How to Speak Portuguese (Portugal)

Co-authored by Israel Vieira Pereira, PhD

Last Updated: September 15, 2021 References Approved

Learning Portuguese will open up a world of art, travel, and culture for you. As you study, make sure you differentiate between common accents. If you'd rather travel in Brazil, learn to speak Brazilian Portuguese. However, if you want to travel to Portugal, there are many things you can do to learn to speak like the Portuguese. Practice your Portuguese speaking with a European Portuguese speaker. Immerse yourself in the music and art of Portugal. Most of all, enjoy the beautiful sounds of this rich, musical language.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Studying Basic Portuguese Vocabulary

1
Learn a few greetings. Practice saying ordinary phrases so you can carry on a casual conversation in any situation:^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Hello!: Olá "oh-la"
- What is your name?: Chomo se chama? Say it: "KO-m's'SHA-ma"^{[2]
  X
  Research source}
- My name is…: Chamo-me "SHA-mo may"
- Sir/Ma'am...: Senhor, Senhora..."SAYN-yor"
- How are you?: Como está?/Como vai?/Tudo bem? "KO-mu esh-TA"
- I'm well, thank you: Estou bem, obrigado(a). "SHTOO-baym, ob-ree-gah-doo/ah"
- Nice to meet you: Encantado(a) "AYN-can-tah-doo/ah"
- Have a nice day!: Tem um bom día! "TAYM oom bom DEE-ya"
- Goodbye!: Adeus "AH-day-osh"
2
Master some basic conversational phrases. Practice polite phrases like "please" and "thank you." Learn a few ways to communicate your understanding or confusion.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- Yes: Sim "seem"
- No: Não "now"
- Sorry: Desculpe! "desh-KOOLP"
- Excuse me: Com licença!/Desculpe!/Perdão!
- Thank you: Obrigado(a) "OB-ree-GAH-doo/ah"
- Please: Por favor "poor fah-VOR"
Advertisement
3
Learn key travel phrases. If you will be traveling in Portugal, learn some of the basic questions and statements you will need to get around:^{[4]
X
Research source}
- I understand: Compreendo
- I don't understand: Não compreendo
- Can you say that again, please?: Pode repetir isso, por favor?
- Turn left: Vire à esquerda
- Turn right: Vire à direita
- Straight ahead: sempre em frente
- Towards the...: em direcção à...
- Past the...: Depois do...
- Before the...: Antes do...
- Will you show me on the map?: Você pode me mostrar no mapa?
- Where's the bathroom?: Onde está a casa de banho
- Where is the train station? Onde está a estação de comboios?
4
Practice your shopping and restaurant vocabulary. Learn how to ask for rooms, order off a menu, and talk to shopkeepers.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Is there a table available?: Tem uma mesa livre?
- What do you serve? O que tem?
- I'll have this: E ísto para mim
- The bill please: A conta por favor.
- How much does this cost?: Quanto custa?
- I’m just looking: Estou só a ver, obrigado(a)
- What time do you open/close?: A que horas abre/fecha?
- Do you have any rooms available?: Tem um quarto livre?
5
Learn how to count in Portuguese. Portuguese numbers sometimes reflect the gender of the word they are applied to. For instance, if you are talking about a woman, you would say "uma mulher," but for a man you would say "um homem."^{[6]
X
Research source}
- 1: um (m) uma (f)
- 2: dois (m) duas (f)
- 3: três
- 4: quatro
- 5: cinco
- 6: seis
- 7: sete
- 8: oito
- 9: nove
- 10: dez
- 11: onze
- 12: doze
- 13: treze
- 14: quatorze
- 15: quinze
- 16: dezesseis
- 17: dezessete
- 18: dezoito
- 19: dezenove
- 20: vinte
- 21: vinte e um (m) vinte e uma (f)
- 100: cem
- 1000: mil
- 1 million: um milhão
- 1 billion: um bilhão

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Studying Portuguese Letters and Pronunciation

