Learning a few Portuguese phrases is fun and easy for those who
enjoy the challenge. Language has to be practiced, it's a good idea
to find a few native Brazilians in your area and learn by listening
to them. The best way to learn a language is by starting out by
listening to it. There are many free Brazilian On-line Television
stations that you can also listen to.
For an English speaker to learn Portuguese, there are key sounds
to be aware of. Below are a few of the more difficult sounds to
master. Reading these will never give you an accurate sound however.
| ão |
Ow-n |
This is a very nasal
sound, the n is almost silent |
| ã |
Aa |
Very nasal, like
someone is pinching your nose closed. |
| RR |
HHr |
In Rio the Rs are
pronounced like a heavy H, it sounds German.(Ich, Ach) |
| r |
edeh |
The quick (one roll)
r is used everywhere in Brazil. Similar to Spanish. |
| S |
SH |
in Rio only, this
sounds like a heavy German SCH sound. |
|
Frases Portuguesas Brasileiras
In Florianópolis, there is a very diverse range of Portuguese
accents.
A result of so many Brazilians moving there from out of state. |
When reading and writing in Portuguese, remember that it is a phonetic
language, meaning that it's spoken and written the same, with a few exceptions.
Words like "Obstaculo" (obstical) are actually spoken
O-bee-sta-coo-loo. The reason is because there are no double-
consonant sounds in Portuguese. Words like Passport, are very difficult
for Brazilians and have to have a vowel added to make it PassAport.
Words with unwritten vowels in Portuguese:
| Obstaculo |
O-bee-sta-coo-loo |
obstical |
| Tecnologia |
Teh-kee-no-low-gia |
Technology |
| Significa |
Sig-ee-nee-fee-ca |
To mean |
| Magnetismo |
Mog-ee-neh-cheez-mu |
Magnetism |
| Admite |
Ad-jee-mee-chi |
Admit |
Another thing that is universally common is to ommit the final vowel,
or mumble it almost inaudibly.
Example: Gordo (Fat) can sometimes sound like "Gord", or
even, "Gort".
If you are just getting started speaking portuguese, you might want to
find a way to listen to it for a while before you even try to learn by
reading. There is a link to a list of Brazilian Television Stations at
the bottom of the page. If you'd prefer to learn by reading anyway, it
would help you to start by reading the Pronuciation on the far right of
the list. Remember, every letter has a different pronunciation than in
english, don't assume that you are saying something right if you've only
learned by reading. Keep your mind open, and don't filter what you hear
into how you think it should be spoken.
Key Tips for Reading in Portuguese
| Portuguese |
Phonetic |
English |
Explaination |
bom
Sim |
Boe-ng
Sing |
Good
Yes |
The M on the end of a word sounds like ng,
with the "g" being almost silent. |
| Lugar |
Loo -gahhr |
Place |
In Rio, The R on the end of a word
sounds like a heavy H that trails off into an english R. In other
places the H sound isn't as strong. |
| Coelho |
Co-ay-lyoo |
Rabbit |
An H after L N or M turns into a Y sound.
|
| Estar |
ih-stahr |
To be |
The E on the beginning of a word sounds
like the "I" in Win. |
| de Dinheiro |
Jee
Jee-Nyay-Roo |
Of
Money |
The D in front of an E or I sounds like
a J as in Jet |
| Ti |
Chee |
You |
The T in front of an I sounds like a CH
as in Chips |
| Cidade |
See-dah-gee |
City |
The E at the end of a word only sounds like
Eh if accented ( é ). Otherwise it sounds like EE as in Green,
or it can even be silent. |
| Janeiro |
Jzah-ney-roo |
January |
The J always sounds like the JZ sound in
Measure, or Treasure, or Zsa Zsa |
| Hora |
O-rah |
Hour/Time |
The H is always completely silent. |
| Brasil |
Brah - Zeew |
Brazil |
The L at the end of a word sounds like a
W or an OO sound. |
| Coração |
Co-rah-sow-n |
Heart |
The ç
is the same sound as the S in Sun |
| Lição |
Lee-Sow-n |
Lesson |
The ão sounds
like Ow fading into an N sound. |
Masculine or Feminine Nouns
Every noun in Portuguese is either masculine or feminine . Many articles
change like "The, One, Two, Your, That" depending on if the
noun is masculine or feminine. If it's masculine it usually ends in O
and the word used for "The" is "O". Like this: O Homen
(The Man).
If the noun is feminine, it usually ends in A and the word used for "The"
is "A". Like this: A Mulher (The Woman).
| |
The |
One |
Two |
The First |
That |
Your |
This |
| Car |
O Carro |
Um Carro |
Dois Carros |
O Primeiro Carro |
Aquele Carro |
Seu Carro |
Esse Carro |
| Man |
O Homen |
Um Homen |
Dois Homens |
O Primeiro Homen |
Aquele Homen |
Seu Homen |
Esse Homen |
| Woman |
A Mulher |
Uma Mulher |
Duas Mulheres |
A Primeira Mulher |
Aquela Mulher |
Sua Mulher |
Essa Mulher |
| House |
A Casa |
Uma Casa |
Duas Casas |
A Primeira Casa |
Aquela Casa |
Sua Casa |
Essa Casa |
| Signal |
O Sinal |
Um Sinal |
Dois Sinais |
O Primeiro Sinal |
Aquele Sinal |
Seu Sinal |
Esse Sinal |
| General |
A Geral |
Uma Geral |
Duas Gerais |
A Primeira Geral |
Aquela Geral |
Sua Geral |
Essa Geral |
| Irregular Nouns: A few examples of words that
don't follow the common rules. |
| O Dia |
The Day |
O Sistema |
The System |
| A Tribo |
The Tribe |
O Pirata |
The Pirate |
| O Programa |
The Program |
O Fantasma |
The Ghost |
| O Cinema |
The Movies |
O Grama |
The Gram |
| O Poema |
The Poem |
O Mapa |
The Map |
| O Problema |
The Problem |
O Samba |
The Samba |
| A Foto |
The Photo |
O Turista |
The Tourist |
Another thing to be aware of is that if you are a male, certain states
of being are always masculine,
and if you are female, certain states of being are always feminine.
