{"id":4630,"date":"2019-04-05T09:00:27","date_gmt":"2019-04-05T13:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.pimsleur.com\/?p=4630"},"modified":"2025-11-05T12:50:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T17:50:11","slug":"brazilian-or-portugal-portuguese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pimsleur.com\/blog\/brazilian-or-portugal-portuguese\/","title":{"rendered":"Brazilian vs European Portuguese: Learning the Difference"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Portuguese is one of the most popular languages for non-native speakers to learn, and for good reason! It\u2019s a historically relevant language with roots stretching back as far as the Roman Empire. Portuguese is also one of the most spoken languages in the world. Over 260 million people speak it as a first or second language. What\u2019s more, its European Romance language roots make it a great language to acquire before learning French, Italian, or (especially) Spanish<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But <\/span>how different is Brazilian Portuguese from European Portuguese<\/span>? For curious learners, a better question might be, which language is worth learning, and are the languages mutually intelligible?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have compiled a Beginner\u2019s Guide to understanding the<\/span> differences between Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese<\/span>, complete with examples and fun facts!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Brazilian Portuguese Different from Portugal Portuguese? 7 Key Distinctions<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. There are many more speakers of Brazilian Portuguese.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2023, the entire population of Portugal amounted to 10.53 million. That\u2019s only half the population of Brazil\u2019s biggest city, S\u00e3o Paulo. In 2023, Brazil\u2019s population came in at a whopping 216.4 million. You will find much more Brazilian influence in the Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) world than European Portuguese.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Brazilians use voc\u00ea<\/em> and Portuguese use tu<\/em>. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Portuguese, like in all Romance languages, there is more than one way to say \u201cyou.\u201d Tu<\/em> is the informal way, and voc\u00ea<\/em> is formal. However, the term voc\u00ea<\/em> became so popular in Brazil that it is now commonplace to call everyone voc\u00ea<\/em> (save some parts of the south that border Argentina).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Portugal, tu<\/em> is used in almost every situation, even with teachers and employers. Brazilians would immediately recognize the Portuguese accent for this simple detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it is important to note that SOME Brazilians (mostly in the northeast) do, in fact, use the pronoun tu, but most of them conjugate it as if it were voc\u00ea. For example, to ask, \u201cAre you going to the party?\u201d some Brazilians might say colloquially, \u201cTu vai para a festa?<\/em>\u201d instead of \u201cTu vais para a festa?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Portuguese don\u2019t use the gerund.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you ask, \u201cWhat\u2019s a gerund?\u201d it\u2019s any nonfinite verb form, meaning action in continuation. For example, \u201cwriting\u201d is the gerund of \u201cto write,\u201d and \u201cdoing\u201d is the gerund of \u201cto do.\u201d Brazilians use the gerund as much as English speakers do. The Portuguese, however, use a different grammatical structure that replaces the gerund with the preposition \u201ca\u201d<\/em> followed by the infinitive.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Here\u2019s an example:<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n

“I am walking.” (English)<\/span><\/p>\n

Estou caminhando.<\/em> (Brazilian Portuguese)<\/span><\/p>\n

Estou a caminhar.<\/em> (<\/span>European Portuguese)<\/span><\/p>\n

OR<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

“What are you doing?” (English)<\/span><\/p>\n

O que voc\u00ea est\u00e1 fazendo?<\/em> (Brazilian Portuguese)<\/span><\/p>\n

O que est\u00e1s a fazer?<\/em> (European Portuguese) *Notice the tu form here!<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

