How to Speak Brazilian Portuguese (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

The official Brazilian language is Portuguese, Brazil had become a Portuguese colony after the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas. Brazil gained independence in 1822 so the Brazilians still speak Portuguese. Although there is no specific Brazilian language, the Portuguese spoken in Brazil is different from that spoken in Portugal. To begin this language adventure, read step 1 below.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Learning the Alphabet and Pronunciation

Step 1. Learn to pronounce the Portuguese alphabet

It's not very different from Spanish, but certainly different enough to get confused in some places (if you obviously know Spanish). Here are the basic sounds (by themselves) that you find in most dialects of the Brazilian Portuguese language:

• A = ah
• B = beyh
• C = seyh
• D = dey
• E = eh
• F = ihfii
• G = zhayh
• H = ah-gah
• I = ii
• J = zhota
• L = ih-lii
• M = ih-mii
• N = ih-nii
• O = ohr
• P = pih
• Q = chey
• R = ih-rri
• S = ih-ssi
• T = tih
• U = oo
• V = vey
• X = shess

• Z = zey

  The letters K, W and Y are used only as scientific symbols and foreign words

Step 2. Familiarize yourself with diacritics

The accents or symbols on the letters. There are a few to choose from for different circumstances.

• The tilde (~) indicates nasalization. Letters with this symbol will be pronounced with the nose.
• Ç / ç is pronounced "s." There is a cedilla under the "c".
• Ê / ê is used to stress the vowel and is pronounced simply / e /.
• The grave accent (`) is used only with the vowel" A "for contractions. For example, the feminine pronoun "la" or "a" are both "a". If you mean "in town", you say "à sidade."
• The "á" in Portuguese is used only to stress the vowel and is only written when it is abnormal.

Step 3. Know the rules and exceptions

Unlike the Spanish, the Portuguese does not have so many rules to depend on. Often the sound of a letter depends on its placement in the word. And often even if you know the sound of a letter, depending on the context it will have another sound. Here are some examples:

• Nasalize (with your nose) each "m" and "n" at the end of each syllable (but not between the vowels) to get the sound "ng." "Bem" (well) is pronounced "beng."
• The sound "-ão" sounds like "ow," but the tilde above the "a" indicates a nasalization.
• "S" sounds like "z" except when double or at the beginning of a word.
• "D" and "t" become "j" and "c" before the "e" or "i." Therefore "saudades" is pronounced sa-oo-DA-jiiz.
• Speaking of "saudades," the unstressed vowel "e" at the end of words has the sound of "ii". Even if you read "sa-oo-da-jes", the end of the word will become "jiiz".

• Even the unstressed "o" becomes "oo." "Como" is therefore pronounced "co-moo."

  Often, it is not pronounced at all. It could be pronounced "cohm" according to the dialect

• "L" also becomes "oo," when not between vowels and at the end of a syllable. "Brazil" is pronounced "bra-Zii-oo."
• We know that the "r" in Spanish becomes "h". So based on what we now know, how are we going to pronounce "morro?" It will be pronounced "MO-hoo." That's right. Strange but true.

Step 4. in general, stress the second syllable

If it's not the second syllable, you'll see an accent that indicates where the stress falls. Can't you see the accent? Stress the second. "CO-moo." "Sa-oo-DA-jiiz." "Bra-Zii-oo." Do you see the repetitions?

"Secretária" or "automático" instead show that the stress falls on the third to last syllable

Step 5. If you speak Spanish, you need to know the differences

In general, European Spanish is very different from Brazilian Portuguese than South American Spanish, and you probably already understood this for yourself. But even though South American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese are very similar, they have distinct differences:

• Always use the conjugation "ustedes" for the second and third person plural ie, "they" and "you" are the same even in a formal situation. Here we always use "ustedes" both when talking to friends and when giving a speech.
• The vocabulary is quite different, even for basic words. In red Spanish it is "roho" while in Brazilian Portuguese it is "vermelho". Never assume anything, there are many false similarities!
• There are only three people for conjugations. Hurray! But they use a completely new conjugation, the future subjunctive. So the difficulty is balanced.

Step 6. In Rio de Janeiro the accent is particular

If you travel and go to Rio you should know that the inhabitants have developed their accent and way of speaking. The differences lie in the informal expressions and in the emotional expressions. But there are also some differences in pronunciation.

• For example you say "OK" to confirm something instead of "Demorou!" "Bacana" means "beautiful," and "smart" becomes "cabeçudo." And these are just three examples!
• Of course, bad words are not well received in the formal sphere but if you watch a football match at the local bar they will be used a lot. "Porra" is a good word for frustration.
• In sounds, the most distinct difference is the "r" which has a more guttural sound (remember that it is pronounced "h?"). Think of a sound similar to "loc." This applies to all "r" that are at the beginning and end of a word, double ones and those preceded by the letter "n" or "l."
• "S" at the end of words or syllables followed by a deaf consonant (t, c, f, p) becomes "sh". So "meus pais" is pronounced "mih-oosh pah-iish."

