Portuguese Vocabulary & Grammar For Beginners
Portuguese Vocabulary - Public Bathhouse Sign made with Azulejos
Here I focus on EUROPEAN PORTUGUESE as opposed to Brazilian Portuguese which has many differences including pronunciation. These days an International Lusophone Committee checks and updates Portuguese for 6 MILLION SPEAKERS WORLDWIDE. There is also an influence on how people speak in Portugal from some former Portuguese colonies which include Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Goa in India and Chinese Macau. Hugely popular BRAZILIAN soap operas and Brazilian immigration to Portugal means you hear "Tudo bem?" for "How are you?" rather than the traditional "Como esta?" British and American music and films plus an anglophile Computing and Marketing culture means you hear ENGLISH words woven in to Portuguese vocabulary. 
Portuguese Vocabulary and GaliciaThe beautiful Northern Douro and Minho regions of Portugal and GALICIA, part of modern day Spain, were historically unified. Similarities between Portuguese vocabulary and pronunciation with the Galego Language reveal their historic integration as one people. Nowadays, cultural inteaction still happens with cross-border marriages and at vibrant markets and businesses along the Tui -Valenca border. Both parties claim to understand each others language, but the Portuguese usually adapt to the economically stronger Galego Language. For more on the traditions of Portugal and the North see Portuguese Traditions Portuguese Vocabulary - Streetwise !
Happy Birthday! - A Portuguese occasions is always a good excuse for at least one large cake, or three! City WordsHere's an alphabetical list of Portuguese words for CITIES and BUILDINGS plus ARCHITECTURAL and LANDSCAPE features. Lisbon STREET SIGNS use Portuguese vocabulary so you can use these to get around. Beach....Praia Castle....Castelo Church....Igreja City hall....Camara Airport....Aeroporto Bus Station....Estacao de Autocarros Bus Stop....Parada de Autocarros Consulate....Consulado Convent....Convento Elevator....Elevador Embassy....Embaixada Field....Campo Hill....Colina Hospital....Hospital Hotel....Hotel House....Casa Kinder garden....Jardim da Infancia Manor House....Solar Market (Indoor)....Mercado Monastery....Monastery Museum....Museu Neighborhood....Bairro Park/Public Garden....Parque/Jardim Publico Police Station....Esquadra de policia Public Square....Rossio River....Rio Riverside....Ribeira School....Escola Street Market....Feira Taxi Rank....Ponto do taxi Tiles, Portuguese, decorative....Azulejos Tourist Office....Posto de Turismo Train Station....Estacao de comboio Tram....Electrico University....Universidad Viewpoint....Miradouro
Portuguese Vocabularly - Days of The WeekAs a Catholic culture the Portuguese Week starts on Sunday with Monday being the second day of the week. The Portuguese words for the Days show fascinating nomenclature in that the working days are indicated with cardinals (first, second, third etc.) and also that they refer to Street Markets called "feiras", which are still a custom of modern Portuguese life. The Days translate as Second Market Day, Third Market Day, Forth Market Day etc. Only Saturday and Sunday have particular names.Sunday - Domingo Monday - Segunda-Feira (2nd Market Day) Tuesday - Terca-feira (3rd Market Day) Wednesday - Quarta-feira (4th Market Day) Thursday - Quinta-feira (5th Market Day) Friday - Sexta-feira (6th Market Day) Saturday - Sabado Gender & Number and ArticlesGENDER AND NUMBER HAVE TO AGREE! One major difference between Portuguese and English is that words are MASCULINE or FEMININE. Usually it's shown by the word ENDING in O for Masculine words and in A for Feminine words. In some cases you can't tell and you just have to learn the word's gender. Getting GENDER right is IMPORTANT.
