Learning Portuguese

Practise reading Portuguese literature – and when you do so, try to read aloud if at all possible. Read slowly enough to be able to pronounce every word clearly – don’t be tempted to rush, as clarity is more important, and your speed will naturally increase over time anyway. Also listen carefully to educated native Portuguese speakers whenever you get the opportunity (hint: you can access Portuguese TV and radio over the internet). Note the inflection in their voice, their rhythm and intonation, and of course their pronunciation. Try to copy the accent by doing an impression of a native speaker whose voice you are familiar with. Imagine the sound of that person talking, and try to read in the way that he or she would.

As with any language, those who are familiar with it will tend to neglect the formal rules of pronunciation. Sometimes, modifications of pronunciation become common and are even adopted as the standard pronunciation. There are also influences from other countries and languages, so the pronunciation and grammar of any language are always in a state of evolution. For example, it is quite common to hear Portuguese speakers say ‘tá’ instead of ‘está’ – the ‘sh’ sound gets lost completely. These variations and peculiarities will gradually become apparent as you hear more of the spoken language.

A lot of beginners worry that if their accent sounds too authentic, people will assume that they are fluent and fire a barrage of rapid Portuguese at them. Even if this does happen, try to view it as a compliment! As long as you know how to say "I don't understand" (não entendo), it doesn't really matter if people mistake you for a native (which is unlikely anyway!) – it is much better to sound as authentic as you can, because this makes you much more understandable. Just think about how difficult it is for us to understand a foreign person who has a very strong accent! Your efforts to mimic the accent will be appreciated by those you talk to.

Comments

Cool site!
Written by Chris D on 2007-01-26 20:15:15 IP: 86.151.236.40

"A lot of beginners worry that if their accent sounds too authentic, people will assume that they are fluent and fire a barrage of rapid Portuguese at them."

Amen!! It's not helped cos I have dark hair and look kinda portuguese anyway.

On another point you made, I know you can get Portuguese radio news on www.tsf.pt, but where can I listen to Portuguese TV online? TV would be more helpful, since it gives you more to go on.

TV
Written by Administrator on 2007-01-28 10:14:56 IP: 80.3.128.6

You can find some Portuguese TV programmes here:

http://multimedia.rtp.pt
www.vit.io.pt/mediacenter/media_live.php (doesn't always work)

"A lot of beginners worry..."
Written by José Fernandes on 2007-06-15 16:54:55 IP: 193.136.177.1

"A lot of beginners worry that if their accent sounds too authentic, people will assume that they are fluent and fire a barrage of rapid Portuguese at them."
Please do not worry about it. Portuguese is not so simple. Unless you you have decades of practice, we will always notice that you are foreigner, and therefore we will speak slowly (if we are nice and educated people).

It is true
Written by Eva on 2007-06-28 12:19:55 IP: 82.37.241.161

It is true. You will never be so perfect in foreign language to people will thing you are Portuguese. So do not worry they will speak slowly. If not , ask them. You can be good, very good. Keep going and good luck. You will be good if you practice. Xao. Beijinhos.

Written by Nick on 2007-07-05 16:17:18 IP: 86.138.73.9

Very helpful, especially this page. Most books on Portuguese only give the s = sh value before t, f, p, q and c. Here I heard it before g in resguardar. Would only have liked a few more examples, e.g. nascer, descer.

Nick

Portuguese Video
Written by Jesse on 2007-07-27 16:48:39 IP: 189.13.75.198

You can watch Portuguese TV shows online here:

wwwitv.com/television/30.htm (Brazil)
wwwitv.com/television/169.htm (Portugal)

Questions
Written by Ian Proctor on 2007-08-05 11:58:10 IP: 90.194.6.139

I'm teaching myself some Portuguese before I head to Brazil for two weeks in October with my flatmate; I hate the assumption and lazy reliance that everyone will speak English. Plus, I love the challenge of learning a new language (one of which is not one of the more common tongues, such as French, German or Spanish) and I'd love be able to boast that I taught myself from scratch.

Anyway, I'm learning from a book only, and I have a couple of questions:

1. How do you pronounce "lhe"? Is it like "ele", which I say as 'ill'?
2. Is "o tempo" the noun for both the weather and the time? How do you work out which the speaker is refering to?
3. How do you work out when to use "nunca" and "jamais" for never, "ali" and "la" for over there and "aqui" and "ca" for here?
4. Am I correctly saying "-ões" as 'oyn(g)s'?
5. Why is "boa" the male version of 'good' and "bom" the female version? (I would expect "boa dia" and "bom tarde")

Thanks,

Ian Proctor

Answers
Written by Administrator on 2007-12-04 08:48:04 IP: 80.3.252.130

1. How do you pronounce "lhe"? Is it like "ele", which I say as 'ill'?

No (and in Brazilian Portuguese, 'ele' is pronounced more like 'ellie' anyway). Lhe is pronounce 'lyuh' - as one syllable (ie. the 'y' there represents the sound of 'y' as in 'yellow', not the sound of an 'i', like in 'fly').

