5 Big Differences Between Brazilian and European Portuguese

By Sarah-Claire Jordan

Portuguese was not the language of the land in Brazil until the Portuguese came over to claim it for their country, making it part of the Portuguese empire, in the early 1500s. Before that, the languages spoken there were mostly the languages of the various indigenous peoples of Brazil. Just like the English spoken in the U.S., compared to their European counterparts, the influence of native languages and linguistic evolution created a new dialect. There are many differences between European and Brazilian Portuguese, but there are five differences that stand out the most.

1. Vocabulary from indigenous (and other) languages

Before being colonized, Brazil was inhabited by different indigenous peoples. When the Portuguese finally arrived, many words, mostly for plants and animals, were borrowed from the Tupi-Guaraní languages. Capoeira, abacaxi (pineapple), and arara (macaw) are all Brazilian Portuguese words with Tupi-Guaraní origins. Other words were borrowed from Yoruba thanks to slaves that were brought over who spoke the language. A few of these words became part of the European Portuguese lexicon, but most of them are unique to Brazilian Portuguese.

2. Pronunciation of vowels

In general, the vowels of Brazilian Portuguese are more open, even when they are supposed to be reduced. Just think about a more open mouth for Brazilian Portuguese speakers, as compared to a more closed mouth for European Portuguese speakers. Another vowel difference is the pronunciation of the vowels in the syllable after a stressed syllable. In Brazilian Portuguese, vowels are differentiated, with “o” as [u], “e” as [i], and “a” as [ɐ], whereas in European Portuguese, “a” is [ɐ] but many other unstressed vowels aren’t even pronounced at all.

3. Pronunciation of “t” and “d”

In terms of consonants, the difference that is most noticeable is the pronunciation of “t” and “d” if followed by an [i] sound, like in the words “presidente” and “cidade” (city). In European Portuguese, the “t” and “d” would sound the same as they would in other words. In Brazilian Portuguese, the “t” takes on a “ch” sound, and the “d” a “j” (as in jam) sound.

4. Use (or not) of the gerund

European Portuguese speakers don’t use the gerund form of verbs generally, and create gerund phrases by conjugating “estar” and then adding “a + infinitive”. This has the same meaning as “estar + gerund” in Brazilian Portuguese, which is actually from Classical Portuguese. In Brazilian Portuguese, however, the construct “a + infinitive” is still used when not talking about a continuous action.

5. Ter vs. Haver

European Portuguese tends to use the verb “haver”, which means “to have” and “shall/will”, as an auxiliary verb in some compound verb tenses like the present perfect. In Brazil, the verb “ter”, which originally meant “to hold” or “to own”, replaces ‘“haver”. However, both of these are correct in terms of grammar, so it’s just a matter of one culture preferring one way of constructing the tense over the other, rather than the creation of a whole new way to conjugate certain tenses.

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Tags: European, portuguese, south america

Category: Foreign Language