! (“This soup tastes delicious!”)
• A feijoada ainda está quente demais. (“The feijoada is still too hot.”)

B- Ordering Food

• Vocês servem comida sem glúten? (“Do you serve gluten-free food?”)
• Você prefere a carne mal passada, ao ponto ou bem passada? (“Do you prefer your meat rare, medium, or well done?”)
• Me desculpe, eu não como cebola. (“I’m sorry, but I don’t eat onion.”)
• Eu tenho alergia a frutos do mar. (“I’m allergic to seafood.”)
• Eu tenho intolerância a lactose. (“I’m lactose-intolerant.”)
• Eu sou vegetariano(a)/vegano(a). (“I am a vegetarian/vegan.”)

You can learn more phrases for talking about what you don’t eat in our lesson titled Being Vegetarian in Portugal. 

C- Cooking Food

• Primeiro, você soca o alho. (“First, you crush the garlic.”)
• Depois, você refoga alho e cebola no azeite. (“Then, you sauté garlic and onion in olive oil.”)
• Por fim, cozinhe a carne em fogo médio. (“Finally, boil the meat on medium heat.”)
• Deixe os ingredientes aquecendo em banho-maria. (“Let the ingredients heat in water bath.”)
• Bata as claras em neve. (“Beat the egg whites until stiff.”)
• Desenforme o bolo e deixe-o descansar. (“Unmold the cake and let it cool.”)

 For more useful vocabulary, see our list of Essential Vocabulary About Cooking!

6. Two Simple Authentic Portuguese Food Recipes

Anxious to finally sink your teeth into some good Portuguese food? Then wait no longer! In this section, we’ll teach you how to cook Portuguese food at home! These two recipes are so simple that anyone can make them.

1)Caldo verde (“Green broth”)

Caldo verde: Portuguese comfort food at its best (Photo by Therese C under CC BY 2.0)

Ingredients:

• 3 potatoes, cut into cubes
• 1 liter vegetable broth
• 1 onion, cut into cubes
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 packet thin-sliced collard
• 1 Portuguese sausage (paio type)
• 1 clove of garlic
• salt
• black pepper  

How to prepare (4 servings):

1.  Pour some olive oil into a pot and sauté the onion until it softens. Add in the sausage and half of the collard and let it sauté for 2 minutes.

2.  Pour the potatoes, the broth, and the sliced garlic clove into the pot. Stir and wait until the potatoes soften.

3.  Remove the slices of sausage and let them sit.

4.  Pour the solid ingredients into a blender until the mixture turns into a puree, and then mix the result with the rest of the soup.

5.  Put the mix back in the pot, and add some salt, pepper, and the collard and sausage. Mix it up and let it heat.

6.  Serve the broth. You can add some olive oil and eat it with bread.

2)Arroz doce (“Sweet rice”)

Time for dessert! (Photo by unknown artist under CC BY-SA 3.0)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of rice
• 10 cups of water
• 1 liter of milk
• 1 can of condensed milk
• 4-6 tablespoons of sugar
• some cinnamon

How to prepare (10 servings):

1.  Cook the rice in the water until it softens.

2.  Add the milk and mix it up.

3.  Let it boil for 5 minutes.

4.  Add in the condensed milk and the sugar, and keep mixing.

5.  Let the mix reduce and thicken.

6.  Serve with powdered cinnamon on top.

Psst…you can learn more about Brazilian Sweets and Desserts in our Culture Class lesson. 😉

7. Conclusion

Now that you’ve learned the basics of Portuguese food, why stop there? Portuguese vocabulary and the cultural aspects of Lusophone countries are a rich stream of ever-expanding learning opportunities—and you can get a taste of this at PortuguesePod101.com!

All of our lessons and exercises are thoroughly organized to ensure a fun and effective learning experience. Have one bit of it and you’ll want to stay for dessert!

Let us know in the comments which Portuguese food you’re most excited to try, and why! We look forward to hearing from you.

The word “grammar” can be a bit intimidating, especially when learning a new language. 

If you’re considering learning Portuguese but are worried about how complicated the grammar is, you are in the right place! This guide will give you an overview of the main Portuguese grammar topics and show you that there’s nothing to be afraid of.

By taking a quick look at the sentence structure, verbs, and grammatical gender and number, you’ll be prepared to handle whatever comes your way. Then, as you continue learning this amazing language, you can always use this overview as a handy reference. 

Buckle up for a fast-paced ride! It’s time to discover the ins and outs of Portuguese grammar.