2. Is "o tempo" the noun for both the weather and the time? How do you work out which the speaker is refering to?

Yes, but 'tempo' is only used for 'time' in a general sense - if you are talking about the time of day, it would be 'hora' (hour). The only way of knowing what the speaker is referring to is by the context.

3. How do you work out when to use "nunca" and "jamais" for never, "ali" and "la" for over there and "aqui" and "ca" for here?

'Nunca' is most common, 'jamais' is just a bit more emphatic. 'Ali' means 'over there' - ie. somewhere distant from both the person speaking and the person being spoken to. 'Lá' is a more general term for various situations. There is also another variation: 'aí' which is used when referring to a place near the person speaking. 'Aqui' is the 'proper' way of saying 'here', 'cá' is a less formal way. Generally, 'aqui' would be used in writing, 'cá' more in speech.

4. Am I correctly saying "-ões" as 'oyn(g)s'?

Well, I can't hear you, but yes, that would be how I would write it phonetically.

5. Why is "boa" the male version of 'good' and "bom" the female version? (I would expect "boa dia" and "bom tarde")

It isn't. 'Boa' is feminine, 'bom' is masculine. They are ajectives, so have to agree in gender with the noun they describe.

to Ian proctor
Written by Chris Velasquez on 2011-12-23 12:16:10 IP: 68.45.8.51

'Nunca" means "never." 'Jamais" means "never again."
"Aqui" means "here." "Cá" means "over here."

Jamais
Written by Administrator on 2007-08-17 14:18:18 IP: 80.3.252.130

We're in danger of going a bit off topic here, but jamais does not always mean 'never again'. In fact when used in a negative context, the English translation would be 'ever' (as in not ever). For example, 'Ninguém jamais o tratou assim' = 'Nobody ever treated him like that' (here jamais cannot be translated as 'never again', nor as 'ever again', but as an emphatic 'ever', as in 'not ever'). I hope this is not too confusing! :upset

Cá e Aqui
Written by Eliu on 2007-08-20 05:05:53 IP: 200.199.231.201

The words "Cá" and "Aqui" are the same thing.

Written by Ally on 2007-09-11 10:31:55 IP: 24.20.32.150

What does ta bem mean? There seem to be a lot of
'How are you'? in Portugese. Which one would be right to say?

Tá bem
Written by Administrator on 2009-05-11 08:43:23 IP: 80.3.252.130

As noted above, 'tá bem' is a shortened version of 'está bem', which means 'ok' (or more literally, 'it is well').

There are lots of ways to ask someone how they are in English as well! See this page for more about greetings: www.learningportuguese.co.uk/language/basic-greetings.html

Ca is also used in Brazil
Written by Eneias Feliciano on 2007-12-04 08:48:43 IP: 68.236.88.230

"Ca" is like an antonym for "la", the same way "aqui is an antonym of "ali".

Mr
Written by sumardy on 2007-12-04 05:32:48 IP: 124.81.85.178

how to pronounce "amaruga"?

thanks

Amargura
Written by Administrator on 2007-12-04 14:16:00 IP: 80.3.252.130

As far as I am aware, there is no such word as 'amaruga'. I suspect you mean 'amargura' (meaning 'bitterness'), which is pronounced (more or less) amar-gor-uh

Difficult name
Written by Jay on 2008-01-21 21:16:45 IP: 74.129.249.145

Can you tell me how to pronounce the name of the pianist Maria João Pires? (I think I've got the "Maria" part down, but I'm not too sure about the rest...)

Maria João Pires
Written by Administrator on 2008-01-22 09:32:02 IP: 80.3.252.130

João = Zhu-ow[ng] (Soft J, the 'o' sounding like a short 'u', and the 'ão' being a very nasal 'ow' [rhymes with 'cow']).

Pires = Peer-ezh (The 'es' has a very weak vowel sound - the 'e' almost disappears. It really only exists to give a little more contrast between the 'r' and the 's'.)

Pronunciation
Written by Janet on 2008-03-01 20:07:28 IP: 71.189.59.112

How do you pronounce Prazeres

Prazeres
Written by Administrator on 2008-03-04 13:50:19 IP: 80.3.252.130

Prazeres ("Pleasures") is pronounced more-or-less: praz-air-ezh

Excellent Language Guide website
Written by Graham on 2008-04-01 10:42:05 IP: 72.29.250.1

You have done an excellent job of providing guidance to those of us seeking to learn other languages, especially with the English pronunciation guide to Portuguese. This will be very helpful for a trip to Portugal later next year.

I've been learning Spanish now for over 3 years in this manner, and have found myself getting to about a sixty percent retained familiarity.
I have also done the same with Farsi, Mandarin, Russian and German years ago. Though at that time, I was provided assistance by very patient friends who would allow me to write out the English pronunciations of their languages. Luckily for me, I pick up languages relatively fast, with good tutors. Your website is definitely a good tutor for people.