Step 7. You need to know how the language loan works

Specifically those ending with a consonant other than "r," "s," or "m." They are pronounced as if an "i" is invisibly squashed at the end. "Internet" is pronounced "iing-tiH-Ni-chii." That's right. Say it three times quickly. And then there are words like hip-hop, can you guess? It is pronounced "hippii hoppii!"

Loan is more common in Brazilian Portuguese than in European Portuguese. For example, the word "mouse" remains unchanged in South America but in Portugal it says "ratón". Of course this all makes sense as most of these words are American, so it's harder for them to cross the Atlantic

Part 2 of 4: Have a Conversation

Step 1. Learn to greet people correctly

It's the first thing to do when entering a room, so you need to know what to say! People will be happy to see you make an effort from the start. Here's what to say:

• Olá / Oi. = Hi / Hi.
• Bom dia = Good morning
• Boa tarde = Good afternoon
• Boa noite = Good evening or night

• While we're at it, here are some useful things to know:

  • Manhã = Morning
  • Dia = Day
  • Noite = Evening or night
  • Late = Afternoon until 6am
  • Pela manhã = In the morning
  • De dia = During the day
  • À tarde = In the afternoon
  • De noite = At night

  

  Step 2. Learn some common useful phrases

  Because if you get lost on the way you will need it. Or even if you are at the bar and want to have a conversation.

  • Eu não falo português. -- I do not speak Portuguese.
  • (Você) Fala inglês? - Do you speak English?
  • Eu sou de… (Londres). - I'm from… (London).
  • Eu sou português. - I'm Portuguese.
  • Desculpe / Com licença. - Excuse me.
  • Muito obrigado / a. - Thank you very much.
  • De nada. - Not at all.
  • Desculpe. - Excuse me.
  • Até corn. - See you.
  • Tchau! - Hello!

  

  Step 3. Ask questions

  You'll need handy phrases to make conversation.

  • De waves você é? - Where are you from?
  • Onde vocês moram? - Where do you live?
  • Quem é ela? - Who is she?
  • O que é isso? - What is this?
  • So is he at casa de banho / o banheiro? - Excuse me, where is the toilet?
  • O que você faz? - What are you doing?
  • How much custa isso? or How much isso custa? - How much does it cost?

  

  Step 4. Go out to eat

  You will be able to practice your language at dinner outside. Here are some phrases to use to show that you know the language:

  • O que você quer comer? - What do you want to eat?
  • Você está com fome? - Are you hungry?
  • O que você quer beber? - What would you like to drink?
  • Eu queria um cafezinho. - I'd like an espresso.
  • O que você recomenda? - What do you suggest me?
  • Eu quero fazer o pedido - I would like to order now.
  • Uma cerveja, por favor. - A beer please.
  • A counts, por favor. - The bill, please.

  

  Step 5. While on vacation, congratulate people

  If you are in Brazil during a specific occasion, you will need to congratulate people based on the holidays. Here are some expressions:

  • Feliz Aniversário = Happy birthday
  • Feliz Natal = Merry Christmas
  • Feliz Ano Novo = Happy New Year
  • Feliz Dia Dos Namorados = Happy Valentine's Day
  • Feliz Dia das Mães = Happy Mother's Day
  • Feliz Dia dos Pais = Happy Father's Day

  Part 3 of 4: Building the Vocabulary

  

  Step 1. Learn the numbers

  Yes, as if you were a child again. You have to learn the numbers to understand the basics wherever you are, at the supermarket, at the bar or on the street. 1, 2 and the hundreds can be male or female. Here are the basics:

  • 1 - um / uma (masculine noun um and feminine, uma)
  • 2 - dois / duas
  • 3 - três
  • 4 - four
  • 5 - cinco
  • 6 - seis
  • 7 - thirst
  • 8 - oito
  • 9 - nine
  • 10 - dez
  • 20 - win
  • 21 - won and um
  • 30 - trinta
  • 31 - trinta and um
  • 40 - forty
  • 41 - quarenta and um
  • 50 - fifty

  • 51 - fifty and um

    Do you see the repetitions? First the ten followed by "e" and then the units

  

  Step 2. Learn the days of the week

  No matter what language you learn, it's always important to know the days of the week to know when something will take place.

  • Domingo = Sunday
  • Segunda-feira = Monday
  • Terça-Feira = Tuesday
  • Fourth-Feira = Wednesday
  • Quinta-Feira = Thursday
  • Sexta-Feira = Friday
  • Sábado = Saturday

  

  Step 3. Learn the colors

  They are useful if you go shopping and for communication in general.