4. The pronunciation is completely different.<\/strong><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way that British and American English speakers have very distinct accents, Portuguese and Brazilians do, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most second-language learners of Portuguese will notice that the Portuguese speak with their mouths closed and very short vowel sounds, while the Brazilians open their mouths and practically sing when they speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, take the word querido<\/em> (dear). In Brazil, this word is pronounced kay-ree-doh <\/em>with an elongated open vowel. It is pronounced kree-doh in Portugal, where the r is rolled and gives an Eastern European\/Russian effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another difference is what the Brazilians call the \u201csh.\u201d Take the word gostoso<\/em> (delicious), for example. In Brazilian, the \u201cst\u201d combination has the same phonetics as English. In Portugal, it is pronounced go-shto-so<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rio de Janeiro is the only place in Brazil where the \u201csh\u201d trait is found, mostly because of the city\u2019s Portuguese influence (as opposed to German and Italian in the south and African and Indigenous in the north).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Many basic vocabulary terms differ in Brazil and Portugal.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything from how to say \u201cHi,\u201d \u201cPlease,\u201d and \u201cWhere is the bathroom?\u201d changes from Brazil to Portugal, including, of course, slang<\/a>. Here is a list of the most important everyday vocabulary terms that will help you survive conversations with both Brazilians and Portuguese.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

English<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

Brazil<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

Portugal<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td><\/tr>

\n

hello<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

oi<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

ol\u00e1<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td><\/tr>

\n

bathroom<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

banheiro<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

casa de banho<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td><\/tr>

\n

menu<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

card\u00e1pio<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

ementa<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td><\/tr>

\n

breakfast<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

caf\u00e9 da manh\u00e3<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

pequeno-almo\u00e7o<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td><\/tr>

\n

coffee cup<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

x\u00edcara<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

ch\u00e1vena<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td><\/tr>

\n

bus<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

\u00f4nibus<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

autocarro<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td><\/tr>

\n

train<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

trem<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

camboio<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td><\/tr>

\n

cellphone<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

celular<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

telem\u00f3vel<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td><\/tr>

\n

salary<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

sal\u00e1rio<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

ordenado<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td><\/tr>

\n

please<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

por favor<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

se faz favor (sff)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td><\/tr>

\n

cool<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

legal<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>

\n

fixe\/giro<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

6. The Portuguese are very literal, even in their language.<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whereas Brazilians are known to speak in a warm and welcoming tone in the Lusophone world, the Portuguese are known for being extremely literal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if a Brazilian asks a Portuguese \u201cQual \u00e9 seu celular,<\/em>\u201d literally meaning \u201cWhat\u2019s your cell,\u201d a Portuguese might respond \u201cSamsung<\/em>\u201d instead of responding with their cell phone number. This is a cultural phenomenon known throughout Brazil (and the butt of many Brazilian jokes) because, in Portugal, all questions will be answered with direct responses. So ask carefully!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, if you ask for something in a restaurant in Portugal that they don\u2019t have, they will respond, \u201cN\u00e3o.\u201d Brazilians might throw in a \u201cSorry, we ran out!\u201d or \u201cMaybe try next door.\u201d In Portugal, there is minimal small talk or beating around the bush. It is what it is. When assessing Brazilian Portuguese vs Portuguese distinctions, this is one of the more underrated aspects. Try listening to a native of Lisbon speak a sentence, then listen to someone from S\u00e3o Paulo say the same thing. Technically, the two people are speaking the same language (with minor differences). And yet, 9 times out of 10, the Brazilian Portuguese speaker will use more words to say the same thing. This aligns with the general perception that Latin American cultures and personalities are livelier and more emotional than their Old World brethren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Brazilians are not strict when it comes to grammar.<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you may have noticed in #2, where you learned that some Brazilians conjugate tu <\/em>as if it were voc\u00ea<\/em>, Brazilians are not very strict regarding grammar when they speak. When it comes to the imperative, conditional tenses, or even the use of indirect pronouns, Brazilians use \u201cest\u00e3o nem a\u00ed<\/em>\u201d (a charming expression meaning \u201cI really don\u2019t care.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Let\u2019s look at a grammar example.<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>

You\u2019re at the office, and you tell your colleague, \u201cI\u2019m going to look into it, and I\u2019ll get back to you.\u201d<\/p>

\u201cVou <\/em><\/span>me informar e j\u00e1 te dou<\/span><\/em> uma<\/em> resposta.\u201d<\/em> (Brazilian Portuguese)<\/span><\/p>

\u201cVou informar-<\/em><\/span>me e darei<\/span><\/em>-te uma<\/em> resposta.\u201d<\/em> (European Portuguese)<\/span><\/p>

For the grammar nerds, here we go:<\/span><\/p>