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8 Key Differences Between European and Brazilian Portuguese

By: Eric Nelson Posted on Fri, 10-04-2020

Portuguese is the sixth most spoken language in the world after Spanish, English, Hindi, Arabic, and Chinese. It is native to 220 million people in the world. There are two variations of Portuguese: European Portuguese that is spoken in some countries of Europe, and Brazilian Portuguese which is spoken in Brazil. Both European and Brazilian Portuguese may seem similar to the non-speaker but they are different in their lexicon, pronunciation, grammar, and dialects.

Some words may sound reasonable in European Portuguese but they may sound insulting in Brazil Portuguese. So you need to know the difference between both.

In case you are targeting the Portuguese market, you need to hire professional Portuguese translation services for reliable translation in your desired variation.

Do Portuguese and Brazilian Understand each other?

Dialects of the language are different because of regional nuance. Portuguese and Brazilian are unable to understand each other because of pronunciation. This seems weird though Portuguese is originated in Portugal. Let's see Why this is so.

Portuguese people can understand the Brazilian language because many Brazilian immigrants came to reside in Portugal and Brazilian culture is famous in Portugal. Many Brazilian soap operas are telecasted on television during their family time. Moreover, Brazilian TV shows and music are also appreciated in Portugal. However, in Brazil,  the Portuguese culture and music is not much popular. 

Difference Between European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese

Let's take a look at the key differences between European and Brazilian Portuguese.

 Use of Tu’ vs. ‘você’

In Brazilian Portuguese people use Voce for both formal and informal communication whereas in European Portuguese this is not the case. People use Tu or Voce according to informal and formal communication in Portugal and the form of the verb changes accordingly.

 The Gerund

In Brazilan Portuguese, people use gerunds regularly whereas in European Portuguese people don't use gerunds. They use prepositions with the infinitive verb.

Pronunciation

The pronunciation of both European and Brazilian Portuguese is different. In Brazilian Portuguese people speak vowels with open mouths whereas in European Portuguese people don't pronounce the vowels and speak the words with a more closed mouth.

Pronunciation of consonants is also different in both languages especially the S at the end of the word. In European Portuguese, it is pronounced as SH and in Brazilian Portuguese, it is pronounced as SS.

Use of Pronouns

In Brazilian and European Portuguese personal pronouns are not used before the verb because they are differently conjugated with all the pronouns. But it is slightly more used in European Portuguese than in Brazilian Portuguese.

The best way to know the use of pronouns is by reading both languages. In Brazilian Portuguese, pronouns come before the verb and in European Portuguese, pronouns come after the verbs.

Spelling and New Writing Agreement

Although pronunciation is different in both languages, the spellings of the words are the same except for a few words. The writing agreement was signed in 2009 to keep the spellings of the words the same in both languages.

The main change was observed in European Portuguese in which many words have lost their silent consonants. This writing agreement got a very bad response from the European Portuguese side because it has made changes in the spelling of many words. It does not have much impact on Brazilian Portuguese.

Vocabulary

Just like American and British English, there are different words for the same thing in Brazilian and European Portuguese.

 Accents

When you hear Brazilian Portuguese it sounds really pleasant to your ears because of its open accent whereas European Portuguese doesn't sound much pleasant because of the eradication of vowels.

Is European Portuguese  Easy to Learn or Brazilian Portuguese?

If you don’t speak Italian or Spanish then the Portuguese language is not an easy choice to learn because when it comes to grammar, Italian and Spanish language is similar to Portuguese.

People who learn Brazilian Portuguese are of the view that they can easily understand and learn because Brazil pronounces all the words with an open accent which makes it easier to understand and it is not the same in the case of European Portuguese.

Where to Learn the Portuguese Language?

One can learn the language easily in the region where the language originated. While deciding where you should learn the language, you should keep some considerations in mind.

Portugal is a smaller country than Brazil and it is more like a European country whereas Brazil is a large country with tropical weather. One thing common in these both countries is their amiable people who try to speak your language and are always ready to help you whenever you need it.

Wrapping Up

Both the versions have small but distinct differences and you need to be consistent in your efforts to have expertise in your preferred version. Meanwhile, if you need any assistance, our professional Portuguese translation services are there to help you out. We provide fast and accurate translations in both the variations by native professionals.

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