How to learn Portuguese on your own. Portuguese Language Resources Resources for learning Portuguese from scratch to conversational level

Portuguese is a language that sounds like music. It's no surprise that Portugal and Brazil have such rich musical traditions. Fado and bossa nova, tropicalia and samba... Music is the best starting point for learning a language, and singing is a great way to improve your listening and pronunciation skills. Melodic and expressive intonations, almost plaintive vowels, something that is so well conveyed by songs of melancholy. Consider the fact that Portuguese has its own untranslatable word for the emotional state that describes bright sadness, nostalgia and melancholy - saudade. And this is a feature of the national character of the Portuguese. Portuguese is arguably the sexiest language of all the Romance languages - even more so than French and Italian.

Motivation to learn

Learning Portuguese opens the door to the cultures of four continents – Seja bem-vindo!

By learning Portuguese, you will have the opportunity to experience cultures that are unique and diverse, ancient and modern, traditional and innovative.

Portugal is a small country, but its official language covers almost the entire world. Currently, due to the expansionist activities of the Portuguese during colonial times, it represents the Latin American region, the Pacific coast, and some parts of Africa.

In which countries do they speak Portuguese? The Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa (Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries) has nine member countries: Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and Sao Tome and Principe. In which country is Portuguese the official language, other than those listed? In Macau, a special administrative region of China and a former Portuguese colony. Thanks to historical ties, Portuguese is widely spoken in Sri Lanka, Goa, and India.

The largest number of native speakers, of course, is in Brazil, where more than 207 million people live, the vast majority of whom speak Portuguese as their native language. Brazil is an exotic, romantic, incredibly diverse country with one of the richest and most exciting cultures. Having experienced European, African and Asian influences throughout its history, it presents an amazing panorama that stretches from samba to capoeira, from Festa Junin in the north to churrasco and mate in the south.

People interested in exploring the Latin American and African diasporas will be able to travel throughout Brazil, studying the texts and culture of people of African descent in Brazil and Africans who speak Portuguese. Considering that the language is less studied than some other European languages, despite its global importance, foreigners who speak Portuguese will definitely stand out from the crowd. This language will allow students of environmental and biological sciences to actively participate in trips and projects taking place in the Amazon rainforest.

The culture of Portugal is also distinguished by its diversity, which has experienced the influence of many peoples and civilizations throughout history. The unique combination contributed to unique architecture, a rich musical heritage, and of course, amazing cuisine.

Brazil and Portugal are just the tip of the iceberg! The history and culture of each Portuguese-speaking region, not only Latin America, is equally intriguing and worthy of exploration.

Learning Portuguese will help improve your overall job prospects. Thus, Brazil's economy has experienced ups and downs, but the fact remains that it is the eighth largest economy in the world. Brazil is a major player in international business, so speaking Portuguese gives you an advantage in the business world. The largest of Latin American countries, it has experienced rapid development in recent years and is attracting expats now more than ever.

These are not only emigrants, but also buyers of secondary homes and real estate investors. People are drawn to the beautiful white sand beaches and warm tropical weather. They buy beach properties and invest in profitable projects before construction, enjoying a relaxed lifestyle. Although Brazil today is not as cheap a country as it was a few years ago, the cost of living is still low in most localities.

Features of self-study of Portuguese

The best way you can choose to learn Portuguese for beginners is to listen to yourself. This may sound a little transcendental, but it really works with any new language. Some prefer traditional methods, which means learning grammar, memorizing vocabulary before they start or are able to speak Portuguese. They usually need more time to develop their speaking skills, but it is worth it. Very soon, a student who chooses the classical way to learn Portuguese understands a lot, including works of literature.

It is easier for another category of students to learn the language in the “reverse order”, that is, learn as you go and practice speaking without paying too much attention to this or that grammatical rule. Of course, they make mistakes (and correct them), but they will never forget the language and will always be able to speak it when necessary. This is similar to how we learn our native language as children. In fact, recently this “non-traditional” method has become very fashionable for learning foreign languages. True, it is ideal if a person lives among native speakers.