These same states of being should also be used when talking about other
people.
Here are a few examples:
| Male Speaker |
Female Speaker |
|
| Obrigado |
Obrigada |
Thank You (I'm Obliged) |
| Estou Cheio |
Estou Cheia |
I'm full |
| Estou Cansado |
Estou Cansada |
I'm tired |
| Estou Zangado |
Estou Zangada |
I'm furious |
| Estou Louco |
Estou Louca |
I'm crazy |
Common Brazilian Portuguese Phrases
| English |
Brazilian Portuguese |
Port. sentence structure |
Pronunciation |
| Hi, how are you |
Oi tudo bom? |
Hi, Is everything good? |
Oyee Too-doo Bone? |
| I'm fine |
Tudo bem |
All's well |
Too-doo beng |
| Nice to meet you |
Prazer! |
Pleasure |
Prah-zehr |
| It's nice to get to know you. |
Prazer em te conhecer. |
Pleasure for that you to know. |
Prah-zehr eng chi co-nyeh-sehr |
| Likewise. |
Igualmente |
Equally |
Ee-gwaw-men-chee |
| What's up? |
Fala ai |
Speak there (you) |
Fal-la ah-ee |
| What is your name |
Qual é seu nome? |
Which is your name? |
Cwaw eh sey-oo no-mee |
| My name is Mike. |
Meu nome é Mike.
Eu me chamo Mike. |
My name is Mike.
I me call Mike. |
Mewu no-me eh Mike
Ewu me sha-mu Mike. |
| See you. (goodbye) |
Até mais |
Until more |
Ah-tey mai-ss |
| What time is it? |
Que horas são? |
What hours are? |
Ki o-das sown |
| Where are you from? |
Da onde você é? |
Of where are you? |
Dah own-j eh vo-seh |
| How old are you? |
Quantos anos você
tem? |
How many years you have? |
Cwan-towss ah-noz vo-seh
teng |
| I am hungry |
To com fome. |
I am with hunger |
Tow cowng foe-me |
| Thank You |
Obrigado, Obrigada
|
I am Obliged |
O-bree-gah-doo/ dah |
| Do you speak english? |
Você fala inglês?
|
You speak english? |
Vo-seh fal-la ing-leyss |
| I speak |
Falo. |
I speak |
Fah-lo |
| Do you know anyone that speaks english? |
Você
conhece algém que fala inglês? |
you know anyone that speaks inglish |
Vo-seh cone-yessy al-gang
key fah-la ing-lace |
| Where is the bathroom? |
Cadé o banheiro? |
Where is the bathroom |
Kah-Deh oo bahn-yay-roo |
| I like it here. |
Eu gosto da aqui. |
I like of here |
Ehwu gaws-too dah ah-ki |
| I like this place |
Gostei desse lugar. |
I liked of this place |
Go-stey dessy loogahr |
| I am fine. |
Eu estou bem. |
I am well |
Ehwu ess-tow beng |
| How are you? |
Como você esta?
Tudo bem? |
How are you?
All's well? |
Co-mow vo-seh ess-tah
toodoo beng |
| I don't speak very well. |
Eu não falo muito
bem. |
I no speak very well |
Ehwu nawm fall-o moo-een-too
beng |
| If I go now, I'll be there in 15 minutes.
|
Se eu for agora, estarei
aí em quinze minutos |
If I might go now, I will be there
in 15 minutes |
See - ehwu fohr ah-go-ra
es-ta-ray eng keen-zee mee-noo-toos |
| What are you doing? |
O que você está
fazendo?
Ta fazendo o que? |
The that you are making? |
Oo ki vo-seh ess-tah fah-zen-doo
Tah fah-zen-doo oo kay? |
| Whoever you are. |
Seja você quem for.
|
What could be you who might be. |
Say-zjah vo-seh cayn fohr |
| I am from New York. |
Eu sou de Nova Iorque.
|
I am of New York |
Ehwu sow dah No-vah Ee-or-kee |
| Wasn't Mike supposed to be here. |
Não era para o Mike
estar aqui? |
No was to the Mike to be here |
Nawm eda pah-rah oo Mike
ess-tahr ah-ki |
| Thank you very much. |
Muito Obrigado |
Very obliged / Obligated |
Moo-een-too O-bree-gah-doo
| da |
| Do you want more? |
Quer Mais? |
Want more? |
keyhr my-ss |
| Yes, I'd like more. |
Quero. |
I Want |
key-ru |
 |
Portuguese Learning Resources
Try listening to these Brazilians talking on live TV, don't worry
if you don't understand it, just listen closely to the sounds they
are making, try to immitate the sounds that are different to you.
The more you work on the sounds that sound "weird" to
you, the better your accent will be.
Brazilian
Television Stations
Exellent way of learning Portugese, just by listening for a few
minutes everyday.
English
words and their Portuguese Translations
List of the 500 most common words used in the English language |
Page Posts: 1
| NAME | CITY |
DATE |
| Frank Adams |
Massena |
March 31, 2009 |
Subject: List of the 500 most common words used in the English language---the
translation for second (item 401) is incorrect.
|
|
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