Good
wishes!
|
PORTUGUESE |
ENGLISH |
|
Parabéns! |
Congratulations! |
|
Feliz
aniversário! |
Happy
birthday! |
|
Feliz
Natal! |
Merry
Christmas! |
|
Feliz
Ano Novo! |
Happy
New Year! |
|
Feliz
Páscoa! |
Happy
Easter! |
|
Saúde! |
Cheers!/God bless
you! |
|
Boa
sorte! |
Good
luck! |
|
Boas
férias! |
Have a
nice holiday! |
|
Boa
viagem! |
Have a
nice trip! |
|
Bom
divertimento! |
Enjoy
yourself/Have fun! |
|
Bom
apetite! |
Enjoy
your meal! |
|
Bom fim
de semana! |
Have a
nice weekend! |
|
Obrigado/a,
igualmente. |
Thank
you, the same to you. |
|
Obrigado/a,
para você também. |
Thank
you, the same to you. |
1.
The Portuguese Alphabet
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
H |
I |
J |
L |
M |
N |
O |
P |
Q |
R |
S |
T |
U |
V |
X |
Z |
x
The Portuguese
alphabet consists of 23 letters (18 consonants and 5 vowels).
The letters
K, W and Y do not belong to the Portuguese alphabet, but
they can be used in names
(Wagner/Wilson/Yara/Amaury) or with international
terms (kg/km/watt, etc.).
Remark: It is
important to know how to pronounce the alphabet, as sometimes you have to spell
your name or ask people to spell something for you.
2.
Pronunciation Guide
The comparison
with English words should help you pronounce the words correctly in Portuguese.
Please note that not every sound can be reproduced in written
form.
x
|
LETTER |
PORTUGUESE |
MEANING |
SOUND |
ENGLISH |
|
A |
aluno |
student |
sounds
like [a] |
father |
|
alemã |
German |
nasal
sound |
| |
|
B |
bala |
candy |
sounds
like [b] |
bay |
|
C |
casa |
house |
ca/co/cu
sounds
like [k] |
key |
|
cedo |
early |
ce/ci
sounds
like [s] |
city | |
|
Ç |
moça |
young
woman |
ça/ço/çu
sounds
like [s] |
city |
|
CH |
cheque |
check |
sounds
like [sh] |
she |
|
D |
data |
date |
sounds
like [d] |
Day |
|
dia |
day |
Before
i/e and at beginning of single-syllable words, except when i/e proceeds
nasal noun, sounds like [gee] |
jeep | |
|
E |
letra, você |
letter,
you |
sounds
like [e] |
them |
|
leite |
milk |
sounds
like [ee] at the end, if unstressed |
cheese | |
|
festa, café |
party,
coffee |
sounds
like [e] |
bed | |
|
F |
faca |
knife |
sounds
like [f] |
for |
|
G |
gato |
cat |
ga/go/gu
sounds
like [g] |
get |
|
gelo |
ice |
ge/gi
sounds
like [g] |
beige | |
|
GU |
água |
water |
gua/guo
sounds
like [gw] |
Nicaragua |
|
português |
Portuguese |
gue/gui
sounds
like [g] |
get | |
|
lingüiça |
sausage |
güe/güi
sounds
like [gw] |
Nicaragua | |
|
H |
hotel |
hotel |
h is
always silent, except for borrowed words such as hall, hobby,
etc. |
|
|
I |
camisa |
shirt |
sounds
like [ea] |
meat |
|
J |
jornal |
newspaper |
sounds
like [g] |
beige |
|
L |
laranja |
orange |
la/le/li/lo/lu
sounds
like [l] |
like |
|
Brasil |
Brazil |
al/el/il/ol/ul
sounds
like [w] |
few | |
|
LH |
trabalho |
work |
sounds
like [ll] |
million |
|
M |
mapa |
map |
sounds
like [m] |
more |
|
bom |
good |
sounds
between m and n, similar to the French word
bon |
| |
|
N |
nada |
nothing |
sounds
like [n] |
no |
|
conta |
bill |
sounds
like [n] |
contract | |
|
NH |
amanhã |
tomorrow |
sounds
like [ng], similar to the French words
|
|
|
O |
bonito, avô |
pretty,
grandfather |
sounds
like [o] |
know |
|
livro |
book |
sounds
