With over 260 million speakers worldwide, Portuguese is the fourth most widely spoken language globally. It holds official status in four continents, namely Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia. Although its usage extends to various regions, Portugal and Brazil are the main countries where it is predominantly spoken. English speakers may find certain Portuguese words challenging to pronounce, particularly those containing nasal sounds. Consequently, some individuals may find it more manageable to learn the Brazilian accent, as it tends to have a more open intonation compared to European Portuguese.

However, if you are planning to relocate to Portugal, acquiring a solid grasp of the local language and mastering its correct accent can greatly facilitate your adaptation to the country and help foster stronger connections within the local community. To aid you in your language learning journey, this article provides an introduction to the fundamentals of Portuguese and offers the following valuable information: Approximately 95.6% of people in Portugal speak Portuguese as either their first or second language.

Portuguese is the primary language in Portugal, with Mirandese being recognized as the second official language. Mirandese is a unique combination of Leonese and Galician-Portuguese and is primarily spoken in rural areas surrounding Miranda do Douro in northern Portugal. A study conducted in 2020 revealed that Portugal is the second most polyglot nation in Europe, just behind Sweden. In addition to the local language, the majority of Portuguese people (91%) speak English, making Portugal one of the highest-ranking countries in terms of English proficiency worldwide, ranking 9th out of 111 countries. Other popular foreign languages spoken in Portugal include Spanish (52%) and French (39%). Therefore, if you choose to study in Portugal, it is likely that you will have the opportunity to learn at least one of these languages in school. Portuguese is the ninth most spoken language globally, with over 260 million people worldwide speaking Portuguese as their native language, as stated by the Instituto de Camões, an organization that promotes the Portuguese language.

Although Brazil has a higher number of Portuguese speakers, Portugal has the largest distribution of Portuguese speakers, with over 90% of the population speaking the language. Portuguese is also an official language in several African countries, including Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and Equatorial Guinea. Additionally, it is an official language in Asian countries like Macao and Sao Tome and Principe, which were former Portuguese colonies.

Furthermore, there are countries where a portion of the population speaks Portuguese. For example, there are 664,000 Portuguese speakers in the United States, and France boasts an impressive 813,000 speakers. However, it is worth noting that in France, Spain, and Romania, only a small percentage of students were learning European Portuguese as a second language as of 2019 (0.5% in France, 0.3% in Spain, and 0.1% in Romania).

Portuguese is a Romance language that originated in the Iberian Peninsula and evolved from Latin. It shares many characteristics with other Romance languages such as Spanish, Italian, Romanian, and French. Additionally, due to Portugal's historical connections, Arabic influence can be seen in the Portuguese language, serving as a reminder of Portugal's Muslim rule that spanned for five centuries.

The Testament of King Afonso II, dating back to 1214, is recognized as the oldest written document in Portuguese. However, it was not until the 16th century that the language was standardized, coinciding with the publication of the first Portuguese grammar book. This period also marked the beginning of the Portuguese colonization era, during which the language spread to various regions, including Africa and other continents.

The Portuguese dialect spoken in Portugal is generally referred to as European Portuguese, although there are several variations of the language worldwide. One notable difference among these variants is the pronunciation. For instance, in northern Portugal, it is common for people to substitute 'v' with 'b' when pronouncing words like vaca (cow), while those in the south often elongate their vowels.

Furthermore, there might be slight differences in vocabulary. For instance, sneakers are commonly referred to as sapatilhas in the north, but in the capital city of Lisbon, they are called ténis. Additionally, the Portuguese islands of the Azores and Madeira have unique accents that can be challenging for individuals from the mainland to comprehend.

It is worth noting that in the past, Brazil and Portugal had distinct written styles of Portuguese.

However, as a result of the implementation of the Portuguese Language Orthographic Agreement in 2008, a number of adjustments were made to words in order to create a more unified version of the language. An example of this is the word "óptimo" (meaning "great") which underwent a spelling change and is now spelled as "ótimo" without the silent consonant 'p'.

It is worth noting that there are still other ways in which the dialects of Portuguese in Brazil and Portugal can be distinguished. One such difference is in the way people address each other using the word "you". In Brazil, the informal term "você" is commonly used, whereas in Portugal, this is considered a formal term.

Another distinction lies in the usage of verb forms. Generally, Brazilians tend to use the gerund verb form more frequently, for example, using "estou comendo" (meaning "I'm eating"). On the other hand, the Portuguese prefer to use the infinitive form, saying "estou a comer" to convey the same meaning.

Additionally, it is important to be aware that certain expressions may have different meanings in the two countries. For example, in Portugal, the word "rapariga" means "girl", whereas in Brazil, it can be understood as "working girl".

Interestingly, the dialects of Portuguese spoken in Africa and Asia tend to be closer to European Portuguese. In countries like Angola and Mozambique, you may encounter slight variations of standard Portuguese.

