If you like languages and already speak English and Spanish and are considering picking up a third, check out Portuguese!
But how easy it is to learn Portuguese if you already speak Spanish? Is if confusing? And is there are point in studying it?
Portuguese is a really cool language and if you already know Spanish, it’ll seem so much easier! The pronunciation is different but the grammar and vocabulary are super similar!
Why Study Portuguese
Here are a few reasons why you should consider learning Portuguese if you already speak Spanish.
Between 80-95% of Portuguese and Spanish are similar
I couldn’t find a credible source to cite this fact but I researched it as best as I could and the numbers varied but the point is Spanish and Portuguese are VERY similar. My professor once said that 80% of the grammar is similar but then after googling around, some people said 89% of the vocabulary was similar. I’m not too sure which it is BUT there are several similarities- enough to make the process 100x easier learning it as a third language.
Where is Portuguese Spoken?
Portuguese is the official language in 9 countries (plus 1 “place” where it’s the official language along with Cantonese).
In the following countries, Portuguese is listed as the official language:
Brazil
Portugal
Mozambique (in Africa)
Angola (in Africa)
Guinea-Bissau (in Africa)
Equatorial Guinea (in Africa)
Cape Verde (island off the coast of West Africa)
East Timor (island near Australia)
Sao Tome and Principe (islands near coast of West Africa)
Macau (technically not a country, part of China but special)
So if you learn Portuguese, it gives you a reason to visit all these countries and islands and even Macau, the “Special Administrated Region of the People’s Republic of China!” I think it’s so cool that Portuguese is one of the official languages there. It makes me really want to go there.
Other Benefits to Studying Portuguese
Speaking three languages will increase your job opportunities. This one is pretty obvious but the fact that you speak Spanish AND Portuguese could really help you especially if you’d like to work for a company that deals with clients from around the world. Instead of having to hire a Spanish and a Portuguese speaker, they could just hire YOU! Or, if you don’t like the jobs you’re finding as a bilingual Spanish-English speaker, maybe you’ll find one you like as a bilingual Portuguese-English speaker? You never know!
Is Portuguese Difficult to Learn Compared to Spanish?
Unlike Spanish, you only really need to know three verb forms when conjugating. In Portuguese, you will only really need to know these conjugations:
I- eu
you/he/she/us- você/ele/ela/a gente
them, you all- eles/elas/vocês
So the main difference is that instead of using a separate nós form, in Brazil, they typically use a gente which is conjugated the same way as you, he, she, and us. That’s also really awesome especially if you’re used to learning 5 or 6 different conjugations in Spanish. Now, you only have to learn 3!
Hopefully some of this information was new to you or you enjoyed reading this post! I decided to share it because I love learning languages. I’m a native speaker and also trying to improve my Spanish and also trying to learn more French. I wanted to share this information because maybe you’ll find it helpful or interesting! Feel free to leave any comments or thoughts below!