  • Black - preto
  • Blue - azul
  • Brown - marrom
  • Gray - cinza
  • Green - green
  • Orange - laranja
  • Pink - pink
  • Purple - roxo
  • Red - vermelho
  • White - herd
  • Yellow - love it

  

  Step 4. Learn the adjectives

  It will be important to talk about the things around you! So you can express basic opinions and understand a little more than just verbs and nouns. Pay attention to the masculine and feminine (by name).

  • Bad / a - mau / ma"
  • Good / a - bom / boa
  • Beautiful - bonito / bonita
  • Big big
  • Delicious / a - delicioso / deliciosa
  • Easy - easy
  • Sad - sad
  • Piccolo / a - pequeno / pequena
  • Ugly / a - feio / feia
  • New / a - novo / nova
  • Nouns can be masculine or feminine and therefore adjectives adapt based on this. Everything you talk about has a gender, so if you describe it the adjective must match. Feminines usually end with "-a."

  

  Step 5. Learn to talk to people

  In Portuguese, verbs have to fit nouns, so it's important to know the noun! Here are the options:

  • I - Eu
  • You - Tu or você
  • He / Ella - Ele / Ela
  • Noi - Nós (note: many use "a gente" which means "the people").
  • "You" - vós
  • They - eles / elas

  

  Step 6. Learn common verbs

  Now that you've learned how to talk about people, what are they doing? Here are some common verbs conjugated in the infinitive (are, ere, ire):

  • To be - ser
  • Buy - buy
  • Drink - beber
  • Eating - comer
  • give - give
  • Talk - falar
  • Write - escrever
  • Say - dizer
  • To go - to go

  

  Step 7. You must be able to conjugate these verbs

  Obviously you can't say "Io essere Italiano", you have to conjugate verbs based on the subject. Since there are many verbs, we will only cover the regular ones. If you know Spanish it will be easy. The end of the verb (ending) indicates with which pronoun it is matched.

  • Verbs in "Ar", such as comprar, are conjugated like this: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, -am. So "buy," "compras," "buy," "compramos," "comprise," "compram."
  • Verbs in "Er", like comer, are conjugated like this: -o, -es, -e, -emos, -eis, -em. Hence "como," "comes," "come," "comemos," "comeis," "comem."
  • The verbs in "Ir", like to leave, are conjugated like this: -o, -es, -e, -imos, -is, -em. So "parto," "partes," "part," "partimos," "partis," "partem."
  • Of course, these are examples of regular indicative verbs. There are many irregular verbs and different tenses, but it would take hours to cover them all.

  

  Step 8. Learn to tell the time in Portuguese

  Que horas sao, por favor? Translation: "What time is it please?" You need to know how much time you have left before closing!

  • É uma hora = It is one o'clock
  • São duas horas = It is two o'clock
  • São três horas = It is three o'clock
  • São dez horas = It is ten o'clock
  • São onze horas = It is eleven o'clock
  • São doze horas = It is twelve o'clock
  • São oito horas da manhã = It is 8 in the morning
  • É uma hora da tarde = It's one o'clock in the afternoon
  • São oito horas da noite = It is eight o'clock in the evening
  • É uma hora da manhã = It is one o'clock in the morning

  Part 4 of 4: Improving your Skills

  

  Step 1. Use interactive online tools

  There are many websites that can improve your language skills. The BBC and Memrise websites offer interactive quizzes that serve to expand your knowledge, test it, and work better than just reading words in the hope that you remember them. They are fun!

  Listen to phrases online to improve pronunciation. As there are many rules, it is best to immerse yourself in this language to avoid common mistakes

  

  Step 2. Go to class

  Forcing yourself to speak this language a couple of hours a week will help motivate you better. Look for Portuguese lessons in schools or community centers, for conversation, for business or just to learn in general. Anything will do you good!

  The smaller the class, the better. And if it's great, meet up with someone individually to practice on your own, preferably with someone better than you. Group study in the classroom is often not enough

  

  Step 3. Talk to native speakers

  It is the fastest and most efficient way to learn a language. They know their language is difficult, so don't worry about making mistakes. They will be glad you tried! The more you practice the language, the less stressful it will be to speak it.

  That's why it's a good idea to sign up for a class. Your teachers or classmates may be part of a group that you may also be part of. So you will meet people you could not have met and get something out of them

  

  Step 4. Use all your skills

  You may think that it is only important to speak to learn, but reading, writing and listening are essential. Sure, talking is best but pay attention to other aspects as well. So grab a newspaper or a book written in Portuguese, listen to documentaries, films or music. Do all you can!