Learn Portuguese with Babbel’s fun, efficient lessons

If you've always wanted to learn Portuguese, you’re not alone: millions of people study the language every day around the world. And it’s no wonder! Portuguese is a language that has a rich culture and history. The Portuguese language can take you around the world, from South America to Europe to Africa. If you’re ready to jump in right now, you can try a free Babbel lesson and see how quickly it’ll get you started speaking the language. But if you need a little more convincing, read on to learn about why you should learn Portuguese (as well as a few tips to help you along the way).

The Benefits Of Learning Portuguese

When you start learning Portuguese, it’s a good idea to have a specific motivation in mind (something more specific than “I want to learn it.”). If you’re reading this, you probably already have an idea of why you want to learn Portuguese, but here are a few benefits that might inspire you.

• Travel — Some of the most beautiful travel spots reside in Portuguese-speaking regions. Whether immersing yourself in Rio de Janeiro's carnival, exploring Lisbon's seven hills, or strolling along Cape Verde's pristine white sand beaches, possessing even basic Portuguese skills will enhance your experience.

• Culture — From Fado music to the writing of Fernando Pessoa, the Portuguese language is rich in art and history. Learning to speak and read it will give you access to a deeper understanding of everything the language has to offer.

• Connection — With over 260 million speakers, Portuguese is one of the most spoken languages in the world. By learning the language, you’ll be unlocking a way to really communicate with many, many people.

• Career  — Brazil is one of the largest economies in the world, and knowing Portuguese can enhance job prospects in fields including business, tourism, and international relations. The language is a great addition to your resume, whether you’re moving to South America, Europe, or somewhere else.

Should You Learn Brazilian Or European Portuguese?

When starting to learn Portuguese, there are two main choices: European or Brazilian Portuguese. Despite their mutual intelligibility, variations in vocabulary and pronunciation exist, making it advisable to concentrate on one dialect, at least initially. The best option really depends why you’re learning: if you are planning a trip to Portugal, then European Portuguese makes more sense. That said, if you’re really not sure, we would recommend Brazilian Portuguese. There are far more speakers of the language, and it’s the variety of the language that Babbel focuses on.

A Few Basic Portuguese Lessons

If you’re not very familiar with the Portuguese language, it may be helpful to get a very brief introduction to the language. That way, you’ll know what you’re in for. There are certainly some challenges, but with a little studying you’ll be a master of them in no time!

Portuguese pronunciation incorporates nasal vowels, indicated by an accent mark (~) or followed by "m" or "n." Some letters, like "r" pronounced as "h" at a word's beginning, may differ from English expectations. English speakers also usually find Brazilian Portuguese a little easier to understand than European because the vowels are more clearly pronounced. With both, though, the pronunciation of a word is pretty consistent with how it’s spelled.

Moving to Portuguese vocabulary, there are a decent number of cognates with English. Though Portuguese is Romantic and English is Germanic, English has a large number of loanwords from Latin, which makes the language a little easier to understand. It shouldn’t be too different from tackling other Romantic languages like Italian or Spanish.

There are a few tricky aspects of Portuguese grammar, too. Nouns have a gender—either feminine or masculine—affecting the use of adjectives and articles (o, a). Verb forms change endings based on the sentence's subject. Despite initial complexities, rest assured; the intricacies become familiar with practice, enabling a smooth learning process.

Our Expert Tips To Learn Portuguese Quickly

• Practice a little every day. Like any skill, you’re going to build up your ability over time. If you want to make steady progress, that means committing to practicing every day (or almost every day). You don’t necessarily need to set aside hours and hours, though. Just a few short lessons a day will keep your skills sharp.

• Get speaking early and often. It’s a common mistake to start studying a language on your own without ever opening your mouth. If you want to prepare yourself for speaking to other people in Portuguese, you need to work on that pronunciation. You don’t have to start with another person, though, you can test yourself with AI’s speech recognition to start building up your confidence.

• Learn each noun’s gender as you go. Grammatical gender is a tough topic, and you’re bound to make mistakes. Don’t just try to ignore it though: learning each language with its article (o or a) will help you start building up your knowledge.

• Immerse yourself in the language. You might not be able to hop on a plane tomorrow, but you can still find new ways of immersing yourself in the language. Once you’ve got the basics under your belt, try adding new things to your schedule. Read the news in Portuguese, or listen to a podcast, or even just change the language on your phone. Each of these is small, but the idea is to start surrounding yourself with the language so you get more and more practice.

The Benefits Of Learning With Babbel’s Portuguese Course

There are a lot of options out there for learning, which can make it hard to figure out where to get started. As mentioned, you can try a free lesson of Babbel to see how it works to teach you Portuguese quickly and efficiently. 

• Native speaker-voiced vocab. Every word, phrase and sentence Babbel shows you is accompanied by a pronunciation by a real human being. That way, you can make sure you are getting accurate 

• Useful words and phrases. The idea behind Babbel is to get you conversational as quickly as possible, which is why we start with the most useful terms you need to know. If you’re looking for something in particular, you can look through the lessons for vocabulary that fits your needs.

• Grammar guidance. Every time you encounter a new tense, rule, or grammatical concept, Babbel breaks it down with examples. That way, you’ll really understand how the language works.

• Cultural insights. Portuguese is more than a list of grammar rules. That’s why Babbel provides cultural tips throughout our lessons, plus specific courses about topics like Carnival and common idioms.

• Regular reviews. Every time you learn a new word or phrase, it’s added to Babbel’s Review feature. That means you can go back and practice it, and the app will use the spaced repetition method to make sure all those terms make it into your long-term memory.
  

Learn Portuguese With The Babbel App

Learning Portuguese with Babbel offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a rich and diverse culture. With its user-friendly platform, engaging lessons, and a focus on real-life conversations, Babbel equips you with the skills to communicate effectively in a new language. Whether you're drawn to the tantalizing flavors of Portuguese cuisine or the captivating stories of renowned authors, mastering this beautiful language will open doors to new experiences and connections. 

Embrace the journey of learning Portuguese with Babbel and unlock a world of cultural exploration, career opportunities, and meaningful relationships. Start today and discover the joy of speaking Portuguese!