Portuguese for Beginners: A Comprehensive Guide for Learning the Portuguese Language Fast

By Cezar Abreu

If you want to learn the Portuguese language and speak it fluently in as little as one week, then keep reading!

Are you…
- in need of a precise, but thorough, resource to learn Portuguese quickly?
- traveling to or working in a Portuguese-speaking country and need to speak, understand or write Basic Portuguese?

Or do you…
- want to communicate effectively and with confidence when speaking Portuguese, instead of sounding like a tourist?
- want to learn Portuguese language essentials and 1000+ Portuguese phrases that you can use to navigate social situations, make friends, and new connections?

If your answer to any of these questions is "yes," then this book is what you need!

Learning a new language can be useful or even necessary, especially if you're looking to connect, communicate like a native or build relationships in a new country.

The Portuguese language is the official language for several countries and is the sixth most spoken dialect in the world, with 170 million speakers worldwide, hence learning Portuguese instantly opens you to a whole new world!

Mastering Portuguese will gain you new associates or find you new job opportunities in some of the most interesting locales in the world.

However, if you want to say it right in Portuguese, understand essential Portuguese grammar and improve your language skills in no time, you'll need to know more than just a handful of Portuguese vocabulary.

This book provides comprehensive lessons, exercises, quizzes and covers basic grammar, Portuguese verbs plus conversational tips. You'll learn the fastest way to correct pronunciation in Portuguese plus popular phrases.

In this book, you'll learn:
- Open, closed, and nasal pronunciation of vowels and consonants in Portuguese.
- Classes of Portuguese words including pronouns, determiners, adverbs, and adjectives in their masculine or feminine forms.
- Basic Portuguese verbs including the most commonly used ones.
- Basic Portuguese greetings and introducing yourself
- How to make requests or remarks and have social conversations on subjects like work or travel.
- Common Portuguese speaking and writing mistakes to avoid.
- An additional appendix of common Portuguese nouns, verbs, and words you'll use in everyday speaking.

Whether you're a complete beginner or advanced in your study, this book will take you to Portuguese mastery in as little as 10 minutes a day with regular review. After all, practice makes perfect!

Imagine reading Paulo Coelho, Jorge Amado, or Anibal Machado in its original form! Or heading out to Lisbon, Portugal, or Rio de Janeiro and speaking effortlessly with locals without having to find a translator! 

If you want to be able to say, read and write everything in Portuguese fast and pain-free, this book is the perfect tool for you.

Ready to learn to speak Portuguese like a native? Grab this book now!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cezar Abreu
• Release date: Feb 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393931997

Book preview

© Copyright 2020

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the author. Reviewers may quote brief passages in reviews.

Disclaimer: No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, or transmitted by email without permission in writing from the publisher.

While all attempts have been made to verify the information provided in this publication, neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions or contrary interpretations of the subject matter herein.

This book is for entertainment purposes only. The views expressed are those of the author alone, and should not be taken as expert instruction or commands. The reader is responsible for his or her own actions.

Adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, including international, federal, state and local laws governing professional licensing, business practices, advertising and all other aspects of doing business in the US, Canada, UK or any other jurisdiction is the sole responsibility of the purchaser or reader.

Neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility or liability whatsoever on the behalf of the purchaser or reader of these materials. Any perceived slight of any individual or organization is purely unintentional.

AN INTRODUCTION

Are you...?

ℵ  quite busy and in need of a precise, but thorough, resource to learn Portuguese?

ℵ  traveling to or working in a Portuguese-speaking country?

Or do you...

ℵ  want to connect with people, while keeping your personality[1] when speaking Portuguese, instead of just learning how to tourist-talk?

ℵ  want to learn phrases that you can use to navigate social situations and help you make friends and new connections?

If your answer to these questions is yes, then this book is here to help.

Let’s start with a couple of questions: Is it worth learning a new language? And why Portuguese?

