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Portuguese Basics: Resources For Language Learners

Everything weve ever written about Portuguese, all in one place.

Of all of the challenges of learning Portuguese, theres one thing you dont have to worry about: not having enough resources to choose from. In fact, you might have the exact opposite problem. There are now so many ways to learn a language, it can be intimidating. Fortunately, we have an option for you: our guide to Portuguese basics. Here, weve compiled every resource we have for learning the language.

This guide roughly increases in difficulty as you go along, from the most basic vocab to the intricacies of the Portuguese language. Whether youre just starting out or have been studying Portuguese for a while, you might want to bookmark this page so you can return to it.

This guide also mostly focuses on Brazilian Portuguese basics, which you should keep in mind as you go forward. The Portuguese spoken in Brazil and Portugal are mutually intelligible, but there are certainly differences that might throw you off.

When figuring out a starting point, you cant go wrong with hello. In this section, we have guides to some of the most essential words and phrases youll need in Portuguese.

With these greetings, you can begin (and end) any conversation in Brazil. Lets get to it!

Ah, the subtle art of farewell. Not every bye works for every situation, so we put together a guide on what to say and when.

Everyone messes up sometimes. The best you can do is know how to apologize. Heres how to say sorry in Portuguese.

Hopefully you wont need to start cursing at someone. But if something does happen, you might as well have a few good zingers in your back pocket.

Portuguese is nothing if not a language of warmth. Its never a bad idea to learn how to deliver a few cute and nice compliments in Portuguese.

For all of your shot-shooting needs, heres a complete guide to asking someone out in Portuguese.

Essential Brazilian Portuguese Phrases

If you only learn 10 phrases in Portuguese before you go to Brazil, these slang terms are the ones to remember. You wont be able to do much more than greet friends and order beers, but youll sound very local.

A Guide To The Most Common Brazilian And Portuguese Phrases

Lets dive into some idioms and proverbs that will help you make your Portuguese sound more authentic.

Make the most of your upcoming trip to Brazil by focusing on these Brazilian Portuguese phrases ahead of your flight abroad.

What are the most important Portuguese verbs and how are they conjugated? Weve prepared a learning guide to help you get familiar with the most common verbs.

10 Portuguese Proverbs To Add To Your Vocabulary

Adding a few proverbs to your lexicon will make you sound like a natural.

These articles highlight some of the biggest difficulties youll run into when learning Portuguese. Even better, they offer solutions for you.

5 Very Good, Very Specific Tips To Learn Portuguese

A lot of language tips give you advice that can be applied to learning any language. Here are a few that will help you specifically with Portuguese.

A Pronunciation Guide To The Portuguese Alphabet

Here, well break down the Portuguese alphabet and cover some of the most common letter pronunciations that might give you trouble.

Words You Might Struggle To Pronounce

Pronunciation is one of the toughest parts of learning a new language. Here are a few words that even the quickest learners might have trouble with, and some tips on how to overcome these problems.

A Brief Introduction To Portuguese Accent Marks

At first glance, the symbols above the vowels and the little leg below the letter C might not make a lot of sense to Portuguese learners.

Portuguese numbers are fortunately not too tricky, and youll want to learn how to use them so you can tell time and write the date with ease.

I know, I know. You came here to learn a language, and now you have to learn math. Dont worry, its mostly painless!

Time is tricky. It can be one of the most confusing things to learn in a new language (even in English, the half pasts and quarter tills are a bit weird). Heres a guide to start mastering the subject.

Mark your calendars! Todays the day to learn how to write the date in Portuguese (as well as learn the months of the year and the days of the week).

Building up your vocab takes time. Here are several vocab lists that will help you tackle various topics in the Portuguese basics universe. Every list includes English translations, as well as recordings of a native speaker pronouncing each word and phrase.

Whether youre going to a zoo or trekking out into nature, an encounter with animals wont be complete if you dont know their Portuguese names.

Naming the parts of your body can come in handy in any number of situations, so here are the terms youll need to know.

Roses arevermelhas, violets areazuis. Learn the colors in Portuguese so you can befeliz! Heres a brief guide.

Learn all the words and phrases youll need to talk about your family (or anyone elses).

Expressing your emotions in your native language is hard enough. Now its time to talk about feelings in another language.

If you go to a new place and dont try the food, did you really go there? Prepare for your food travel by brushing up on Portuguese vocabulary.