like [w or o] at the end, if unstressed |
boo/know | |
|
moda, avó |
fashion,
grandmother |
sounds
like [aw] |
law | |
|
P |
pato |
duck |
sounds
like [p] |
pie |
|
Q |
quase |
almost |
qua/quo
sounds
like [kw] |
quick |
|
aqui |
here |
que/qui
sounds
like [k] |
key | |
|
cinqüenta |
fifty |
qüe/qüi
sounds
like [kw] |
quick | |
|
R |
recibo |
receipt |
similar
to [h] sound |
holiday |
|
honra |
honor |
similar
to [h] sound, if preceded by n |
holiday | |
|
carta |
letter |
sounds
like [r], similar to the English or French r |
morning or jour | |
|
caro |
expensive |
similar
to [r] sound |
Mary | |
|
RR |
carro |
car |
similar
to [h] sound |
holiday |
|
S |
sopa |
soup |
at the
beginning sounds like [s] |
sea |
|
cansado |
tired |
if
preceded by l/n/r sounds like
[s] |
sea | |
|
inglês |
English |
after
vowels sounds like [s] |
must | |
|
casa |
house |
between
vowels sounds like [z] |
zero | |
|
SC |
piscina |
swimming
pool |
sce/sci
sounds
like [s] |
sea |
|
SÇ |
desça |
go
down |
sça/sço
sounds
like [s] |
sea |
|
SS |
assado |
roasted |
sounds
like [s] |
sea |
|
T |
tomate |
tomato |
sounds
like [t] |
top |
|
partir |
To
leave |
Before
i/e and at beginning of single-syllable words, except when i/e proceeds
nasal noun, sounds like [chee] |
cheese | |
|
U |
uva |
grape |
sounds
like [w] |
boo |
|
V |
você |
you |
sounds
like [v] |
verb |
|
X |
México |
Mexico
|
sounds
like [sh] |
she |
|
caixa |
box/cashier |
after
ai/ei sounds like
[sh] |
she | |
|
táxi |
taxi |
sounds
like [ks] |
taxi | |
|
próximo |
next |
sounds
like [s] |
city | |
|
excelente |
excellent |
exce/exci
sounds
like [s] |
city | |
|
texto |
text |
excl/exp/ext
sounds
like [s] |
must | |
|
exame |
exam |
exa/exe/exi/exo/exu
sounds
like [z] |
zero | |
|
Z |
zero |
zero |
before a
vowel sounds like [z] |
zero |
|
feliz |
happy |
after a
vowel sounds like [s] |
must |
x
Remark:
The letter
x has several different pronunciations.
x
For the
letters r/s/x/z there are two big regional differences in pronunciation
between
x
Tip: Be aware that
there is this difference. Learn to distinguish between them and choose one of
the easiest for you.
x
|
LETTERS |
PORTUGUESE |
ENGLISH |
|
R |
carta |
letter |
|
S |
inglês |
English |
|
X |
sexta-feira |
Friday |
|
Z |
feliz |
happy |
x
x
|
ACCENT |
INDICATES |
|
(´)
acute |
the
pronunciation is open as in café
(coffee), avó (grandmother). |
|
(^)
circumflex |
the
pronunciation is closed as in você (you), avô (grandfather). |
|
(`)
grave |
a
contraction of the preposition a and the definite article a
= à (to). |
|
(~)
tilde |
a nasal
sound as in mão
(hand). |
|
(..) two
dots |
the
letter u is pronounced as in
tranqüilo
(quiet). |
5.
Similarities between Portuguese and English
x
Even though
English is not a direct Latin language, there are more similarities between
Portuguese and English than you might imagine.
Below you will find a table
with Portuguese endings and their corresponding forms in English. Pronunciation
and stress can sometimes be very different from English and you may find some
exceptions, but in general you should not have a problem if you are familiar
with Portuguese.
You can expand
your vocabulary very quickly if you know these endings.