Is it difficult for a beginner to learn from scratch?

To a large extent, language comprehension, when you achieve real results, comes down to the motivation and perseverance of the student. This is what decides whether you will eventually be able to speak Portuguese fluently or give up at the learning stage. Portuguese is a Romance language that belongs to the Indo-European language family. Similarities can be found with other Romance languages - English, French, Italian and, of course, Spanish.

The most difficult aspect you face when learning Portuguese is pronunciation and understanding what native speakers are saying. This is especially true in European Portuguese, where speakers tend to swallow vowels and have difficulty distinguishing syllables. Portuguese also has nasal vowels. Additionally, some letters mean different sounds depending on the context. Let's learn the Portuguese alphabet! Basically, every language has its own tricks and there is definitely no reason to stop!

Which species is more complex - European or Brazilian?

Standard Portuguese is based on the Lisbon dialect. The differences in dialects within Portugal are small, but Brazilian Portuguese can differ from European Portuguese; This applies to intonation, pronunciation, and grammar and vocabulary are no exception. For example, such a feature is that objective pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese occur before the verb, as in Spanish, but in standard Portuguese they come after the verbs. Despite differences in phonology, grammar and vocabulary, Portuguese is often mutually intelligible with Spanish.

It is believed that the Brazilian dialect is easier to learn. It is a lighter, more informal version of classic Portuguese. In addition, many resources for learning Portuguese are based specifically on the Brazilian version. But, as a rule, people, after completing an online course on the Brazilian version of grammar, having visited Portugal, are very upset that they cannot understand a word of what people say.

Key differences between Brazilian and European Portuguese:

The difference is in pronunciation - Brazilians pronounce their vowels longer and wider. The pronunciation of some consonants is also different, especially [s] at the end of a word. In Brazilian [s] is pronounced like , in European - .
Brazilian Portuguese is considered phonetically more pleasant due to its open vowels; the accents have a strong rhythm, making them easier to learn and understand.
Some words are spelled differently. For example, the word "receção" in European language; in Brazilian you can hear [p] and, accordingly, the spelling is “recepção”.
Brazilians are more creative with their language; They turned some nouns into verbs. The Portuguese phrase of congratulations "dar os parabéns" in the Brazilian version is a verb - "parabenizar".
The Brazilian version can be distinguished by adapted words from American English that ignore the Latin root. In European words, words with Latin roots retain their original spelling.
European Portuguese is more formal. In Brazilian, the word "voê" is used for "you" in an informal setting; in European, "tu" is used in the same context. In Portugal, "você" is considered rude and thus the second person pronoun is removed in less casual situations and a third person singular verb is used instead.
When describing actions, Brazilians use “estou fazendo” - “I do”, Portuguese use the infinitive form “estou a fazer”, “I am busy”.

In general, European Portuguese is more resistant to change and the acquisition of foreign words.

Countries tend to follow linguistic developments in the mother country's language, with a slight delay due to geographic distance. But Portuguese has been the official language in Brazil since 1758, while colonization began in the 16th century. Over time, changes in the language occurred due to increased contact with European and Asian immigrants. In other countries that experienced former colonial rule, they speak Portuguese, which is more similar to the European variety. Many of these countries are in Africa and have little external contact with other cultures that could influence the language compared to Brazil. In addition, they gained independence much later and at an early stage of their development had the most direct contacts with Portugal.

The question of which Portuguese language to choose for beginners - European or Brazilian - is a very personal decision that depends on your environment and interests. This is what will directly influence the chosen dialect. For example, for those who strive for the opportunity to read works of classical literature, European Portuguese would be the best choice. Or, if you plan to work at the UN, then you must study the continental version, since its activities are based in Europe. On the other hand, if the prospect is to work for a North American enterprise that has economic and sales branches in Brazil, then the Brazilian dialect is best suited.