Well, it all comes down to a simple "why not?" This book could go on about all of the benefits it pays to your brain, in terms of your memory and other cognitive processes[2], but the learning of a new language undoubtedly transcends that very dispassionate, yet pragmatic, approach. Granted that if you are reading this, you have probably already decided to learn a new language, this guide will still take you through the thought process behind writing it and what you can expect from it.

Learning a new language is such an amazing tool that allows people from different parts of the world to connect more easily. That leads, more importantly, to deeper and more meaningful connections as well. In the case of the Portuguese language, several countries[3] have it as the official language, making it the sixth most spoken idiom on Earth, with 170 million speakers worldwide. This means that learning it grants you the possibility of making friends or finding job opportunities in the most obscure places you can imagine.[4]

However, there is more to Portuguese than it just being a great tool of connection between fellow humans scattered around the world. Portuguese is immensely rich and full of music, history, and stories. It has come a long way, with the first form[5] of Portuguese dating back to the eighthcentury AD. This form was derived from the vulgar Latin spoken by the Romans, with influences from the Celts and other barbarian tribes that lived in the territory, which is now modern-day Portugal.[6]

And that is what this book wants to accomplish—to teach a language for all of the practical uses it holds while showcasing its essence, rhythm, and soul.

To do just that, aside from the fundamental chapters on how the language works, and for you to get in touch with the language and its applications in music, literature, and everyday events, the guide will occasionally have some notes about songs, poems, famous books, and idiomatic expressions that relate to what is being taught. Aside from the cultural richness and value that the content may possess by itself, reading literature or singing along to a Portuguese tune might just be the second-best way to learn a language and perfect the accent—besides trying to speak it with Portuguese speakers.

So, we finish as we started—Why learn Portuguese? What for? Is it worth it, or rather, Vale a pena?

The answer is very simple:

Tudo vale a pena, se a alma não é pequena.

[7]

Before we start, a heads-up

Anticipating the confusion that it may cause before we start; it is wise to remind you of the orthographic agreement this book follows.

Currently, only three countries adhere to the Portuguese Orthographic Agreement of 1991. This international treaty was created to unite the language in the countries where Portuguese is the official idiom. It changed various aspects of the language (for instance, the rules of capitalization), but nothing so fundamental that it could preclude somebody that learned the language using one system, not to understand it in the other system.

Despite this—and admitting beforehand that it is also my stand on the issue—many Portuguese writers do not approve of the agreement, and thus don’t write accordingly. In contrast, some countries didn’t even adhere to it, regardless of having ratified it.[8]

It really won’t make that much of a difference to you. Still, keep that information in mind just so that if you happen to see some words spelled slightly differently,[9] you know why. However, just in case, always double-check. In a best-case scenario, you will spot a mistake that somebody (just like myself), who is probably a native, made. Let’s say, for instance, that you are exchanging messages with a Portuguese friend and he/she says:

Foi um acto cruel! ⤻ It was a cruel act!

You should say, "Em vez de ‘ACTO,’ não se escreve ‘ATO’ agora? ⤻ Instead of ‘ACT,’ isn’t it written ‘ACT’ now?"

And well, isn’t that something to brag about?

PART I: THE VERY BASICS

The Portuguese Alphabet

[10]

Like the English alphabet, the Portuguese alphabet is based on the Latin or Roman alphabet and consists of 26 letters. Nevertheless, the pronunciation of each letter might be different than the way it is pronounced in English. Plus, many sounds are unique to the language or at least are not very common in English. So, let’s start by learning how to pronounce each letter. It is not as simple as it may appear—depending on where the letter is in a word, its pronunciation will be quite different. Ok, maybe it isn’t that different, but it might be different enough to sound weird if not said the correct way. Furthermore, you most likely want to be understood and impress people when you are speaking Portuguese. Thus, you want to get it just right!

Vowels

Let’s start with the vowels[11]: A, E, I, O, U. That is easy, but how are they pronounced?

