European vs. Brazilian Portuguese: 5 Key Differences You Must Know

One of the most common mistakes new learners make is using Brazilian Portuguese resources to prepare for a trip to Portugal. While the languages are mutually intelligible, the differences are stark enough to cause confusion or at least mark you as a tourist immediately.

Here are the 5 biggest differences between European Portuguese (PT-PT) and Brazilian Portuguese (PT-BR).

1. The "Sh" Sound (Sibilant S)

In Portugal, the letter 'S' at the end of a word or before a consonant is pronounced like "sh" (as in "shoe").

• Portugal: Três sounds like "Tresh".
• Brazil: Três sounds like "Tress" (in most regions like São Paulo).
  This "shushing" sound is the hallmark of the European accent.

2. "Tu" vs. "Você"

If you learned Portuguese on Duolingo (which defaults to Brazilian), you likely use você for "you."

• Portugal: Tu is used for friends, family, and casual situations. Você is rarely used explicitly; instead, the Portuguese prefer to drop the pronoun entirely or use the third-person conjugation politely.
• Brazil: Você is the standard for almost everyone.

3. The Gerund (Doing vs. To Be Doing)

This is a dead giveaway of which version you learned.

• Portugal (Infinity Construction): To say "I am eating," you say Estou a comer (I am to eat).
• Brazil (Gerund): You say Estou comendo (I am eating).

4. Vocabulary Mix-ups

Just like "elevator" (US) vs. "lift" (UK), the vocabulary can change completely.

• Train: Comboio (PT) vs. Trem (BR)
• Bus: Autocarro (PT) vs. Ônibus (BR)
• Screen: Ecrã (PT) vs. Tela (BR)
• Suit: Fato (PT) vs. Terno (BR)

5. Pronunciation: Open vs. Closed Vowels

European Portuguese is a "stress-timed" language, meaning they often "eat" their vowels, making them sound very short or almost silent. Brazilian Portuguese is "syllable-timed," where vowels are open and clearly sung. This is why European Portuguese can sometimes sound Slavic to the untrained ear!

Final Thought

If your goal is to live in Lisbon, Porto, or the Algarve, make sure your study materials are specifically tagged "European Portuguese." At PortuTalk, we only teach the version you'll hear on the streets of Portugal.