X
|
PORTUGUESE |
ENGLISH | ||
|
acto/ato
ecto/eto |
fato,
impacto, compacto, contato, aspecto, projeto, objeto, direto |
act/ect |
fact,
impact, compact, contact, aspect, project, object, direct |
|
ado/ada |
irritado/a,
evaporado/a, limitado/a, sofisticado/a |
ed |
irritated,
evaporated, limited, sophisticated |
|
al/o |
animal,
total, capital, profissional, liberal, individual, radical, tradicional,
nacional, natural, interno, político, típico |
al |
animal,
total, capital, professional, liberal, individual, radical, traditional,
national, natural, internal, political,
typical |
|
ante/ente ento |
assistente,
imigrante, elefante, importante, permanente, acidente, detergente,
freqüente, cliente, paciente, estudante, presidente, violento,
talento |
ant/ent |
assistant,
immigrant, elephant, important, permanent, accident, detergent, frequent,
client, patient, student, president, violent,
talent |
|
ão |
prisão,
opinião, religião, região |
on |
prison,
opinion, religion, region |
|
ável/ível |
provável,
inevitável, agradável, possível, responsável |
able/ible |
probable,
inevitable, agreeable, possible, responsible |
|
ção |
condição,
instrução, loção, negociação, reação, situação, comunicação, conversação,
eleição, cooperação, solução, contradição, organização, exceção,
qualificação, posição, informação, revolução, corrupção, operação,
instituição, população |
tion |
condition,
instruction, lotion, negotiation, reaction, situation, communication,
conversation, election, cooperation, solution, contradiction,
organization, exception, qualification, position, information, revolution,
corruption, operation, institution,
population |
|
cia/ça |
assistência,
violência, preferência, evidência, independência, experiência,
inteligência, província, polícia, sentença, presença,
justiça |
ce |
assistance,
violence, preference, evidence, independence, experience, intelligence,
province, police, sentence, presence, justice |
|
cia |
democracia,
burocracia |
cy |
democracy,
bureaucracy |
|
dade |
curiosidade,
universidade, cidade, faculdade, sociedade, prioridade, comunidade,
identidade, celebridade |
ty |
curiosity,
university, city, faculty, society, priority, community, identity,
celebrity |
|
es |
escândalo,
estável, espírito, estado, estação, esporte, especial,
estória |
s |
scandal,
stable, spirit, state, station, sports, special,
story |
|
esso |
sucesso,
processo, acesso |
ess |
success,
process, access |
|
fia |
geografia,
fotografia, caligrafia, filosofia |
phy |
geography,
photography, calligraphy, philosophy |
|
fone |
telefone,
microfone |
phone |
telephone,
microphone |
|
gem |
massagem,
garagem, imagem, mensagem |
age |
massage,
garage, image, message |
|
gia |
tecnologia,
biologia, sociologia |
gy |
technology,
biology, sociology |
|
ia/io |
família,
agência, emergência, indústria, companhia, secretária, adultério,
adversário, necessário, aniversário, mistério, categoria, história,
estória, laboratório, território |
y |
family,
agency, emergency, industry, company, secretary, adultery, adversary,
necessary, anniversary, mystery, category, history, story, laboratory,
territory |
|
ico |
dinâmico,
romântico, público |
ic |
dynamic,
romantic, public |
|
|
|
|
|
|
isar/izar |
analisar,
batizar, legalizar, organizar |
ise/ize |
analyze,
baptize, legalize, organize |
|
ismo |
turismo,
patriotismo, comunismo |
ism |
tourism,
patriotism, communism |
|
ista |
dentista,
artista, analista, jornalista, especialista, turista,
economista |
ist/yst |
dentist,
artist, analyst, journalist, specialist, tourist,
economist |
|
ivo/iva |
explosivo,
primitivo, exclusivo, criativo, positivo, negativo,
alternativa |
ive |
explosive,
primitive, exclusive, creative, positive, negative,
alternative |
|
ma |
programa,
problema, dilema, trauma, drama, sistema, cinema |
am/em
ma |
program,
problem, dilemma, trauma, drama, system,
cinema |
|
mente |
exatamente,
pessoalmente, exactly, inicialmente, recentemente |
ly |
exactly,
personally, exactly, initially, recently |
|
mento |
investimento,
monumento, momento, documento, instrumento,
testamento |
ment |
investment,
monument, moment, document, instrument,
testament |
|
ogo |
diálogo,
catálogo |
ogue |
dialogue,
catalogue |
|
or |
vendedor,
professor, diretor, sucessor, ator |
or |
vendor,
professor, director, successor, actor |
|
oso/o |
famoso,
curioso, generoso, nervoso, próspero, sério,
tremendo |
ous |
famous,
curious, generous, nervous, prosperous, serious,
tremendous |
|
ro |
centro,
membro, teatro, termômetro |
er |
center,
member, theater, thermometer |
|
são |
conclusão,
expansão, evasão, fusão, confusão, televisão,
decisão |
sion |
conclusion,
expansion, evasion, fusion, confusion, television,
decision |
|
ssão |
permissão,
missão, expressão, discussão |
ssion |
permission,
mission, expression, discussion |
|
ta |
diplomata,
astronauta |
at/aut |
diplomat,
astronaut |
|
ura/uro |
cultura,
agricultura, escultura, miniature, arquiterura,
futuro |
ure |
culture
agriculture, sculpture, miniature, architecture,
future |
|
uto |
minuto,
instituto, substituto |
ute |
minute,
institute, substitute |
x