Exploring the Portuguese Language

Is Portuguese hard to learn? For English speakers, the answer is nuanced. While it presents certain challenges, Portuguese also offers many accessible entry points, making it a rewarding language to pursue (we'll assume you speak English, given that you are reading this).

The first thing you notice is that Brazilian Portuguese differs from European Portuguese (more on that in a minute).

The second thing you notice is that some Portuguese words, although different from their English translations, are still recognizable because of their similarity to related English words. For instance:

This initial familiarity can be a great motivator.

Choosing Your Portuguese: Brazilian or European?

The historical and geographical separation between Portugal and Brazil (about 4,500 miles) has led to distinct evolutions of the language. When you start learning Portuguese, you have to choose between Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese.

Beyond speaker numbers, there are differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, and some grammatical constructions, which learners will encounter.

The Advantage of Shared Vocabulary

One of the most encouraging aspects for English speakers is that Portuguese vocabulary can be relatively easy to learn. When you look at the thousand most common Portuguese words, you notice that quite a few of them are similar to their English translations. Here are some examples:

(You can click on the Portuguese words to hear an audio recording of their pronunciation)

Words like these, which are similar in Portuguese and English, naturally make it easier to learn Portuguese when you already know English. The reason there are so many similar words in Portuguese and English is because both languages have lots of words that come from Latin.

Portuguese evolved from Latin. That's why it's one of the Romance languages (alongside Spanish, French, Italian, Romanian, and other ones that are less widely spoken). English also has plenty of vocabulary words that come from Latin, largely entering the language via French after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

Grammar: Simplifications and Complexities

Compared to its ancestor, Portuguese is a much easier language to learn than Latin. Portuguese has two grammatical genders (masculine and feminine), whereas Latin has three (the third is called "neuter"). This reduces the gender paradigms learners need to master.

Another significant simplification is that the complex grammatical case declensions that exist in Latin have disappeared from Portuguese (except for personal pronouns, where English also shows some case distinction). Notice how the Portuguese word "filho" (son) keeps the same ending, unlike its Latin counterpart "fīlius":

However, while Portuguese grammar is simpler than Latin and shares some structural similarities with English, it still presents distinct challenges. English speakers will need to master:

The Pronunciation Hurdle

Perhaps one of the most notable challenges for English speakers is Portuguese pronunciation. It features:

• Nasal vowels: Sounds like ã, õ, and m/n at the end of syllables can be tricky.
• Varied 'r' sounds: From a tapped 'r' (like the 'tt' in "butter") to a guttural 'r' (similar to a French 'r' or Scottish 'ch'), these require careful listening and practice.
• Vowel reduction: Especially in European Portuguese, unstressed vowels can be very short or almost disappear, making it challenging for learners to distinguish words.

While these aspects can seem daunting, they are learnable with focused practice and exposure.

The Spanish Connection

Knowing some Spanish makes Portuguese even easier to learn. Spanish and Portuguese are very close in terms of vocabulary. In linguistics, there is a value called lexical similarity, which measures how close two languages are in terms of their vocabulary.

This close relationship provides a significant head start for Spanish speakers.

Boosting Your Learning Through Culture

An affinity for Brazilian or Portuguese culture can make it easier and more enjoyable to learn Portuguese. Perhaps you enjoy Brazilian music (like Samba, Bossa Nova, or Forró) or Portuguese music genres (like Fado).

As your Portuguese skills progress, you can start reading novels in Portuguese, like The Alchemist by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho. Many people read the English translation without knowing that the original text was in Portuguese.

Those who prefer watching videos can increase their exposure to the Portuguese language while watching some Brazilian telenovelas or Portuguese-language movies by directors like Kleber Mendonça Filho (Brazil) or Miguel Gomes (Portugal). The large number of people who speak Portuguese means a lot of Portuguese language media and cultural content —which learners can use to immerse themselves in the language.