ℵ  "A – like the A in BAR"

ℵ  "E – like the A in WELL"

ℵ  "I – like the EE in FEED"

ℵ  "O – like the O in MORE"

ℵ  "U – like the O in LOSE"

However, as mentioned, the pronunciation might change: If the letters are surrounded by other letters, if they are at the beginning, middle, or end of a word, if they have a diacritical mark, and so on. There are four big types of pronunciation. Let’s see how each letter’s sound changes depending on what pronunciation type we are talking about.

ℵ  Open pronunciation[12]:

A) The open pronunciation of the letter A in Portuguese sounds like the A in FAR. It is the correct pronunciation most of the times when A is the stressed syllable of the word, like the first A in the word CALMA – CALM, or if it contains the diacritical mark (acute accent) ´ like in the word ALIÁS – BESIDES, INDEED.

E) The open pronunciation of the letter E in Portuguese sounds like the E in VET. It is the correct pronunciation most of the times when E is the stressed syllable of the word, like the one in SERRA[13] – MOUNTAIN RANGE, or if it contains the diacritical mark (acute accent) ´ like in the word PÉ – FOOT.

I) The letter I is almost always pronounced with an open sound, like the EE in FLEE: FICAR – STAY; SORRIR – SMILE; GRITAR – SCREAM.

O) The open pronunciation of the letter O sounds like the O in CORE. It is the correct pronunciation most of the times when the O is the stressed syllable of the word, like in the word SOL – SUN, or if it contains the diacritical mark (acute accent) ´, like in the

Reviews for Portuguese for Beginners

[John Kenneth Vertido · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing book that i found, I find the book easy to read and understand. I like the way the book not only gives written explanations but also includes illustrations of certain situations. It leads to more discussions with the tutor.

[Wonderweiss Roslo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found this book a very good self teaching tool for who does not have a thorough or any knowledge of the portuguese language. I realize the person has to have a lot of self discipline to learn any language just from the book but it can be done.

[Ceb Ali · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The book has lots of exercises to help you grasp grammatical points and vocabulary. Basically it's intended to be used as a learning text as much as a reference. . I would recommend to any one pursuing Portuguese

[Ed Gary David · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was perfect and just what I needed. Portuguese is one of the hardest languages to learn. When you buy self help it’s difficult because usually there’s no explanations or break downs to help you understand, with this book everything will make sense!
3 people found this helpful

[Daisy Regala-Ando · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've read many book related on learning different languages. But, a Portuguese is an interesting language to learn. In my own opinion this language is not easy to learn
and teach but when I read this book my opinion changes fast because it's not maybe because this book is easy to comprehend, the author wrote every words easy to understand especially for the beginners. Great book!

[Marnie Bentulan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A must have book if you want to learn the Portuguese language. It is brief and concise that you can understand and learn easily as you read the book. Very helpful indeed, especially for beginners.

[Shey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was definitely awesome! It is useful for the new learner of the Portuguese language. Also i liked the way on how the author explain every words. I recommend this books if you wanted to learn how to speak portuguese.

[Harvey Woods · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is definitely enough to get you going well. If you just want to spend some time learning some specific vocabulary, such as foods, the components of a car, basic anatomy or useful interjections to incorporate in sentences, it's organized very concisely to help you do so efficiently. This book is very helpful to a beginner person like me that want learn Portuguese.

[Tolits Mendoza · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great practical study guide. It jumps right in and gives you the basics of pronunciation and the building blocks to grammar, just as one might expect.

[Enmar David · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the perfect book for anyone to learn basic Portuguese in a short period of time so you can easily hold basic conversations and also understand the necessary parts of the language. The book has been written very well and follows a proper system so that the language is learnt properly.

[Scotty Voltaire · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I wanted to learn Portuguese of Portugal. This was a very helpful book, with this book everything will make sense! This an easy and simple way to learn the language.

