Learning Portuguese from Spanish

What transfers from Spanish

If you speak Spanish well, you will understand a lot of written Portuguese from the first day. Much of the vocabulary has the same origin, and many words are the same or nearly the same. The grammar is close too:

• Two verbs for "to be", ser and estar, with many similar uses. Some choices differ between the languages.
• A simple past and an imperfect with many similar uses, but not identical rules for every past tense.
• A subjunctive in some similar contexts, such as wishes after espero que. The required tense can differ.
• Similar verb endings, gender, articles and word order.

Try a short beginner video first. If it is easy, try a harder one. Your Spanish may help you follow a transcript, but do not skip clear listening only because the written words look familiar.

Why listening can be harder than reading

Portuguese looks like Spanish and sounds less like it. Many Spanish speakers can read a Portuguese news article but cannot follow a Portuguese conversation. These are the sound differences that cause most of the surprise:

• More vowels. Spanish has five vowel sounds. Portuguese has open and closed e and o, which change meaning: avó (grandmother) and avô (grandfather).
• Nasal vowels. pão, mãe, bem, sim, põe. The -ão ending often matches Spanish -ón or -ano: canção / canción, mão / mano.
• Final vowels change. A final unstressed -o usually sounds like "u", so obrigado ends in a "u" sound. In Brazil, a final -e often sounds like "i".
• J, G and Z. J and soft G sound like the "s" in English "measure", not like Spanish jota. A single s between vowels sounds like "z": casa.
• LH and NH. Portuguese lh is often a palatal lateral sound, unlike the y-like sound many Spanish speakers use for ll. Portuguese nh is similar to Spanish ñ, though the exact sound varies: filho, espanhol.
• The strong R. At the start of a word and in rr, the Portuguese R is not rolled in most accents. In much of Brazil it sounds like an English "h": Rio.

European Portuguese adds a further step, because many unstressed vowels almost disappear. If you chose Portugal, expect your listening to need more time than your reading. Our Brazilian vs European Portuguese guide explains this.

Grammar that does not transfer directly

• Gostar de. Spanish says me gusta el café. Portuguese says eu gosto de café, with the person as the subject.
• Contractions. Prepositions join articles: no, na, do, da, pelo, num. They are short and easy to miss when you listen.
• Ter for "there is". Informal Brazilian speech often uses tem where Spanish uses hay: tem um problema. Standard written Portuguese also uses há.
• The future subjunctive. Portuguese still uses it in everyday speech: quando eu for, se você quiser.
• The personal infinitive. An infinitive can have a person ending: é melhor nós sairmos.
• Ficar. This verb does many jobs: to stay, to become, to be located. You learn it best from many examples in input.

False friends and similar words to check

These 14 comparisons show useful common senses, not complete definitions. Some words share other meanings. Check the sentence and the region before choosing a translation. Use the linked dictionary entries for more senses.

Esquisito commonly means strange, but older or less common senses can overlap with Spanish exquisito. Portuguese borracha can also be the feminine of borracho, meaning drunk. Portuguese pegar also has senses related to sticking. Treat these as warnings about context, not absolute opposites.

Note also that apelido means "nickname" in Brazil but "surname" in Portugal, while Spanish apellido means "surname". And in Brazil, cachorro is any dog, not only a puppy.

How to keep Spanish and Portuguese distinct

Learners sometimes transfer Spanish sounds, words or structures into Portuguese. The term portuñol can describe this mixture, but it also has wider uses in border communities. For study, focus on a clear goal: understand the Portuguese sentence, then use its actual sounds and wording.

1. Make listening a regular part of study. Reading and listening can develop at different speeds. You do not need to wait for a set number of hours before speaking.
2. Pair text with audio. Do not assume that a familiar spelling has a Spanish pronunciation.
3. Read along with what you hear. Transcripts and Portuguese subtitles connect the spelling to the real sound, and show you the contractions that you missed.
4. Choose by understanding. Try harder material when you can follow the meaning, not because a level label says you should.
5. Notice the small words. Então, ainda, já, também, né, a gente, tá. These do not exist in Spanish in the same form, and they make your Portuguese sound natural.
6. Try a Portuguese-only listening session. Separate sessions can help you focus. Direct comparisons with Spanish can also be useful.

Some channels are made with Spanish speakers in mind. Portugués con Philipe Brazuca is one example. If you are still working on your Spanish, our sister site Comprehensible input Spanish has a guide for that, and you can choose whether to study the languages together or at separate times.

For more on Portuguese sounds, see Jibber Jabber's Portuguese pronunciation guide.