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Why learn Portuguese?
Portuguese is spoken by over 260 million people across Portugal, Brazil, and parts of Africa and Asia, making it one of the most spoken languages in the world. As a Romance language it overlaps heavily with Spanish and Latin-derived English vocabulary.
In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Portuguese is a Category I language - about 700 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers. Portuguese belongs to the Indo-European (Romance) family - if you enjoy it, a natural next step is Spanish, Italian or French.
The 50 most common Portuguese words
Start with the words you will actually meet: learn these and you will recognize something in almost every Portuguese sentence.
| # | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | o | oo | the (definite article) |
| 2 | de | jee | of |
| 3 | que | kee | that (conjunction) |
| 4 | e | ee | and |
| 5 | ser | sehr | be |
| 6 | um | oong | one |
| 7 | em | eng | in |
| 8 | não | nowng | no |
| 9 | a | ah | to |
| 10 | para | PAH-rah | to |
| 11 | com | kohng | with |
| 12 | estar | es-TAR | be |
| 13 | ter | tehr | have |
| 14 | eu | EH-oo | I |
| 15 | ele | EH-lee | he |
| 16 | se | see | self |
| 17 | por | poor | by |
| 18 | isso | EE-soo | that |
| 19 | ela | EH-lah | she |
| 20 | mas | mahs | but |
| 21 | fazer | fah-ZEHR | do |
| 22 | como | KOH-moo | how |
| 23 | você | voh-SEH | you |
| 24 | mais | mahys | more |
| 25 | saber | sah-BEHR | know |
| 26 | seu | SEH-oo | your |
| 27 | dizer | jee-ZEHR | say |
| 28 | ir | eer | go |
| 29 | poder | poh-DEHR | can |
| 30 | tudo | TOO-doo | all |
| 31 | muito | MOOY-too | very |
| 32 | aqui | ah-KEE | here |
| 33 | quando | KWAHN-doo | when |
| 34 | nós | naws | we |
| 35 | bem | beng | well |
| 36 | ver | vehr | see |
| 37 | ou | oh | or |
| 38 | tempo | TEHM-poo | time |
| 39 | querer | keh-REHR | want |
| 40 | dar | dar | give |
| 41 | homem | OH-meng | man |
| 42 | dia | JEE-ah | day |
| 43 | ano | AH-noo | year |
| 44 | coisa | KOY-zah | thing |
| 45 | meu | MEH-oo | my |
| 46 | agora | ah-GOH-rah | now |
| 47 | também | tahm-BENG | too |
| 48 | sem | seng | without |
| 49 | outro | OH-troo | another |
| 50 | novo | NOH-voo | new |
Useful phrases in Portuguese
- Olá · oh-LAH · Hello / Good day
- Como está? · KOH-moo esh-TAH · How are you?
- Obrigado · oh-bree-GAH-doo · Thank you
- Por favor · poor fah-VOR · Please
- Chamo-me... · SHAH-moo-meh · My name is...
- Onde fica...? · OHN-deh FEE-kah · Where is...?
- Adeus · ah-DEH-oosh · Goodbye
- Desculpe · desh-KOOL-peh · Excuse me
- Não entendo · nown en-TEN-doo · I don't understand
- Pode me ajudar? · POH-jee mee ah-zhoo-DAR · Can you help me?
- Quanto custa? · KWAN-too KOOS-tah · How much is it?
- Até amanhã! · ah-TEH ah-mah-NYAN · See you tomorrow!
Learn Portuguese with comprehensive language resources
- Pronunciation
- Numbers
- Verbs and adjectives
- Frequency dictionaries
- Basic sentences
- Thematic dictionaries
- Politeness
- Idioms
Learn Portuguese, wherever you are
- AI-powered spaced repetition learning system on the go
- Audio processing for pronunciation
- Creation of visual language flash cards with images
- Search for speaking practice partners
- Frequency and thematic dictionaries for any language
- Alert system with exercise reminders
- Live video and messaging to facilitate learning
Join our global Portuguese learning community
Collaborate with native Portuguese speakers and fellow learners: exchange messages, correct each other's cards, and practice real conversation.
Send friend requests to the speakers you click with and build your own friends list - many practice partners become real friends.
Are you an educator? Teach Portuguese online · Create an online Portuguese school · Build a Portuguese curriculum
Frequently asked questions about learning Portuguese
How difficult is it to learn Portuguese?
Portuguese shares a large Latin-rooted vocabulary with English and overlaps heavily with Spanish. Nasal vowels and a few sounds take practice, but the Foreign Service Institute rates it among the easier languages, at roughly 600-750 hours of study.
What should I learn first to reach a basic level in Portuguese?
Start with the 100-500 most frequent words (free in our apps) and the thematic dictionaries most relevant to your daily life. Set clear goals and practise a few minutes every day - consistency is what produces results. Then connect with other learners to build confidence at your new basic level.
How long does it take to learn Portuguese?
Most learners reach a comfortable conversational level within 6-10 months of consistent daily study. Practising vocabulary with spaced repetition and speaking regularly speeds this up considerably. About 260 million people across 9 countries speak Portuguese, so you will never run short of practice partners.
How do I improve my Portuguese vocabulary?
Use the spaced-repetition and flashcard systems in the app. You can set daily, weekly, or yearly goals in our mobile apps and steadily reach the vocabulary size you’re aiming for.
Is Portuguese pronunciation hard?
Portuguese has nasal vowels and some sounds that differ between Brazil and Portugal, but the rules are consistent once learned. Regular listening practice matters more here than memorising rules.
How do I get Free Portuguese speaking practice?
Open the Practice or Friends page in the app, send practice requests, and start real conversations with other learners - don’t be shy! You can also mention that you want speaking practice when you create your account, and the platform will help match you with suitable partners.
Do I need to learn the Portuguese alphabet first?
Portuguese uses the Latin alphabet, so if you read English you can start reading Portuguese right away. On Lingocard you'll find every alphabet, with example words, free.