[Shiela Latag · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great tool for anyone who wants to learn Portuguese and is just starting out. The book really breaks down a lot of important lessons from grammar to pronunciation. My favorite part about this book is it is based on European Portuguese and not Brazilian based.

[Eduard Salvador · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked how the author carefully explained each detail of the book. It's a perfect learning tool for beginners because it can easily be understood. The short quiz or quizlet helped me determine if my vocabulary of the Portuguese language has improved so that made it one of the main points of this book.

All in all, this book is a very friendly self-help book that can teach you the basics of the Portuguese language. If ever you find yourself on the journey to a Portuguese-speaking country then the knowledge you'll gain from reading this book would absolutely help you.

[Revi James · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is excellent and just what I was looking for. One of the most daunting languages to learn is Portuguese. When it comes to DIY, it can be difficult to understand without any resources; with this book, I can start and be a beginner. However, there are mistakes in English; I hope there aren't any in Portuguese.

[Julius Brigades · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very difficult to find a Portuguese language workbook that actually uses the dialogue from Portugal. Mastering Portuguese language needs time to practice for better result and this book will give you information and strategies to make your goal easily and perfect

[Joshua Montesino · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In the event that you need to go to Brazil or some other Portuguese talking country, and have barely enough of the language to make proper acquaintance and be cordial with individuals, at that point you might need to purchase a phrasebook and attempt to retain three, four or five articulations. In the event that you are fortunate you will actually want to utilize these expressions while you are there, yet you will not see quite a bit of what individuals say. You will likely even experience difficulty recollecting these expressions when you need to utilize them. With that being said, this book will help you learn the fundamentals in learning the language. This will help a lot, especially for those beginners who wishes to learn such.

[Karl Angelo Gil · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great practical study guide. It jumps right in and gives you the basics of pronunciation and the building blocks to grammar, just as one might expect. If you already speak Spanish you will be amazed how similar written Portuguese is to Spanish, but how different it sounds.

[Jefferson Baniqued De Guzman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an awesome book and definitely worth is... I have been trying to teach my Husband and Daughter Portuguese for years. Finding a Portuguese learning book that teaches main land Portuguese and not Brazilian Portuguese is hard. With this book I am able to teach my family to speak Portuguese the way I do. Recommending this to everyone I know!!

[Maria Clarissa Navarro · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was not just written by the author. Because if you meditate or analyze carefully, the author has studied it carefully. If you want to learn or supplement your collections in the languages ​​you want to learn, alas! here is one.You will definitely not be disappointed because the detailing of the writer in this article is very smooth. From each pronunciation you will learn.

[Chasty Faith Delos Reyes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you've been hustlin' all day but is still interested to delve deeper into learning one of the widely spoken language in the world, then a busy schedule won't mind with having this book at hand. Learning Portuguese is indeed a challenge if you're under a tight schedule, the fact that the authors made the words more comprehensible, is a thing that we should not worry about. However, if you want to learn the language more efficiently, then you should put equal amount of effort in order to do so. This book provides comprehensive lessons, exercises, quizzes and covers basic grammar, Portuguese verbs plus conversational tips. You'll learn the fastest way to correct pronunciation in Portuguese plus popular phrases. If you'll focus on learning this language, then I can say that you will master the fundamentals of speaking Portuguese within a week or so.

[Ate and Bunso Vlogs · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Como você está or in English, how are you?
If you are looking for book that will teach you basic words and even alphabets in Portuguese then this book is what you are looking for. I'm so glad that I learned different language except for the native language I know. This book os easy to understand and teach me how a words and phrases can read and deliver carefully. I can used this language in my future flight to go in Portuguese countries. And confidently have a conversation with the natives in there. I really love this book.

[Elizabeth Lasibal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The book is so resourceful and informative. I like it how the author made it for the beginners really. He added fun facts in its introduction a plus star for me as well as the links where I could get some more information about learning Portuguese. He made sure that the book is so interactive and comprehensive for the readers. I love the simple quizzes, it could catch a lot motivation to learn more. The book won't allow you to move on without learning.

