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Brazilian vs European Portuguese
Most courses and apps teach Brazilian Portuguese. Both are Portuguese, and people understand each other, but in Portugal the words, the grammar and especially the sounds differ. Here is what to swap.
Vocabulary
| English | Portugal | Brazil | |
|---|---|---|---|
| bus | autocarro | ônibus | |
| train | comboio | trem | |
| mobile phone | telemóvel | celular | |
| breakfast | pequeno-almoço | café da manhã | |
| toilet, restroom | casa de banho | banheiro | |
| fridge | frigorífico | geladeira | |
| screen | ecrã | tela | |
| juice | sumo | suco | |
| ground floor | rés-do-chão | térreo | |
| file (computer) | ficheiro | arquivo | |
| team | equipa | equipe | |
| pedestrian crossing | passadeira | faixa de pedestres | |
| pedestrian | peão | pedestre | |
| cup (for coffee) | chávena | xícara | |
| butcher's | talho | açougue | |
| ticket (transport) | bilhete | passagem | |
| driving licence | carta de condução | carteira de motorista (CNH) | |
| suit | fato | terno | |
| sweet (hard candy) | rebuçado | bala | |
| to drive | conduzir | dirigir | |
| queue | fila (also bicha) | fila | ⚠ "Bicha" is a normal word for a queue in Portugal, but a slur in Brazil. Say "fila" when you are in doubt. |
| kid, boy | miúdo | garoto, moleque | ⚠ "Puto" is colloquial for boy in Portugal, but vulgar in Brazil. In Lisbon "um garoto" is also a small coffee. |
| girl | rapariga | moça, menina | ⚠ "Rapariga" is the normal word for girl in Portugal, but in much of Brazil it can sound rude. |
| sandwich | sande, sanduíche | sanduíche | |
| cool, great | fixe | legal, massa |
Grammar, spelling and sound
You: tu, você and the polite form
Portugal: In Portugal "tu" is for friends, family and people your age. With a stranger, an elder or someone senior, use the title ("o senhor", "a senhora", "o doutor"), a name, or just the verb: "Quer um café?". "Você" is not rude, but it can sound cold or distant in Portugal.
Brazil: In most of Brazil "você" is the normal "you" in all registers, and "tu" appears only in some regions.
I am eating: estar a + infinitive
Portugal: Portugal: "Estou a comer", "Estou a aprender".
Brazil: Brazil: "Estou comendo", "Estou aprendendo" (with the gerund).
Pronoun position
Portugal: Pronouns usually follow the verb: "Disse-me", "Chamo-me", "Dá-me". After "não" or "que" they move in front: "Não me disse".
Brazil: Pronouns often go in front: "Me disse", "Me chamo", "Me dá".
Spelling, still different after the 1990 agreement
Portugal: Portugal writes "facto" and "contacto" (the "c" is pronounced) and "receção" (the "p" is silent, so it is dropped).
Brazil: Brazil writes "fato", "contato" and "recepção". Careful: in Portugal "fato" means a suit, and "facto" means a fact.
The sound
Portugal: Vowels that are not stressed get swallowed, a final "s" is "sh", and "t" and "d" stay hard before "i": "tia" is "TEE-uh".
Brazil: Vowels keep their length, and in most accents "t" and "d" turn into "tch" and "dj" before "i": "tia" is "CHEE-uh", "dia" is "JEE-uh".
The articles with possessives
Portugal: Portugal puts the article before a possessive: "o meu livro", "a minha casa".
Brazil: Brazil often leaves it out: "meu livro", "minha casa".
Quick game: which one do you hear in Portugal?
For , which word do people in Portugal use?
Tu or você? If you remember one thing: with a stranger in Portugal, skip the pronoun or use "o senhor / a senhora". "Você" is not an insult, but it can sound distant, and "tu" is for friends, family and younger people. See it in a café conversation.
Looking for a word right now? dictionary.pt is a European Portuguese dictionary, and tourists.pt has a phrasebook.
European Portuguese (pt-PT). Pronunciations follow Wiktionary's European Portuguese entries and standard dictionaries such as Infopédia and Priberam. Last reviewed 6 November 2026. Not yet reviewed by a native-speaker teacher: it is a learning tool, not a replacement for one. What was checked.