1
Practice consonant sounds. While most of the letters in the Portuguese alphabet are the same as they are in English, some are pronounced quite differently than you might expect.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- "C" is pronounced as a hard "k" sound, unless it is followed by an "e" or "i."
- "G" is usually hard, as in the word "goal." If followed an by "e" or an "i," it should be pronounced like a soft "j" sound.
- "H" is not pronounced if it begins a word. If it comes after an "l"or "n" it makes a "y" sound. When paired with a "c" to spell "ch," the sound they make is "sh."
- "J" is always soft. Pronounce it like the "s" in "pleasure."
- "S" is often just like it is in English. However, it sounds like "sh" or a soft "j" if it ends a sentence, or if it comes before a consonant, including the first letter of the following word. Between vowels, it sounds like a "z."
- "V" is usually "v" like in English, but areas of Northern Portugual reflect some Spanish influence and pronounce it more like "b."
- "X" tends to sound like a mixture of a soft "j" and "sh," but can also be said "ks," "z" and "s." It changes depending on the word.
2
Pronounce some letters differently when they end a word. M, N, and Z all make unique sounds when they end a word in Portuguese.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- "M" and "N" are pronounced as they are in English unless they come at the end of the word. If they end a word, they are pronounced as a nasal "ng" or "ny" sound, almost as if the word is being swallowed.
- "Z" is as it is in English unless it ends a word. If it ends a word, it's pronounced like a soft "j," unless the following word starts with a vowel, in which case you can say "z."
3
Learn how to roll your "R"s. The letter "R" does not sound like the English "R." It is rolled, swallowed, or tapped, depending on where you are in the Portuguese-speaking world. In Portugal, an "r" that appears in between vowels is pronounced with a single tap to the upper palate, as it is in Spanish.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- An "r" that begins a word, begins a syllable, or is followed by another r ("rr") is rolled at the back of the throat.
4
Memorize the diacritic marks. Diacritic marks indicate unusual pronunciation or stress of a letter in a Portuguese.^{[10]
X
Research source}
- If there's a tilde ("~") over a letter, you should say that letter through your nose.
- A cedilla under the letter "c" ("ç") means the "c" should be pronounced like an "s" despite the absence of any "e" or "i."
- A vowel with a circumflex ("ê") should be stressed and pitched high.
- A vowel with an accent ("á") should be stressed and pitched low.
- A vowel with a grave (" à") indicates a contraction of two vowels. It is not stressed: for instance, "a aquela" would be "àquela"
5
Pronounce most words with stress on the penultimate syllable. As in Spanish, much of Portuguese vocabulary can be stressed on the second to last syllable. Most words that end with a vowel, an s, an –em, -vel, or –il, can be pronounced in this way. However, there are exceptions:
- A syllable with an acute or circumflex mark (á, â) is always stressed. For example, "multíssimo" should be stressed on the second syllable.
- A word that ends with a diphthong (double vowels) with a tilde (ão, ãe or õe) should be stressed on this final syllable. For example, "coração" is stressed on its final syllable.
- Stress some words on the third to last syllable. Some words that end in -as, -ea, -es, -eo, -io, -va and –ua, and verbs that end in –mos, are stressed on the third to last syllable.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Immersing Yourself in Portuguese

1
Sign up for a class online or in person. Portuguese is a fairly international language, and it may be possible to find classes in your area. If you can't find anything nearby, look online for MOOCs and other online courses that offer video conferences where you can practice speaking with teachers and other students.
- Look for language schools in your area.
- Some community colleges may offer classes you can take.
- Search online to see if there are any Portuguese cultural centers near your town.
2
Find a tutor if you can't find a class. You may also want to hire a tutor if you aren't getting enough one-to-one conversation time in your class. Depending on where you live, it can be easier or harder to find a native speaker who can tutor you in Portuguese. Contact the language department of any college or university in the area to ask if they have tutors.
- Consider posting "Portuguese tutor wanted" ads on Craigslist or any local message boards.
- Ask your friends if they know any native speakers, teachers, or advanced students of Portuguese.
- If you know of other students of Portuguese in your area, organize a meet-up group so you can practice speaking together.
3
Listen to Fado and other music with lyrics in Portuguese. Tune into radio stations or podcasts that play Portuguese music, or listen to music you find on Youtube or your preferred streaming service. Look up world music compilations for ideas, as many include music with Portuguese lyrics.
- Enjoy traditional Fado music sung by singers like Amalia Rodrigues or Cristina Branco.
- Check out the delicate polyphonic arrangements of Cante Alentejano, a musical style from the Alentejo region of Southern Portugal.
4
Watch Portuguese movies and TV shows. A great way to get into the rhythm of conversation in Portuguese is to watch movies and tv shows. If you are a beginner, try watching with the subtitles on (in Portuguese, if possible).
- Check out classics of Portuguese cinema like Aniki-Bóbó.
- Watch children's cartoons that Portuguese children enjoy! Check out Tic Tac Tales or Romance da Raposa.^{[11]
  X
  Research source}

Printable Phrase Guides

Pocketbook of Common Portuguese Words and Phrases

Free Portuguese Language Resources

Expert Q&A
Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow

Question

What's the best way to learn Portuguese?

Israel Vieira Pereira, PhD
Portuguese Translator
Israel Vieira Pereira is a native Brazilian Portuguese speaker. He works as a translator and proofreader.

Israel Vieira Pereira, PhD

Portuguese Translator

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Immersing yourself in Brazilian and Portuguese culture is a great way for a beginner to learn the language. Watch movies with subtitles to learn pronunciation and you should also listen to popular music. Understand, though, that the Portuguese language is very different in Brazil than in Portugal.
Question

I'm from Portugal and I don't say "um bilhao" (1 billion), I say "um milhar de milhao". Can you please correct this?

Tom De Backer

Top Answerer

As far as I can find, in Portuguese both expressions exist. Some say one, others say the other. Whatever the case, feel free to edit the article yourself. You can add a tip at the bottom, or include a sentence somewhere in the text that points out that both options exist. I wouldn't delete "um bilhao" option and replace it with your preference, because then others may come back and claim you're wrong and it never ends. Also, feel free to improve other articles as well, if you can.