GENDER is also included in any ARTICLE (eg. A, The, This)that you choose to put along side it, plus it's included in any ADJECTIVES including Possessives (eg. My,Your, His etc) and Demonstratives (eg.This, That, Those etc).Look at these! Prato (O ending = Masculine)(Plate)Casa (A ending = Feminine) (House) Now look at "a" plus "the" for a SINGULAR Object like "A plate" and "the plate"! Um prato - A plate O prato - The plate Uma casa - A house A casa - The house THE or SOME plus a PLURAL Object Ums pratos / Os pratos - SOME plates / THE plates (MASCULINE) Umas casas / As casas - SOME houses / THE houses (FEMININE) Now add some ADJECTIVES! Um prato novo - A new plate. (Masculine object with matching masculine ending adjective). Ums pratos novos - (Some) new plates (Masculine with masculine PLURAL adjective ending eg.new) ARTICLES - "THE" and "A" - Masculine (m) Feminine (f) Plural (pl) The - O = (m) A = (f) Os =(m pl) As =(f pl) O menino - the boy Os meninos - the boys A menina - the girl As meninas - the girls Um = a (m) Ums = a (mpl) Uma = a (f) Umas = a (fpl) Um gato - a cat (m) Ums gatos - some cats (mpl) Uma montanha - a mountain Umas montanhas- some mountains Portuguese doesn't always follow the English pattern but tends to use "the/some/a Article more than English. Logic doesn't always decide it either! Take these examples: Unspecified GENERALS - YES! "O salmon e caro" - Salmon is expensive! Cenouras fazem bem ao saude! - Carrots are good for you! Unspecified NEGATIVES - NO! Eu nao tenho carro - I don't have a car (No Article) Sem faca nao pode comer - You can't eat without a knife COUNTRIES- YES! but NATIONALITIES - NO! "O Brazil e linda" - Brazil is beautiful - use "the" with Countries, EXCEPT Portugal!?! - Portugal e linda! Meu pai e frances - my father is french - NO Article! BODY PARTS and FAMILY - YES! Doi a cabeza - My head hurts Lava as maos! - Wash your hands! Ela se parece com o pai - She looks like her father. PROFESSIONS NO! Professions don't take "the" but "my mother" does! "Eu sou profesor" - I'm a teacher. "A minha mae e medica." - My mother is a doctor. THE or SOME plus a PLURAL Object Ums pratos / Os pratos - SOME plates / THE plates (MASCULINE) Umas casas / As casas - SOME houses / THE houses (FEMININE) Now add some ADJECTIVES! Um prato novo - A new plate. (Masculine object with matching masculine ending adjective). Ums pratos novos - (Some) new plates (Masculine with masculine PLURAL adjective ending eg.new)
Portuguese Vocabularly: I, You, He, She, They, WeI - EuYou - Tu (Singular)You - Voces (Plural) He - EleShe - Ela You Plural - VosWe - Nos They - Eles (Masculine) or Elas (Feminine) Portuguese Vocabulary: My, Your, His, Her, Our, TheirUnlike English, these correspond to the GENDER and NUMBER of the NOUN it qualifies. Another difference is that My, Your, His etc. is always in European Portuguese preceeded by the definite article (The) which as we said above is O (masculine) and A (feminine). Look at these!O meu filho - My son and Os meus filhos - My sons A minha filha - My daughter and As minhas filhas - My daughters My - Meu(s) or Minha(s)(Male/Female object) (s) = plural objectYour -Teu(s) or Tua(s)His/Her - Seu(s) or Sua(s)Our - Nosso(s)/Nossa(s)Your (Plural) - Vosso(s) / Vossa(s)Their - Seu(s) or Sua(s)
Portuguese Vocabulary - VERBSPortuguese and English have several DIFFERENCES in how to form verbs. First there's the variety of VERB ENDINGS in Portuguese (canto, canta, cantas...). Next Portuguese has 2 PAST Tenses (Perfect and Preterit). There are differences in forming NEGATIVES and INTERROGATIVES plus Portuguese has 2 VERBS meaning "TO BE". Throw in plenty of IRREGULAR Portuguese verbs and you can see its not a piece of pie.Forming Portuguese verbs you consider WHO is doing the action and which TENSE to use. Present, Imperfect, Future, Preterit and Conditional Tense Here let's focus on the PRESENT REGULAR VERBS which divide in to Verbs which in the infinitive end in AR, IR and ER.
Portuguese Vocabulary - "AR" verb Falar - To SpeakEu falo (ayoo fahloo)Tu falas (Too fahlash) Ele/Ela fala (ele/ehla fahlah) Nos falamos (nosh fahlahmoosh) Vos falais (nosh fahliesh) Eles/Elas falam (elesh/elhash fahlam) Portuguese Vocabulary - IR Verb "Partir" - To LeaveEu parto (ayoo partoo)Tu partes (too partesh) Ele/Ela parte (ele/ehla partuh) Nos partimos (nosh parteemosh) Vos partis (Vosh parteece) Eles/Elas partem (eles/ehlash partem)
Portuguese Vocabulary - ER Verb "Comer " - To EatEu como (ayoo kumoo)Tu comes (too komz) Ele/Ela come (eleh/elah) cohm Nos comemos (nosh kohmaymoosh) Vos comeis (vosh comaysh) Eles/Elas comem (eles/ehlash kohmem)
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