Whether you like art, sports or thrift-shopping, learning how to talk about your free time is one of the best ways to work on your small talk.

More and more communication is being done online. To keep up, youll need to study tech and internet vocabulary. After all, emoji will only take you so far.

Portuguese Transportation Vocabulary

Getting around a new city where you dont speak the language is quite a challenge. Learning the words for the various modes of transport will definitely give you a leg up.

Ah, weather. One of the best or worst topics of conversation, depending on who you ask. If youre trying to start chatting with someone in Portuguese, though, you could do worse than talking about the unseasonable heat.

At some point in your language learning journey, you might need to tell your friends to gather in the kitchen.

Learning a language isnt all about vocab lists and conjugation charts. Here are movies, books, Twitter accounts and more to supplement the Portuguese basics weve already covered.

Brazil and Portugal arent the biggest moviemaking countries in the world, but theyve both put out excellent films youll want to watch (with subtitles, possibly).

Sometimes, youre not in the mood to study a new language. Youd rather veg out in front of the television. Fortunately, theres a way to combine the two activities!

Podcasts are a great way to supplement your language learning, because you can listen to them whenever. Here are a few of our favorites for learning Portuguese.

Been slaying those language lessons? Come up for air and supplement your learning with one of these Portuguese books.

Twitter might not sound like the best place to learn, but following Portuguese-language accounts is a good way to inject a little vocabulary into your day-to-day life.

You learned the Portuguese basics now its time to see how well you retained that information.

Do You Know The Days Of The Week In Portuguese? Quiz

Sure, we could just tell you how to say the days of the week. But why not test your knowledge?

Do You Know The Colors In Portuguese? Quiz

Without colors, the world is all, well, black and white. See how well you know your colors in Portuguese.

How Much Do You Know About Portuguese? Quiz

Whether you speak Portuguese or not, its good to know some basic facts about the language. Test your knowledge by taking this Portuguese quiz!

Moving past the Portuguese basics, its also good to know some information about the language and its history. Here are all our articles about Portuguese and its dialects.

How Many People Speak Portuguese, And Where Is It Spoken?

Here, we provide a brief history of the Portuguese language and the data as to where its spoken.

The Top 5 Reasons To Learn Portuguese

Maybe youre on the fence as to whether Portuguese is really the best language for you to learn. Or maybe youve been learning it for a little while and need to remind yourself why you started. Either way, here are some of the top reasons to learn the language.

Top Portuguese-Speaking Countries That Arent Portugal Or Brazil

Portuguese is mostly associated with Portugal and Brazil, but those definitely arent the only countries with people who speak the language.

Portuguese Expressions That Are Essential To Understanding Brazil

Learn these 14 Portuguese expressions from Brazil and youll be a step closer to understanding Brazilian humor (and the Brazilian way of life).

Brazilian Portuguese Vs. European Portuguese

As mentioned, most of the guides on this list focus on Brazilian Portuguese. But whats the difference between these two varieties of the language?

When you learn a language, you usually only learn about the standard dialect. Theres more to a language than just that, though.

How To Host The Perfect Portuguese Dinner Party

Save the airfare and bring Portugal to you! Try using these recipes and phrases for a deliciously authentic Portuguese dinner party.

Thomas grew up in suburban Massachusetts, and moved to New York City for college. He studied English literature and linguistics at New York University, but spent most of his time in college working for the student paper. Because of this, he has really hard opinions about AP Style. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and getting angry about things onTwitter. Hes spent a lot of time trying to learn Spanish, and has learned a little German.

Thomas grew up in suburban Massachusetts, and moved to New York City for college. He studied English literature and linguistics at New York University, but spent most of his time in college working for the student paper. Because of this, he has really hard opinions about AP Style. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and getting angry about things onTwitter. Hes spent a lot of time trying to learn Spanish, and has learned a little German.

How Many People Speak Portuguese, And Where Is It Spoken?

Did you know that Portuguese is the most spoken language in South America? Read on for more fun facts about Portuguese.

The Top 5 Reasons To Learn Portuguese

Want to finally learn a foreign language, but cant decide which one? Besides the obvious benefits that learning any language brings, here are our top 5 reasons to learn Portuguese.

The 7 Best Films For Learning Portuguese

Supplement your language-learning with some of the greatest films in Portuguese.