What is the best way to learn Portuguese?
There are now many apps, podcasts, books and YouTube channels you can use to learn a language. However, it has been proven that an in-person course or a virtual course leads to progress the fastest if you want to learn a language. Interaction with the language trainer and regular exchange increase motivation, and mistakes can be identified and corrected more quickly. By speaking during the course, newly learned vocabulary can be applied and grammar can be internalised. Apps, podcasts, songs, books, films, magazines, etc. can also be used in addition, so that you can engage with the Portuguese language in everyday life and in your free time. This will help you make even faster progress in Portuguese.
Differences between Brazilian and European Portuguese
If you pay attention to pronunciation, Brazilian Portuguese, with its open vowels, sounds more pleasant and softer to many people, while European Portuguese sounds somewhat mumbled. In Brazilian Portuguese, you can hear the melodic stress and it seems easier to understand at first. The reduced vowels in European Portuguese can therefore be more challenging at first.
Some words are also different in European Portuguese than in Brazilian Portuguese.
A brief overview with examples:
| German | Brazilian Portuguese | European Portuguese |
|---|---|---|
| Train | Trem | Comboio |
| Bus | Ônibus | Autocarro |
| Suit | Terno | Fato |
| Ice cream | Sorvete | Gelado |
| Cup | Xícara | Chávena |
| Refrigerator | Geladeira | Frigorífico |
| Brown | Marrom | Castanho |