[Romelyn Castro · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I liked how the book really stick by the title used that it is indeed for beginners. Starting from the alphabet, numbers, days of the weeks, months and the other basic words that we often hear and use, the good thing about this is that, we'll be able to practice it in a daily basis. The author also adds some fun facts that I find interesting since it's like a push factor for me to keep reading and eventually, inculcate the information I've learned.

[Sara Jane del Rosario · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I start to love Portuguese words because this book teaches me a lot on how to write and read words and phrases in this language. The information is easy to understand that everyone who is willing to learn can get it.

So if you are planning to go on a Portuguese Countries then this book is for, you can communicate with Portuguese people, socialize with them in everyday life.

[Ross Mari Galleto · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Details on how to start learning Portuguese were elaborated perfectly. I like how it started with the very basics,like the pronunciation of the alphabets, how it teaches about numbers, days of the week, months, seasons, and telling the time. Things that, of course, should be considered first before learning a certain language. It also teaches the proper grammar before conversation was introduced! Cezar Abreu, the author, will surely be the teacher I'll love to see in class because it feels like he can make something hard like an easy job- like learning Portuguese!

[Camille Manalese Gonzal · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Learning foreign language can be difficult also we all know it is always helpful and informative. Here you will learn the basics of portuguese alphabet, how to speak its sounds it also give links on how to speak this language, pronouns, prepositions and many more! Its fun learning this language isn't that helpful? I like this and I recommend this .

[Anne Watson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is one of the nice headstarts, regarding language teaching for beginners, i ever encountered.


I, personally, am not a fan of the Portuguese language and I'd rather learn Spanish to have a deeper excavation of the Philippine history and learn its depth. But Abreu seemed to turn the tables. As I scroll throug passage - from the introduction up until the closing remarks of the author, the book remained convenient, comfortable and wholesome. This book is made to consider busy people, making their time more meaningful and concise by learning these kind of matters. If you want to connect with multilingual people or has been aiming to be a translator or a foreign language, this book provides all of your needs of help. This book is beneficial, especially to travellers; here's why. (1) The words are made easier to understand. (2) The author took welfare of his readers by selecting Portuguese words and phrases that are commonly used (3) The author provided intricate explanations for each of the translations and lasty; (4) This book leads can lead us to more importantly, deeper and more meaningful connections to others as well. Highly recommended!

[Arvie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I liked the introduction part where there are certain questions that is asking about our intention as to why we are interested in learning Portuguese. Personally, it piqued my interest and made me more invested reading this book. What I liked most in this book is that, It does not just give words indicating how to pronounce it but rather it has a short discussion integrated that explain how or when the word might change including the pronunciation. Moreover, the quizzes provided assess if our vocabulary has made an improvement or not. I tried multiple times learning new language but I was easily drained and another factor why I lack motivation to keep going is the inadequate information the google is giving. That is why I am thankful that I found this gem that has a sufficient information I need that'll surely feed my brain.

[Linda Zapata · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Learning a language is a lot like learning how to cook. At first it might be hard and exhausting but as you go along it gets much more easier. This book really helped me learn the Portuguese language very efficiently. Not only does it teach the language there are also some fun facts included. The writer also did a great job by creating short quizzes in order for us, the readers, to check if our vocabulary has improved or not.

In conclusion to this, after reading the book I can say that I fairly use my knowledge of the Portuguese language little by little. It's the perfect learning book you need if you're a first-time learner of the language. This book deserves a 4 star rating for a job well done.

[Castañeda Del Rey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Learning new language has been my passion since I was a child. But exploring new language is quite hard because some words in different language has their own pronounciation and uses. This book 'Portuguese for Beginners' is very easy to comprehend for it has more elaborate explanations for every pronounciation of words which can be very helpful for learners like me. All in all I really had a fantastic time reading this book. I highly recommend this to those who aspire to learn Portuguese.