Table of Contents

1. General Rules
2. Sentence Structure
3. Building Blocks
4. Verbs
5. Gender and Number Agreement
6. Learn More Portuguese with PortuguesePod101

1. General Rules

First things first: Learning the basic Portuguese grammar rules really isn’t that complicated. There are a few aspects that pose some challenge, and we suggest tackling those head-on. We’ll do our best to make even those complicated bits easier to understand. 

As an English speaker, you’ll be glad to learn that Portuguese and English have a lot in common! The languages share similar grammatical structures and even vocabulary, giving you an advantage. 

One similarity you’ll encounter from the beginning is the word order, which dictates how the sentence is structured. Both Portuguese and English follow the Subject + Verb + Object structure. 

Every sentence is composed of parts that make the whole, and here we find more similarities between the two languages. Many of the parts of speech we use in Portuguese will be familiar to you. These include articles, nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, pronouns, and more.

Verbs, in particular, can get a little tricky in Portuguese. We have regular verbs (and we love them!), but we also have to deal with irregular ones. Portuguese verb conjugation introduces different tenses, moods, and people to the mix. It’s a complex topic, but once you learn it, you will have conquered the bulk of Portuguese grammar!

There are a few unfamiliar concepts you’ll need to get a handle on when learning Portuguese grammar as an English speaker. One of them is the way grammatical gender changes the parts of speech. Words like articles and adjectives have to match the gender of the noun, which many new learners find a bit strange. Luckily, this aspect of grammar isn’t too complex and you’ll soon be comfortable with it.

Now, let’s take a closer look at each of these aspects.

English and Portuguese are not all that different.

2. Sentence Structure

The sentence structure refers to the word order in a sentence. There are three main “building blocks” used to form sentences:

1. Subject: Indicates who or what performs the action in the sentence

2. Verb: Describes an action, state, or natural phenomenon

3. Object: Noun or noun phrase acted upon by the subject

Take this sentence as an example:

• Eu acordo cedo. (“I wake up early.”)

As you can see, this basic sentence follows the same structure in both Portuguese and English. And, unlike other languages like French, you won’t be learning any complex inversions for asking questions in Portuguese. 

Unlike in English, however, subjects can be implied in Portuguese. Many sentences omit the subject, but people know who or what the subject is thanks to the way the verb is conjugated. 

• Viu aquilo? (“Did you see that?”)

Another important difference to keep in mind is that, in Portuguese, the adjective usually follows the noun it refers to. For example:

• Ela gosta de vinho tinto. (“She likes red wine.”) 

However, there are some situations where the adjective comes before the noun. 

The sentence structure we just saw is the most basic one. As we create more complex sentences and add information, we use modifiers such as adjectives, adverbs, numerals, and more. 

But as you begin your Portuguese learning journey, stick to the basics. As you progress, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to discover more.

→ If you want to learn more about the Portuguese sentence structure and adjective placement, be sure to check out our complete article about word order on PortuguesePod101.com.

Subject + Verb + Object

3. Building Blocks

There are several types of words that go into building sentences. After all, you can’t create a sentence with only verbs or only nouns. 

Luckily, the word types in Portuguese are familiar to English speakers. If you already know a Romance language, even better! 

The Portuguese word classes or types are:

• Verbs indicate actions, occurrences, or states of being.
  Eu como muito. (“I eat a lot.”)

• Nouns function as the name of objects, people, places, or ideas. Nouns have gender, as you’ll see later on.
  A cama (“The bed“)

• Articles precede a noun. They can be definite or indefinite, and change according to gender and number. 
  Os carros (“The cars”)

• Adjectives modify or describe a noun. Adjective placement may vary, but in most cases it comes after the noun.
  A casa pequena (“The small house”)

• Possessive adjectives are words that indicate to whom a noun belongs.
  Meu irmão (“My brother”)

• Adverbs modify words other than nouns and typically express manner, time, frequency, and place. You can identify Portuguese adverbs of manner by the ending -ente (similar to the English ending -ly).
  Ele caminha lentamente. (“He walks slowly.”)

• Demonstrative pronouns are words that indicate what is being referred to. 
  Este livro (“This book”)

• Pronouns are words that substitute for a noun to avoid repetition.
  Nós ganhamos o jogo. (“We won the game.”)

• Conjunctions connect other words or phrases.
  Você quer café ou chá? (“Do you want coffee or tea?”)

