I spent my childhood immersed in both English and Portuguese. This dual language journey not only taught me linguistic diversity but also taught me that learning a new language is truly an art. At different stages of my life—childhood, adolescence, and adulthood—I learned new languages, including French, Japanese, and Turkish. This experience taught me that learning a new language isn’t difficult, but rather an interesting journey, if the right methods are adopted.
I’ve often seen people start learning Portuguese but quickly give up because they think it will be too similar to Spanish—but this isn’t entirely true. While the two ‘Romance languages’ share some similarities, such as grammar, word structure, and pronunciation styles, Portuguese has its own distinct identity.
Step One: Language Structure and Beginner Words
If you’ve never even heard of Portuguese, start with the basics. Beginner words, common sentences, and basic grammar will solidify your foundation. Your biggest ally in this step will be Google.
You can find thousands of free articles, videos, and practice materials for beginners online. Even tools like ChatGPT can help you answer basic questions.
Only when you feel you’ve exhausted the online information can you consider purchasing books or courses. It’s also crucial to find a partner to practice with. You can use Reddit or the Tandem App—both are completely free and have very active language exchange communities.
Step Two: Bookmark Free Resources
Now it’s time to gather the websites and tools that will guide you on your Portuguese learning journey. Below is a list of some great resources:
- LingoHut (Beginner level) – This is where you can start your first vocabulary and pronunciation exercises.
- LiveLingua Free Courses (Beginner to Intermediate) – This platform offers free courses for both beginners and intermediate levels.
- Português para principiantes – An online book with interactive exercises and audio clips.
- StreetSmartBrazil – A blog written in both English and Portuguese, focusing on vocabulary and idioms.
- Tá Falado (Intermediate level) – This podcast focuses on grammatical differences between Portuguese and Spanish.
- Lingua da Gente (Intermediate to Advanced) – An engaging podcast series with Portuguese and English transcripts.
- Portal Cafe Brasil (Advanced level) – A podcast featuring discussions in Portuguese only, focusing on complex vocabulary and social topics.
Additional Tools:
- Conjugação: An online conjugator for learning the correct forms of verbs.
- Dicio: A monolingual Portuguese dictionary — helpful in identifying pronunciation and gender of words.
- Tatoeba: A large collection of English-Portuguese example sentences.
Step Three: Building Vocabulary
Words are the soul of a language. Speaking without vocabulary is nearly impossible. So, focus on learning everyday words in the beginning. Below are some topics to start with:
- Words related to introductions and meeting people
- Family members
- Places and buildings (like hospitals, libraries, etc.)
- Words for animals, colors, time, and numbers
- Words related to transportation, professions, and school
- Phrases related to food, emotions, and travel
If you don’t want to look up every word yourself, use the Memrise app. This is a free platform where you can memorize words through spaced repetition.
Step Four: Foundations of Portuguese Grammar
Now that your vocabulary is solid, it’s time to learn grammar. Grammar is the framework that makes a language meaningful. Below are some important grammatical points you should pay attention to:
- Sentence structure and placement of adjectives
- Verbs in the present, past, and future tenses
- Plural forms of nouns
- Connecting words (and, or, but, etc.)
- Pronouns and possessive forms (my, his, their, etc.)
- Verbs used in special situations (Ser/Estar, Poder/Conseguir)
- Comparison and contrast words (more/less, better/worse)
- Verb commands (Imperative Mode)
- Conditional sentences and subjunctive forms
- Prepositions (Para, Por, De, Em, etc.)
After mastering these points, you will be able to speak and write effectively in Portuguese.
Step Five: Practice, practice, and only practice!
No language can be learned by simply reading—it must be lived. Therefore, regular practice—speaking, writing, listening, and reading—is essential.
Speaking Practice:
If you don’t have a partner, find a language partner on Reddit or Tandem. If you want to practice alone, try the “shadowing” technique by listening to podcasts—repeating sentences as you listen. Record your voice and listen back to it later to identify mistakes.
Writing Practice:
Write a little bit in Portuguese every day. This will clarify your thoughts and strengthen your grammar. You can start with these topics:
Explain
- Write your travel list or dream career
Gradually, you’ll feel confident, and your writing style will become natural.
Conclusion: Consistency is the key to success
Learning any new language doesn’t happen overnight. The journey to learning Portuguese requires time, patience, and practice. It’s natural to make mistakes—but those mistakes become stepping stones to further progress.
If you follow these five steps diligently—using resources, focusing on vocabulary and grammar, and practicing consistently—you’ll undoubtedly be fluent in Portuguese.
Learning Portuguese isn’t just about learning a language, but about stepping into a world of new cultures, new ideas, and new opportunities.