Overall, while there have been efforts to create a more unified version of the Portuguese language, it is important to recognize and embrace the unique characteristics and variations that exist within its different dialects.

In many other countries, a creole language has been adopted, which is considered a distinct language by some, although some still view it as a dialect.

Portuguese, like most Romance languages, uses the Latin alphabet. However, the way the letters are pronounced can vary depending on the word and accentuation. Vowels in Portuguese can be open, closed, reduced, or nasal.

Portuguese has five vowels. Additionally, many Portuguese words have accents, such as "olá" (hello). These accents indicate where the stress falls in the word, resulting in a specific pronunciation. For example, in the word "olá", the acute accent on the letter 'a' represents an open pronunciation. A circumflex accent, as seen in the word "português", indicates a closed pronunciation, specifically for the letter 'e'. Portuguese also includes nasal sounds, which occur when a vowel is followed by 'm' or 'n', as well as in words with a tilde (~), like "cão" (dog).

It's important to note that if a word in Portuguese doesn't have an accent, the stress usually falls on the penultimate syllable. For instance, the word "comida" (food) is pronounced as "co-MI-da".

In Portuguese, when words end with a diphthong (two vowels that form a single sound), such as the 'au' in the word 'carapau' (mackerel), the stress is placed on the last syllable. This rule also applies to words ending with 'i', 'l', 'r', 'z', 'im', 'um', 'ins', and 'uns', like 'papel' (paper). It's worth noting that while Portuguese consonants generally sound similar to English, there are some exceptions.

In Portuguese, nouns are categorized into two genders: feminine and masculine. Although there are a few exceptions, generally feminine nouns end in 'a', while masculine nouns end in 'o'. The article used before the noun also changes according to the gender and whether the word is singular or plural. For example, words ending in '-ã', '-e', and '-iz' can also be feminine, such as 'irmã' (sister), 'saúde' (health), and 'atriz' (actress). On the other hand, there are some nouns ending in '-a' that are masculine, like 'mapa' (map).

Portuguese verbs can be particularly challenging to learn. Even regular verbs can have more than a dozen variants, although only a few are commonly used in daily language.

In Portuguese, the end of the verb changes depending on who is performing the action and when the action occurs. This is similar to other languages that have different verb tenses to express the past, present, or future. In Portuguese, verbs are categorized into three groups: those ending in -ar, -er, and -ir. Each group has its own set of rules and exceptions, so it is important to dedicate time to learn them. Fortunately, there are many resources available that can assist you in practicing the Portuguese language.

Like English, Portuguese typically follows a subject-verb-object sentence structure. This means that the person performing the action appears at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the action and the object it affects. For example, "A Ana quer um café" translates to "Ana wants a coffee".

In Portuguese, questions are indicated by a question mark and often have a rise in pitch at the end when spoken. For instance, "Queres uma maçã?" means "Do you want an apple?" Another way to ask questions is by using question words such as "quem?" (who?), "o quê?" (what?), "quando?" (when?), "qual?" (which/what?), "porquê?" (why?), "onde?" (where?), or "aonde?" (to where?).

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Below is an example conversation in Portuguese: "Quando é que chegas?" (When do you arrive?) and "Onde é que estás?" (Where are you?). When you move to Portugal, it's helpful to learn a few other phrases. Similar to other European languages, Portuguese allows for different ways of addressing people depending on your relationship with them. In European Portuguese, there are two levels of politeness. However, it's important to note that this can vary in Brazil depending on the region. Typically, you would use "tu" when addressing a friend and "você" when speaking to someone you don't know well. When addressing a group, "vocês" is commonly used, which can be either formal or informal. If you wish to be extra formal, you can use "o senhor" or "a senhora" (Mr. or Miss), or the plural forms "os senhores" and "as senhoras". It's worth noting that the verb endings will change depending on the type of 'you' being used. While many people in Portugal speak English, learning the local language is a fantastic way to connect with the locals if you plan on moving to the country.

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By learning Portuguese, you can greatly enhance your employment prospects and improve your ability to handle administrative tasks, including starting a business and even acquiring Portuguese citizenship.

The good news is that the Portuguese government offers free language learning courses for foreigners, known as Portuguese Host Language courses or PLA. In the past, 40% of students had difficulty completing these courses due to scheduling conflicts with their work hours. However, recent changes have been implemented to make the program more accessible.

Additionally, the Instituto Camões provides online courses in Portugal for a small fee, as well as in-person classes at its institutes worldwide. Many Portuguese universities also offer in-person lessons within Portugal.

To begin your Portuguese language learning journey, one convenient option is to download language-learning apps such as Babbel, Memrise, Drops, or Practice Portuguese. It's worth noting that some of these apps specifically focus on teaching Brazilian Portuguese.

Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that learning a new language requires time and dedication. Consider incorporating different methods of language absorption, such as reading books or listening to Portuguese music, to further enhance your learning experience.