• Prepositions are words that express spatial, directional, and temporal relations between parts of a sentence.
  Ela jogou contra mim. (“She played against me.”)

• Numerals describe numerical quantities.
  Duas mãos (“Two hands”)

These word classes all play a part in the language. As you advance in your lessons, you’ll enrich your vocabulary and learn words from all different classes, giving you a lot more freedom to build your own sentences.

Every “building block” has a place in the sentence.

4. Verbs

Verbs and their conjugation are a vast world in Portuguese. You’ll encounter many rules and, as always, several exceptions while learning the topic. 

Here are some basic concepts to keep in mind.

1 – Verb Endings

Portuguese has three main verbal groups, characterized by their different endings. These verb endings are  -AR, -ER, and -IR. For example:

• Amar (“To love”)
• Correr (“To run”)
• Discutir (“To discuss” / “To argue”)

Why are the verb endings important, you ask? Well, they’re helpful because regular verbs in a given group will conjugate the same way as other regular verbs in that group. The stems of the verbs remain the same in each of the different conjugations and the endings are predictable.

Of course, Portuguese also has irregular verbs which do not obey the same rules. Some of them even end in -OR, such as supor (“to suppose” / “to assume”). These derive from the second conjugation (-ER), having had their ‘e’ suppressed as the language evolved.

2 – Conjugation

Verbs change their form depending on several factors, including person, mood, tense, and voice.

Person and tense are the most basic factors you should keep in mind. When we talk about grammatical person, we are referring to the pronouns. 

1st person singular	Eu	I
2nd person singular	Tu / Você	You
3rd person singular	Ele / Ela	He / She
1st person plural	Nós	We
2nd person plural	Vós / Vocês	You (plural)
3rd person plural	Eles / Elas	They (male) / They (female)

In Portuguese grammar, tenses are categorized as being simple or compound. The compound ones use another verb (called an auxiliary) alongside the main verb. As you learn Portuguese, you should focus first on the most-used tenses: the simple present, simple past, and simple future. 

By putting together the verb endings and the conjugation basics, we can get an idea of how regular verbs look in sentences.

• Verb amar (“to love”), 1st person singular
  Eu amo este filme. (“I love this movie.”)

• Verb correr (“to run”), 3rd person plural
  Elas correm todo sábado. (“They run every Saturday.”)

• Verb discutir (“to discuss” / “to argue”), 1st person plural
  Nós discutimos ontem. (“We argued yesterday.”)

Here’s a more in-depth look at how regular verbs are conjugated based on their ending, in the simple present tense.

	-AR verbs		-ER verbs		-IR verbs
Eu	Stem + o	Amo	Stem + o	Corro	Stem + o	Discuto
Tu	Stem + as	Amas	Stem + es	Corres	Stem + es	Discutes
Você/Ele/Ela	Stem + a	Ama	Stem + e	Corre	Stem + e	Discute
Vós	Stem + amos	Amamos	Stem + emos	Corremos	Stem + imos	Discutimos
Nós	Stem + ais	Amais	Stem + eis	Correis	Stem + is	Discutis
Vocês/Eles	Stem + am	Amam	Stem + em	Correm	Stem + em	Discutem

→ Check out our extensive guide to Portuguese conjugation on PortuguesePod101.com for many more tips and explanations!

3 – The Verb “To Be”

Unlike English, Portuguese has two verbs that translate as “to be”: ser and estar. You can think about the difference between them in terms of permanence and impermanence. 

→ Permanent “to be”: ser

You can be tall, Canadian, or a doctor. Those are all qualities that are permanent or static in the long-term. 

For example: Eu sou loira. (“I am blonde.”)

The verb ser conjugates as follows in the simple present tense: 

Eu sou	Nós somos
Tu és	Vós sois
Ele / Ela / Você é	Eles / Elas / Vocês são

→ Impermanent “to be”: estar

You can be temporarily cold, in a location, or angry. Estar is used with qualities that are not lasting in the long-term.

For example: Ela está nervosa. (“She is nervous.”)

Here is how the verb estar conjugates in the simple present tense:

Eu estou	Nós estamos
Tu estás	Vós estais
Ele / Ela / Você está	Eles / Elas / Vocês estão

Both verbs also act as auxiliary verbs in specific compound tenses. 

• Vocês estão estudando? (“Are you [plural] studying?”)
• Ela foi fotografada na praia. (“She was photographed at the beach.”)

There are many more auxiliary verbs you’ll often see in Portuguese, such as the verb ir (“to go”), ter (“to have”), and poder (“can”).

