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Learn to Speak Portuguese Fast !
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Learning the Alphabet and Pronunciation Learn to pronounce the Portuguese alphabet. It's not super different from Spanish, but it's different enough that it'll trip you up in a few places (presuming you know Spanish, that is). Here are the basic sounds (when alone) in the majority of dialects for Brazilian Portuguese:
● A = ah● B = bayh● C = sayh● D = day● E = eh● F = ehfee● G = zhayh
● H = ah-gah● I = ee● J = zhota● L = eh-lee● M = eh-mee● N = eh-nee
● S = eh-sse● T= teh● U= oo● V= vay● X= shiss● Z= zay
The letters K, W and Y are used only for scientific symbols and foreign words.
Get familiar with the diacritics. Those are the accent marks, or symbols, placed directly above a letter. There's a few to choose from and they crop up in various circumstances.
● The tilde (~) indicates nasalization. Any letter with this symbol will be said through your nose.
● Ç/ç is pronounced like "s." That's a cedilla underneath that "c," by the way.
● Ê/ê is used for stressing and is just pronounced like /e/.● The accent grave (`) is only used in the letter "A" and it's
just for contractions. For example, the feminine pronoun for "the" and "to" are both "a." If you go "to the city," it's "à cidade."
● The "á" in Portuguese is just used to denote stress and only written when it's abnormal.
Know the rules and exceptions
Unlike Spanish, Portuguese has quite a few not-so-tried-and-true pronunciation rules. A lot of how a letter sounds depends on its placement within the word. And sometimes what you're used to and what it actually sounds like are quite different. Here are some examples:
Nasalize (that is, say through your nose) every "m" and "n" at the end of every syllable (but not between vowels) so they sound like "ng." "Bem" (well) then is pronounced like "beng."[1]The sound "-ão" sounds a lot like "ow," but that tilde on top of the "a" means it must be said entirely through your nose."S" sounds like "z" except when doubled and when it begins a word."D" and "t" become "j" and "ch" sounds before "e" or "i." So "saudades" is pronounced sa-oo-DA-jeez.Speaking of "saudades," unstressed "e" at the end of words turns to an "ee" sound. It's tempting to want to say "sa-oo-da-jayz," but that "jayz" becomes "jeez."Unstressed "o" does something similar -- it turns to "oo." "Como" then is pronounced more like "co-moo."
● Sometimes, it's not pronounced at all. "Cohm" would be how it's said, depending on the dialect.
"L" turns to "oo," too, when not between vowels and at the end of a syllable. "Brazil" then is pronounced "bra-ZEE-oo."That trilled "r" we all know so well in Spanish turns into an "h" sound. So using what we know, how would you pronounce "morro?" It's a very strange "MO-hoo." Yep. Really.
In general, stress the second syllable.
In general, stress the second syllable. If it's not the second syllable, you'll see an accent mark indicating where the stress goes. Don't see it? Stress the second one. "CO-moo." "Sa-oo-DA-jeez." "Bra-ZEE-oo." Picking up the pattern?
● "Secretária" or "automático" on the other hand, tells you that the stress is on the antipenultimate syllable.
If you are familiar with Spanish
If you are familiar with Spanish, know the differences. In general, European Spanish is much different from Brazilian Portuguese than South American Spanish, which you probably could've guessed. But even though South American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese are very similar, they have a few stark differences:
● Always use the "ustedes" conjugation for the second person plural and third person plural; that is, "they" and "you guys" are the same -- even with regard to formality. Whether you're giving a speech or talking to friends, it's "ustedes" all the way.
● The vocabulary can be quite different -- even with the most basic of words. Red in Spanish is "rojo"; in BP, it's "vermelho." Never make any assumptions; there are a ton of false cognates out there!
● There are only three person-conjugations. Yay! But they do use an entirely new tense, the future subjunctive. So it's a give and take when it comes to difficulty.
Know that Rio has a special accent all its own.
If you're traveling or moving to Rio de Janeiro, it's good to know that they've developed their own sort of accent and way of speech. Most of it lies in the expressions they use and the casual, emotive interjections they favor. But there's some pronunciation differences, too.
● Things like "OK" to confirm an offer are instead "Demorou!" "Bacana" means "cool," and "inteligente" becomes "cabeçudo." And that's just three examples!
● Cursing is frowned upon in more formal situations, obviously, but if you're blending in at the local bar watching the football game, it's gonna come up. "Porra" is a good word to start with for expressing general frustration.
● As for sounds, the starkest contrast is with the "r" and it should be a bit more guttural (remember how it's pronounced like an "h?") Think something closer to "loch." This goes for all "r" sounds that are at the beginning or end of a word, those that have been doubled, or those preceded by an "n" or "l."
● "S" at the end of words or syllables followed by an unvoiced consonant (t, c, f, p) gets turned to "sh" here. So "meus pais" becomes "mih-oosh pah-eesh."
Know how loan words work.
Specifically, those that end in a consonant other than "r," "s," or "m." Those get pronounced as if an "e" got smushed invisibly onto the end. "Internet" is actually pronounced "eeng-teH-NE-chee." Yeah. Say that three times fast. And then there are words like hip-hop -- can you guess? -- It's like "hippee hoppee!"
● Loan words are actually a lot more common in Brazilian Portuguese than European Portuguese and European Spanish. For example, it's "mouse" for a computer mouse in all of South America but "ratón" across the pond. Kinda makes sense -- the majority of them are from America -- it's harder to make a jump across the Atlantic.
Learn how to greet people properly
It's the absolute first thing you have to do when you walk into any room, so it's important you have something to say! Locals will be very appreciative that you're making an effort from point one. Here are some ways to start:
● Olá / Oi. = Hi / Hello.● Bom dia = Good morning● Boa tarde = Good afternoon● Boa noite = Good evening or night● While we're at it, it's also useful to know time phrases:
○ Manhã = Morning○ Dia = Day○ Noite = Evening or night○ Tarde = Evening before 6○ Pela manhã = In the morning○ De dia = In the day○ À tarde = In the afternoon○ De noite = At night
Get down some useful, everyday phrases.
Because when you're lost on the side of the road, you may need them. Or, you know, when you're making small talk at the local bar or cafe.
● Eu não falo português. -- I don't speak Portuguese.● (Você) Fala inglês? - Do you speak English?● Eu sou de...(Londres). - I am from... (London).● Eu sou português. - I'm Portuguese.● Desculpe / Com licença. - Excuse me.● Muito obrigado/a. - Thank you very much.● De nada. - You are welcome/No problem.● Desculpe. - Sorry.● Até mais. - See you later.● Tchau! - Bye!
Ask questions !You'll probably want to start a few conversations to hone your skills, so you'll need some phrases in your tool belt to get the ball rolling.
● De onde 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?● Onde é a casa de banho / o banheiro? - Where is the bathroom, please?● O que você faz? - What do you do?● Quanto custa isso? or Quanto isso custa? - How much is this?
Go out to eat.
One of the most common situations you'll find yourself in to practice your skills will be when you're dining out. Here are some phrases you can use to show you know your stuff:
● O que você quer comer? - What would you like 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 recommend?● Eu quero fazer o pedido - I would like to order now.● Uma cerveja, por favor. - A beer, please.● A conta, por favor. - The bill (check), please.
Exchange holiday greetings while visiting.
If you're in Brazil for a specific occasion, you may need to exchange holiday greetings. Here's some of the bigguns:
● 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
Learn more with private lessons online !
The online lessons are one-on-one, real time, and easy to set up. I use Skype or Google Hangouts and a webcam for the lessons, and send you study materials through e-mail.