Differences between Portuguese and Spanish

After the Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, Vulgar Latin replaced almost all local languages. In areas along the Atlantic coast it developed into what is called Galician-Portuguese. Later, when Spain included Galicia and during the period of independent development of Portugal, it split into independent branches - Galician and Portuguese.

Portuguese and Spanish belong to a branch of Romance languages called Western Iberian. It includes many variants and dialects, which are understandable to a certain extent by all speakers within it. Examples are Brazilian Portuguese, European Portuguese, dialects of Spanish spoken in the Americas, and Andalusian Spanish. However, Portuguese and Spanish, although closely related languages, differ in many details of their phonology, grammar and vocabulary. The most obvious differences are in pronunciation. Mutual understanding is generally more important in written language than in spoken language.

The definite article is used more often in Portuguese than in Spanish. Example, vou ao Brasil (Port.) and voy a Brasil (Spanish); o – definite article.
Hasta (before) and hacia (in) - in Spanish. In Portuguese the preposition “in” is até.
The preposition of direction "a" (b) in Spanish is found after verbs. The most common example is "ir a". For example, you can say ir a la playa - go to the beach, ir a la escuela - go to school, ir a casa - go home. For Portuguese speakers, it is strange to use an expression with an "a" in the middle: Vou sair agora (Portuguese), Voy a salir ahora (Spanish) - I'm leaving now.
Possessive pronouns: Portuguese tend to say a casa dela, Spanish - su casa; a sua casa in Portuguese would probably be interpreted as a formal second person option.
Muy or mucho? In Portuguese, muito (very) is the only word. In Spanish, muy is used before adverbs and adjectives, and mucho is used before a noun or after a verb.
Similar composition of words, comparison: any language faces such a problem. For example, in Portuguese vagabundo is a bum, while in Spanish it is a person who lives on the street, homeless (morador de rua in Portuguese). Or brincar - play in Portuguese, jump - in Spanish.

Portuguese	Translation into Russian	Spanish	Russian-Spanish translation
Abono	allowance	Abono	fertilizer
Aceite	Adoption	Aceite	olive oil
Acordar	wake up	Acordar	agree
Acreditar	believe	Acreditar	accredit
Apelido	nickname	Apellido	surname
Balcão	counter	Balcon	balcony
Barata	cockroach	Barato	cheap
Borrar	to smear (borrar borrado – to remove what has been erased)	Borrar	delete
Borracha	rubber	Borracha	drunk
Botequim	tavern	Botiquin	First aid kit
Cena	scene	Cena	dinner
Cola	glue	Cola	tail
Embaraçada	embarrassed	Embarazada	pregnant
Engraçado	funny	Engrasado	Oiled
Esquisito	strange	Exquisito	refined
Fechar	close	Fechar	date
Ganância	greed	Ganancia	profit
Oi	Hello	Hoy	Today
Largo	wide	Largo	for a long time
Latido	bark	Latido	beat
Ligar	turn on	Ligar	tie
Logro	fraud	Logro	achievement
Mala	suitcase	Mala	cheekbone
Ninho	nest	Niño	Child, little boy
Oficina	seminar	Oficina	Office
Osso	bone	Oso	carry
Polvo	octopus	Polvo	powder
Prender	hold	Prender	arrest/turn on
Rato	mouse	Rato	while
Risco	risk	Risco	cliff
Salada	salad	Salada	salt
Solo	Earth	Solo	only
Taça	cup, glass of wine	Tasa	speed
Tirar	take	Tirar	throw

Portuguese and Spanish - Similarities: The lexical similarity between Spanish and Portuguese is almost 90%. Similar to 9 out of 10 words in both languages, but this does not mean that they are necessarily mutually intelligible to native speakers due to additional differences in pronunciation and syntax. Yes, it's easy to read and translate things written in both languages, even if you only speak one of them. But it is much more difficult to understand native speakers in a live conversation without a professional translator nearby.

