Many people suspect that Portuguese is only spoken in Portugal. But in reality, people living in Brazil and other African nations like Angola and Mozambique also speak this language. A study by the British council revealed that Portuguese is considered one of the 10 most important foreign languages for the next two decades.
People learn languages according to their importance and the region where it is spoken. If any person wants to migrate to Europe and if they feel that the least countries in Europe speak this language then they will not learn this language.
History of Portuguese
Languages came into existence when different cultures mingle with each other and if there is geographical proximity between them. Do you know that Portuguese was not an official language of Brazil until 1758 and colonization in the region started in the 16th century? With the time, when European and Asian immigrants came, they cause a language change.
The other countries that are colonized by Portugal also speak the Portuguese language. Do you want to know why? There are many African countries that are influenced by other cultures. Therefore their way of speaking is also impacted. Secondly, as compared to Brazil, many countries gain independence lately so they have more contact with Portugal in their early days of development.
Difference Between the Brazilian and European Portuguese
To differentiate between the Brazilian and European Portuguese, Portuguese translation services are of great help. Let’s dive into a few of its differences.
Differences in the Pronunciation
Pronunciation is the main difference between both languages. Brazilians speak vowels wider and longer. On the contrary, the Portuguese pronounce the words with a closed mouth without uttering the vowel. Moreover, the pronunciation of some consonants is also different. In Brazilian Portuguese, S is pronounced with double SS whereas in Portugal it is pronounced with SH.
Accents
Brazilian Portuguese sounds more pleasing to the ears because vowels are pronounced with open vowels and European Portuguese sounds as some people are murmuring. Because of the clarity of pronunciation, Brazilian Portuguese is easy to learn.
Grammar and Spelling
Some words are spelled differently. For instance, reception in European Portuguese is spelled “receção”.However, in Brazilian Portuguese p is audible in the spelling of recepcao. Furthermore, the letter p is audible in Brazilian Portuguese and silent in European Portuguese.
Brazilians are more creative in speaking Portuguese, converting some nouns into verbs. If they need to say congratulate then they use the Portuguese phrase dar os parabéns. On the other hand, Brazilians condense the expression with one verb called parabenizar. European Portuguese has also taken words from American English. They are more resistant to change and include foreign words.
Formal and Informal Speech
If we compare European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese then we can find European Portuguese more formal. In Brazilian Portuguese, the word voce is informally used for you whereas in European Portuguese tu is utilized in the same context.
In Portugal, they consider the voce as crude and remove the second-person pronoun in less casual situations. Moreover, they use the verb in the third-person singular.
Are Portuguese and Spanish Similar Languages?
Portuguese and Spanish languages are both closely related. This is because they both are Latin-based languages. Moreover, they share many grammatical structures and patterns. The written version of Spanish and Portuguese are mutually intelligible. Mutually intelligible shows 50% of both the language’s direction. The important thing to note is that Portuguese speakers can better understand the Spanish conversation than the other way around. This is because Portuguese has a complex grammatical structure as compared to Spanish. As these, both languages are mutually intelligible so if you want to differentiate Spanish from Portuguese then you must take assistance from professional Spanish translation services.
Whether to Learn European Portuguese or Brazilian Portuguese
The objective behind learning a new language depends upon your plans. It determines which dialect is best for you. If you wish to work for United Nations then learning European Portuguese is a viable option. Contrary to this, if you want to do a job in a North American enterprise then you must go for Brazilian Portuguese because trade in North America is done in this language. If you are still confused about the languages then you must consider these factors.
- Want to migrate to Portugal and want to work there.
- Cater to wider Portuguese-speaking countries that speak Portuguese with a European accent?
- For learning the formal and traditional versions of the language and the history of the Mediterranean lifestyle then learning European Portuguese is the best option for you.
You should learn Brazilian Portuguese
- If you want to go to Brazil and live there.
- Want to learn more about the informal version of the language to learn.
- If you love South American cultures and traditions.
Wrapping Up
Both Brazilian and European Portuguese are romantic and beautiful languages. French that is spoken in Canada is different from French spoken in France. To differentiate between them, French translation services are required. The same is the case with Portuguese dialects. Which Portuguese dialect will you learn?