Can a Spanish speaker learn Portuguese easily? (2024)

Can a Spanish speaker learn Portuguese easily?

If you already know Spanish, learning Portuguese will probably be much easier than it was for you to learn Spanish initially. This is because the languages share a lexical similarity of almost 90%, meaning that a very high number of the words in Spanish and Portuguese are similar.

Is it easy to learn Portuguese as a Spanish speaker?

As a speaker of Spanish, you already have a huge vocabulary of cognates and a knowledge of the basic grammar. Most likely you can read Portuguese very well, but you might stuggle to understand the spoken language. When you speak, you might speak with a Spanish accent, or you might speak portunhol.

How long will it take a Spanish speaker to learn Portuguese?

This means that if you are a proficient Spanish speaker, you may be able to reach an intermediate level of Portuguese (B1 or B2 on the CEFR scale) in 250-400 hours of study, depending on your study habits and exposure to the language.

Can a Spanish person understand a Portuguese person?

Well, Portuguese is not the same as Spanish, but most Portuguese will understand Spanish, whereas not all Spanish people can understand Portuguese. They vary: many Brazillians do understand Spanish and some of those who do ...can also speak reasonable Spanish too.

Is it better to learn Spanish or Portuguese first?

However, the majority of people agree that Spanish is easier to understand. Learning Spanish can also make it easier to learn other romantic languages. Once you're comfortable with your Spanish, Portuguese will be a lot easier to master and speak fluently.

Should I learn Portuguese if I speak Spanish?

If you already know Spanish, learning Portuguese will probably be much easier than it was for you to learn Spanish initially. This is because the languages share a lexical similarity of almost 90%, meaning that a very high number of the words in Spanish and Portuguese are similar.

Is Portuguese hard if I know Spanish?

Learning Portuguese after learning Spanish means a smaller learning curve and a shorter time to reach your goals. But that doesn't mean there won't be challenges. The close relationship between Spanish and Portuguese has led to common language-related misconceptions.

Why is Portuguese harder than Spanish?

Grammar: There are differences in tenses, prepositions, cardinal numbers, and more in Spanish vs. Portuguese. Pronunciation and spelling: Portuguese contains more accents and silent letters than Spanish, making spelling and pronunciation more difficult than Spanish.

What is the fastest way to learn Portuguese?

Many language experts recommend immersion as the fastest way to become fluent in Portuguese; move to Portuguese or Brazil, live with a host family and have every interaction in Portuguese.

Can you learn Portuguese in 3 months?

How quickly you learn Spanish or Portuguese will depend on how many consistent hours you put into practicing the language. If you can dedicate 2-3 hours a day of deep study with the right methodology, you can achieve a CEFR A2 conversational level of fluency in only 3 months.

Do people in Brazil understand Spanish?

If you know some Spanish, you can certainly try to make your wants or needs known using Spanish. While Portuguese and Spanish are linguistic cousins and some Brazilians may understand what you say in Spanish, they probably will not answer you in Spanish.

Do most people in Portugal also speak Spanish?

No, in Portugal they don't speak Spanish, they speak Portuguese. However, there are some regions that speak other dialects. For example, in the Azores Islands they speak a Portuguese dialect known as Fala, and in Madeira they speak a derivative of Spanish called Madeiran.

Why Spanish speakers don t understand Portuguese?

When it comes to the spoken language it's pretty simple, Portuguese has a lot of vowels that don't exist in Spanish. They have nasal vowels and other vowels in general that simply don't exist in Spanish.

Is Portuguese worth learning?

Portuguese is a vital language and learning it offers many advantages, regardless of whether you want additional career prospects, a more varied skill set, or just to travel with greater assurance. Friendly locals, inspiring culture, beautiful beaches—so much is waiting for you when you learn Portuguese.

How can I teach myself Portuguese?

What is the hardest language to learn?

Mandarin Chinese

Interestingly, the hardest language to learn is also the most widely spoken native language in the world. Mandarin Chinese is challenging for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the writing system is extremely difficult for English speakers (and anyone else) accustomed to the Latin alphabet.

How difficult is learning Portuguese?

Is Portuguese Hard to Learn? Portuguese is not hard to learn for English speakers. Since English and Portuguese both evolved from Latin, they share ~3,000 cognates, as well as some basic grammar and pronunciation rules. English speakers will discover plenty of Portuguese words that sound familiar.

Which is harder Spanish or Portuguese?

For most native English speakers, Spanish is slightly easier to learn than Portuguese. This is primarily a matter of access. Since Spanish is spoken by over 400 million people worldwide (compared to just over 200 million for Portuguese), it's easier to find Spanish resources and media for learning or practising.

Who speaks more Spanish or Portuguese?

Nearly 600 million people speak Spanish and nearly 300 million speak Portuguese1. We know why: Portugal and Spain colonized America, making it Latin America, where most of these 900 million people live.

What is the easiest language to learn?

1. Norwegian. This may come as a surprise, but we have ranked Norwegian as the easiest language to learn for English speakers. Norwegian is a member of the Germanic family of languages — just like English!

Can you learn Portuguese on duolingo?

The world's most popular way to learn Portuguese online

Learn Portuguese in just 5 minutes a day with our game-like lessons. Whether you're a beginner starting with the basics or looking to practice your reading, writing, and speaking, Duolingo is scientifically proven to work.

Is Portuguese hard for English speakers?

If you're wondering, “How hard is Portuguese to learn for English speakers?”, it may be slightly harder than if you're a native Spanish or Italian speaker. But English still uses the same alphabet and has a similar sentence structure to Portuguese, so it can still be easy for English speakers to learn Portuguese.

Is Portuguese more Spanish or Italian?

Spanish is more similar to Portuguese than Italian in grammar and vocabulary. Spanish is more similar to Italian than Portuguese in phonology. Portuguese has many more vowels than both Italian and Spanish. It also has nasal vowels, which are absent in Spanish and Italian.

Which is harder Spanish or French?

However, for many English speakers, Spanish is often considered slightly easier to learn than French. Here's why: Phonetics and pronunciation: Spanish has a MUCH more straightforward phonetic system, with consistent letter-to-sound correspondence, making it easier to pronounce words correctly.

Why is Portuguese so hard to pronounce?

Portuguese pronunciation is hard for English-speakers—and even for Spanish-speakers—to get the hang of. This is because Portuguese has some difficult sounds, like the infamous nasal sounds, which are present in common words like: Não (“No”) Mãe (“Mother”)