Ways of learning

How to learn Portuguese if you are still practically zero? How long will it take to learn Portuguese? This is one of the first questions anyone interested in learning a language asks, and unfortunately, there is no easy answer. This is a complex process that is individual for each person depending on various factors. If you already speak a foreign language or were raised in a bilingual environment, you will have an easier time picking up Portuguese. It is easier for bilinguals to learn a third language, as linguistic research shows.

In any case, Portuguese is very well structured, having many loanwords from other European languages, which are known as cognates. Perhaps they will make learning much easier and faster. Teaching methods play an important role in how quickly learning progresses. If language acquisition is limited to classroom instruction only, then it will probably take a little longer. But if you make Portuguese a part of your everyday life, including reading, listening to audio books and radio, extend it to watching movies and TV series, traveling to Portugal or Brazil, and of course, all those modern technologies for learning languages that the Internet offers, then significantly reduce the time.

Courses or language groups

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages uses the Guided Learning Hours framework to estimate the amount of total class time required to achieve level B2. For every hour of instructional time, students are expected to spend two hours of independent study time. In total, this is from 1000 to 1200 hours.

One 3-hour Portuguese lesson per week for the 8 weeks of the course, plus weekly homework (1 hour), plus independent practice of any type (2 hours). 3 courses per year. You will need 25 to 30 courses. With 3 courses per year, it takes from 8.3 to 10 years to reach the average level.
One year of studying Portuguese in a language group (4 hours per week + 2 hours of homework + 2 hours of independent practice X 12 weeks X 2 semesters). From 5-6.25 years to intermediate level.
Specialized self-study (1 hour per day). Approximately 3 years to achieve an intermediate level of Portuguese.
General active diving (8 hours per day). Approximately 3 months to reach average level.

Although this calculation does not take into account many factors, it is still not a very accurate way to determine how long it will take you to learn intermediate level Portuguese.

Portuguese language tutor

To truly learn a language, you need to place equal emphasis on vocabulary, grammar, reading, writing, speaking and listening, which is something many online programs fail to do. The main goal of any person learning a language is to speak it fluently. Therefore, it makes sense to find a tutor, for example, on, make friends on social networks who know Portuguese, talk to yourself - most importantly, do not sit silently at the computer! The tutor will create a lesson plan for you that does not take into account relativity or spontaneity, it will be easier to adapt each lesson to your wishes or needs. At any time, you can interrupt the teacher and ask him to explain what you don’t understand.

Do it yourself at home using a tutorial

Regardless of which method you ultimately use, perhaps it will be the classic “paper” version, namely a tutorial or textbook, motivation, diligence and regularity are necessary conditions. There is no magic program, website, teacher or strategy that will magically make you speak Portuguese fluently in just a few weeks or even months.

Portuguese without accent. Beginning course, Alexander Yarushkin

The rise of technology has changed the way people learn and access education. This is especially true for languages, where the explosion of mobile applications and interactive software has provided choice for a range of people who previously did not have access to education in foreign languages.

But all languages are in a constant state of transformation, with new references to pop culture and idioms. And even with the literally thousands of language learning resources that may exist on the Internet, nothing beats having a real person to make sure you learn how to say "cool" correctly and avoid awkward, albeit technically correct, phrases.

Study online

Bab.la: free online dictionary, verb conjugation
Portuguese alphabet (pronunciation)
(Brazilian Portuguese)
Glossika uses the "multiple sentence method" combined with a spaced repetition system
Forvo - an online dictionary that will help you find out how to pronounce any Portuguese word
Reverso – online dictionary for words, phrases, idiomatic expressions
WR Wordreference – all words in this dictionary contain a discussion thread about their meanings

Just a disclaimer - it’s best to learn a language with a notebook and pencil or with a native speaker friend. Any online courses or applications, and even more so games for learning a foreign language, will help. You can tinker with some app in the toilet or on the subway.