→ Learn much more about regular, irregular, and auxiliary verbs in our complete guide to Portuguese verbs.

Acordar (“to wake up”) is a verb of the -AR group.

5. Gender and Number Agreement

As hinted at before, some word classes need to agree with the nouns in gender and number. The concept of nouns having gender is a bit unfamiliar to English speakers. But don’t worry; with practice, you’ll get the hang of it without too much trouble!

1 – Nouns

Nouns can be masculine, feminine, or both. Some can even change gender depending on the context! Yes, even inanimate objects. 

Feminine nouns	Masculine nouns
Faca (“Knife”)	Garfo (“Fork”)
Cama (“Bed”)	Colchão (“Mattress”)
Televisão (“Television”)	Computador (“Computer”)
Mulher (“Woman”)	Homem (“Man”)
Mãe (“Mother”)	Pai (“Father”)

As a rule of thumb, nouns that end in –o tend to be masculine and nouns that end in –a tend to be feminine. Please note that this isn’t always the case, as in these examples:

• Rádio (“Radio”) can be feminine or masculine, and each one has a different meaning even though the spelling of the word doesn’t change. How do you know which rádio is being referred to? Either by the article used or by the context.
  • Masculine: o rádio. Used to talk about the radio set, the object.
  • Feminine: a rádio. Used to talk about the radio transmitting station or the communication medium.

• Criança (“Child”) is a noun with a set grammatical gender and works for both male and female children. Even though the feminine article is always used, it can be used to talk about a boy or a girl. 
  • Masculine: Ele é uma criança inteligente. (“He is a smart child.”)
  • Feminine: Ela é uma criança feliz. (“She is a happy child.”)

• Colega (“Colleague”) is another noun that doesn’t change its spelling, but can be used to talk about males or females. However, the article and adjectives change depending on the gender.
  • Masculine: Ele é o novo colega. (“He is the new colleague.”)
  • Feminine: A Maria é a colega que teve um bebê. (“Maria is the colleague that had a baby.”)

2 – Articles

Portuguese nouns are preceded by definite or indefinite articles which vary depending on the gender of the noun. Likewise, different articles are used when a noun is plural.

	Definite article	Indefinite article
Feminine singular	A → A cama (“The bed”)	Uma → Uma cama (“A bed”)
Feminine plural	As → As facas (“The knives”)	Umas → Umas facas (“Some knives”)
Masculine singular	O → O colchão (“The mattress”)	Um → Um colchão (“A mattress”)
Masculine plural	Os → Os garfos (“The forks”)	Uns → Uns garfos (“Some forks”)

3 – Adjectives

Adjectives also have to agree with the noun in gender and number. 

Some adjectives will change depending on gender, while others don’t. For example:

• Inteligente (“Smart” / “Intelligent”)
  Ela é inteligente. (“She is smart.”)
  Ele é inteligente. (“He is smart.”)

• Bonita (“Beautiful” / “Pretty” / “Handsome”)
  Ela é bonita. (“She is pretty.”)
  Ele é bonito. (“He is handsome.”)

Once again, most of the feminine adjectives end in -a, while the masculine adjectives end in -o.

The plural form of the adjectives is very straightforward. Simply look for an -s at the end:

• Os gatos são medrosos. (“The cats are fearful.”) – masculine
• As modelos são altas. (“The models are tall.”) – feminine

Discover the top 50 most common adjectives in Portuguese with PortuguesePod101.

A pipa, o céu. (“The kite, the sky.”)

6. Learn More Portuguese with PortuguesePod101

We hope our overview of the Portuguese grammar basics was helpful to you, and that you’re now feeling more confident as you embark on this amazing language learning journey!

You can also use this page as a refresher or reference point whenever you need a quick explanation of a Portuguese grammar element. Feel free to come back to it as many times as you want.

Are you now ready to start learning more Portuguese? Do you think we forgot an important aspect that you would like covered? Let us know in the comments!

To boost your skills and take them to the next level, continue exploring PortuguesePod101.com. There are lots of free Portuguese grammar resources and themed vocabulary lists to get you started on the right foot. Go ahead and choose your favorite tools to increase your learning opportunities.

If you want to take your learning experience further, members of PortuguesePod101.com get access to the largest language lesson library in the world, with thousands of real lessons by real teachers. Perfect for anyone who wants to learn from anywhere, feel motivated, and be ready to speak Portuguese with confidence. 

Happy learning!