Help with this sound
Written by Cam on 2009-03-26 10:25:39 IP: 99.191.180.81

This is a great site

I have been having trouble pronouncing words with "eu" in them. Words such as "deus", "seu", and things like that. Could someone please write out how to pronounce these? Thank you.

Eu
Written by Administrator on 2009-03-26 10:33:14 IP: 81.103.153.54

Deus and Deuses are featured on the consonants page, with sound clips: http://www.learningportuguese.co.uk/language/consonants.html

Adeus is featured on the basic greetings page, also with sound clips: http://www.learningportuguese.co.uk/language/basic-greetings.html

Eu, Seu and Meu are featured on the introductions page, again with sound clips: http://www.learningportuguese.co.uk/language/introductions.html

The sound is basically 'ayu', but the two vowels run into each other - sometimes to the point of almost becoming a single syllable.

Algarve - common speech
Written by Robert on 2009-08-02 12:28:50 IP: 81.152.9.215

Enjoying your site thankyou. I speak Portuguese when on holiday in the Algarve but feel embarrassed as I don't always understand what is being said back.....a common thing, I believe. I can get along nicely until someone says......."we had them last week but the delivery didn't come so it will be next Thursday".....if you see what I mean?! Will this just come with practise? I always get complimented on my speech.

Practise
Written by Administrator on 2009-08-03 08:34:26 IP: 81.103.153.54

The more listening practice you get, the easier it will become to pick out a few words and piece together roughly what was said. They tend to speak a little more slowly in the Algarve than elsewhere, and they are used to English tourists, so that should help! I find that I can understand the majority of what most Portuguese speakers say to me, but there are still a few people who speak so quickly and unclearly that I can barely catch a single word. :upset

Saul
Written by KiKi on 2009-09-26 12:59:06 IP: 70.177.93.9

How do you pronounce "Saul" in Portuguese?

Saul
Written by Administrator on 2009-09-27 13:38:05 IP: 81.103.153.54

Saul is pronounced 'sah-ool' - as 2 very distinct syllables (nothing like the English pronunciation!)

Sem, bem and tem
Written by Rus on 2009-12-17 15:37:48 IP: 213.48.124.162

I'm trying to sort out how to pronounce sem, bem and tem. When I was in Madeira this summer I asked a waiter how to pronounce sem (as in sem alcool) and the way he said it sounded like a hard e. Tem seems to be pronounced a bit like the English 'tie' plus a nasal ending for the m. I'm sure the locals understand howver I pronounce these words but I'm confused and would like to get it right!

Sem bem and tem again
Written by Rus on 2009-12-17 16:11:12 IP: 213.48.124.162

PS forgot to say how much I'm enjoying this site. Been working on learning Portuguese for a while and find your site complements the CDs I've bought really well. The comments and discussion are so useful, and you don't get that on a CD or in a book. Next step is to find someone local I can chat with in Portuguese.

Sem, bem, tem
Written by Administrator on 2010-01-01 08:54:52 IP: 81.103.153.54

Technically, sem, bem, and tem should all be pronounced with the same vowel sound - an open but nasal 'e' (see http://www.learningportuguese.co.uk/language/vowels.html). However, regional variations exist, and it may well be that in some places (such as Madeira) the pronunciation of some words differs.

Recommended Radio Stations?
Written by Marian on 2010-01-13 16:02:15 IP: 86.155.191.231

Hello, Thanks as ever for this great site. I wondered if anyone could recommend any European Portguese Radio Stations that are available online - that are similar to say Radio 3 or Radio 4? I have looked at this, and found so many radio stations, and tried several, but I have not yet found one that has a high proportion of speaking. A sports station would also be of interest to me, as I am a football fan.

I currently have RDP Portugal tuned in on my browser; but I know I would benefit from listening to more news and comment.
Many thanks for any suggestions. Muito obrigada.

RE: Recommended Radio Stations?
Written by João Sequeira on 2010-01-21 11:49:20 IP: 213.13.150.21

Here are some radios sations where you'll have plenty of speaking.
Radio Renascença - http://www.rr.pt/ (click "Emissão Online" on the top right corner)
TSF - (Click "Em Directo" on the top left)
Then you have all the public ones available at http://ww1.rtp.pt/radio/ (just click "Ouvir Emissão")

A note about eu
Written by Marcel on 2011-06-13 15:58:24 IP: 83.163.1.199

Apart from the sound 'eu' as in the Portuguese words eu, adeus, meu, seu, etc., one must not forget that there is a similarly written combination, éu, which is pronounced quite differently: céu (sky), chapéu (hat). In the 'eu' sound, the sound of the 'e' is closed, in that of 'éu' the e sound is open. In both cases, the sound of the 'e' is very short.

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