How to Learn Portuguese, Step by Step

To learn Portuguese, choose Brazilian or European Portuguese first, because the sounds and some everyday words differ. Portuguese is an official language in nine countries, including Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique and Timor-Leste.

How to Learn Portuguese, Step by Step

Do the first three steps in your first few weeks. Keep doing steps 4 to 6 for as long as you learn.

• 🧭Choose Brazil or PortugalPick the Portuguese spoken by the people you want to talk with. Some everyday words change, so a train is a “comboio” in Portugal and a “trem” in Brazil.
• 👂Learn the New SoundsSpend your first week on sounds English doesn't have, like the lh in filho (son) and the nh in vinho (wine). Copy each word out loud after you hear it.
• 💬Learn Phrases in Short DialoguesLearn greetings and simple requests from dialogues with audio, so every phrase comes with a place to use it, like a bakery or a bus stop.
• 📖Read and Listen to Stories You Can FollowSpend most of your study time on Portuguese you can mostly understand. A new word sticks when you meet it in a story you follow.
• 🔍Look Up Verbs as You Meet ThemPortuguese verbs change their ending for each person, so eu falo means “I speak” and nós falamos means “we speak.” Check a verb table when a form confuses you.
• 🗣️Talk With a PersonOnce you can say a few sentences, book a tutor or find a conversation partner. Ask them to slow down, and say back what you heard.

For step 2, Practice Portuguese's pronunciation guide plays slow audio for each letter if you chose Portugal. If you chose Brazil, Easy Portuguese has Super Easy episodes for beginners, spoken a bit slower. For step 4, the guide to Portuguese you can follow lists what to read and hear. For step 5, Conjugação shows every form of a verb.

Find Where You Are

Bubblegum is a language app with Portuguese lessons in Brazilian or European Portuguese. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes each lesson at one of six levels. Pick the sentence below that matches you today, and its row tells you what to work on next.

1. Level 1

   I'm just starting out or know only a few words.

   Read short dialogues with the audio on, and copy each line out loud. Pick up words like numbers and food as they come up.

   Level 1 café dialogues in European Portuguese →
2. Level 2

   I can handle simple exchanges.

   Learn ser and estar, the two verbs for “to be,” from the sentences you read. Try writing two or three sentences about your day.

3. Level 3

   I follow conversations on familiar topics.

   Learn the past tenses as stories use them, and start talking with a tutor or partner once a week.

4. Level 4

   I understand most content but miss some nuance.

   Read news written for learners, and retell one story a week to your tutor or partner.

5. Level 5

   I read complex topics but rare words slow me down.

   Watch a TV series from the country you chose, first with Portuguese subtitles and then without them.

6. Level 6

   I can read almost anything.

   Read novels and opinion pieces, and notice the sayings people use in the country you chose.

Frequently Asked Questions