How long to learn Brazilian Portuguese?

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Joseph Cartaphilus

For a Spanish speaker:

4-6 months to learn the basics, a lifetime to learn...

Much of the grammar is the same as Spanish, except for a few big things: object pronouns (which Brazilians don't quite get either), the future subjunctive, and the tendency to use the preterite instead of the present participle.

The pronunciation is difficult. In fact, it will spoil your Spanish after awhile, because many of the vowels that are closed in Spanish are open in Brazilian, making it sound like an American speaking Spanish with an accent (try saying "falou" vs. "falÃ³" and you'll hear what I mean).

Here are a couple of my favorite gotchas for us Spanish speakers:

vaso = toilet, not "glass"
pegar = agarrar, to get, not "pegar" as in to hit
correr (prounced "coger") = to run, not you-know-what
a gente = Brazilian for "we" or "us", not "those people" like it sounds
apellido = nickname, not last name
sobrenome = last name, not nick name

I love Portuguese. It is one of the prettiest languages I know, with some of the richest expressions and slang. Keep practicing your Spanish though, unless you want to trade one for the other!

In terms of books, I did not find "Com LicenÃ§a" to be helpful. Your best bet is to buy a concise grammar or one of those "Quick Study" guides from a college bookstore. For vocab, join a study group with a native speaker and some other Spanish speakers and read fun articles together.

Boa sorte!

J
SÃ£o Paulo, Brasil

Marcelito

took me about 2 years, but then more to get the way people use hte sentence, to get the sarcasm involved, the tone of a phrase how it would mean something different, u know just the typical Brasilian lingo, I mean if the language was more literal would be easier, but it aint...to much lingo involved....oh and this also after knowing fluent spanish.....

*atomickitty*

i recently lived in brazil for 4 years & i didn`t speak anything of the language before i went there, so it was a bit difficult for me...it`s quite easy to pick up the basics, but it does take some work to learn enough so that u can speak fluently & have yourself understood...after u get there, & are submerged in the language, hearing it spoken every day & all, u have no choice but to improve...u will have to learn, because not so many people speak english...if u speak spanish that will give u a bit of an edge, as the 2 languages are similar, but take care, because a word that is similar in both languages may have 2 entirely different meanings!!! as far as portuguese grammar, it`s terribly diificult (even brazilians struggle to learn it properly) & requires much more study than if u are just learning how to speak it, but it`s doable if u want to devote the time for a bit more intensive study...i would say a ballpark figure for learning enough vocabulary, pronunciation & slang to make yourself relatively fluent would be 3-4 months, depending on how intensively u study & whether u try to learn it before u go there, or after u arrive in brazil...i hope this helps a little!!! good luck!!!

MBR

Portuguese looks similar Spanish, but at the same time, it is a diferent language. Many words can be oposit meanings, so, it is better to take care to not make mistakes comparing them. I cannot say how long exactly can be necessary, but the best way to learn Portuguese in my opinion is study the language and try to live in Brazil for 1 year, 6 months in two diferent places. If you learn at Rio, for example, the accent is totaly diferent of SÃ£o Luis (capital of MaranhÃ£o). Rio has so much idiomatic expressions that are informal and SÃ£o LuÃs has a very traditional Portuguese. Mostly of people there speak the language very well.
So, good luck in your Portuguese lessons :)

kate

hmmm well my opinion is it might be a bit confusing since you speak spanish. but it can also help. if you live in brazil, it will definitely be much easier. i met people brish people who lived only for 6 months and speak very very well, and didn't speak any portuguese at all til they went to brazil. the gramatical part is very tough but to speak well it won't take too long

Star

It will depend of you. With Spanish is easier. You should talk with Brazilians. I think if you do it 6 months or 1 year.

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