On this site and in this review, we always talk about the European version of Portuguese, and more precisely, about the Lisbon dialect. With the Portuguese language it is the same thing as with English, there is English in England, there is English in the USA and there is a certain general English in which the tourist and business community from all over the world communicates. By analogy: there is Portuguese from Portugal, there is Portuguese from Brazil, there is Portuguese from African countries (former Portuguese colonies);

Dictionary

We couldn’t find a good dictionary in the app store; our favorite Slovoed does not have a dictionary with a Portuguese-Russian pair, but only offers a Portuguese-English pair (899 rubles). The WordUp app has a dictionary and even a phrasebook, and it's a nice app built on top of the Mirai and Collins system. In addition to the dictionary and phrasebook, the application contains various bonuses for memorizing words and grammatical basics.

Cost: $4.99, there is also a free Light version.

Conjugator

To study languages of the Romance group, a verb conjugator will not be superfluous; where there are no auxiliary verbs (English), you need a reference book with verb conjugations (Port.). We highly recommend the VerbForms application, which will be indispensable in learning the language. I am pleased not only with the thoughtfulness of the interface and design, but also with the additions - for example, you can create lists of verbs and train their memorization through built-in exercises.

Cost: $3.99

Phrasebook

There is a phrasebook with a cute name - Tudo Bem, which seems to say that everything will be fine. All jokes aside, this good application will come in handy on a trip and for bored students, open a topic, press the buttons, and maybe something will stick in memory.

Cost: free

The well-known Pimsleur course has an application that serves as a dispatcher for listening to course lessons. It will be useful when officially purchasing the course on the company’s website. If you downloaded a pirated version, you can simply listen in your player. Both options seem the same to us.

Portuguese is the official language of Portugal, Brazil and some African countries, with a total of 240 million speakers. At the same time, 220 million people consider him family. Portuguese is one of the ten most widely spoken languages in the world and is also the second most spoken Romance language. It belongs to the Indo-European language family, is based on the Latin alphabet and dates back to the Galician-Portuguese language of the Middle Ages.

1 Top 3 resources according to Languages as a Lifestyle

PortuguesePod101- an English-language service for listening training with a large database of thematic audio and video lessons, divided by levels from beginner to advanced; Each lesson comes with printouts of assignments, word lists, tests, and the premium subscription includes feedback from the mentor. Classes begin with choosing a language level, and then the lessons gradually become more complex.

Italki- a service for finding teachers and language partners. Book standard lessons with homework, ready-made course packages on the desired topic, or 30-minute conversation sessions with native speakers. // .

Colloquial Portuguese- English-language Portuguese tutorial for beginners; The step-by-step course consists of a textbook and audio recordings.

2 For beginners

Polyglot: Portuguese in 16 hours - a godsend course for those who learn Portuguese from scratch; a unique technique from the polyglot Dmitry Petrov, with the help of which you can master the language base in 16 lessons. With this reserve, you can confidently move on to higher levels.

3 Courses

- 10-day training on organizing the language learning process. Bonuses include: checklists, useful resources, activity tracker and planner. An assistant for those who need to learn a foreign language, but “don’t have the time.”

4 Dictionaries

Multitran- Portuguese-Russian and Russian-Portuguese dictionary.

Forvo- an audio dictionary where you can type any Portuguese word into the search and listen to it voiced by native speakers.

5 Applications

HelloTalk- an application for language practice with native speakers via correspondence or voice messages. // .

It’s probably no secret that live communication helps you quickly integrate into the language environment and make progress. Hi Jay! is a free app that allows users to search for nearby native speakers and make appointments to share cultural experiences. English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and even Chinese can now be learned over a cup of coffee in pleasant company. This practice helps improve your speaking foreign language skills, learn the mentality of people from other countries and discover linguistic features that are not written about in textbooks.

App Store and Google Play.

The application is one of the most popular among the Russian-speaking audience. Inside there are a variety of lessons that will help turn learning English into an exciting game. Instead of the familiar cramming from school, they suggest learning new things with the help of videos and songs, and memorizing the material by completing tasks that are interesting in terms of mechanics. To prevent you from abandoning the process, an element of gamification has been introduced: for completing the exercises, you are given meatballs with which you need to feed the lion. You don't want the lion to go hungry, do you?