Portuguese is one of the Romance languages with more than 200 million native speakers in the world. It is the official language of various regions across the world which includes Brazil, Mozambique, Macau, Portugal, East Timor, Angola, Cape Verde, and more. It is one of the most widely spoken languages in the South American region as well. It is a Latin-based language that has been influenced by Celtic, Germanic, Greek, and Arabic.
Though the language has multiple variations depending upon the region in which it is spoken, it has majorly two classifications – Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese. In the blog, we talk about the major differences between Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese.
Introduction to Both Languages
European Portuguese is spoken in continental Portugal, the Azores, and Madeira Islands. It has nearly 11 million native speakers in the world. This variation of Portuguese includes the dialects spoken in the Arabian and Asian regions as well. The label ‘European’ is used to distinguish it from Brazilian Portuguese as both are different in various aspects.
Brazilian Portuguese is much more popular than European Portuguese with around 200 million native speakers. Due to colonization, Portuguese was introduced to Brazil in the 16th century. The language has transformed over the centuries which led to the formation of Brazilian Portuguese. Standardization of spelling, grammar, pronunciations, and vocabularies has made it different from European Portuguese. Due to cultural and historical reasons, both variations of Portuguese are different in multiple ways.
Difference in Pronunciations
One of the major differences between European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese is their pronunciation. For example, vowels are spoken long and wide in Brazilian Portuguese while the European variation has a closed accent. Also, words ending with the consonant ‘S’ is pronounced as ‘SS.’ It will be pronounced as ‘SH’ in European Portuguese.
Difference in Accents
Brazilian Portuguese is generally regarded as phonetically pleasing as it has open vowels. Many people find the European Portuguese accent to be garbled or doughy. Since the Brazilian variation of Portuguese has a pleasing rhythm for foreign ears, people consider it easier to learn and understand. It takes more time to interpret European Portuguese.
Difference in Grammar
Though European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese are technically one language, the grammar and spelling are different. Certain words differ in their spelling. Also, some nouns can be used in verb form in Brazilian Portuguese. While Brazilian Portuguese had adopted words from American English, the European variation keeps its Latin roots strong and uses original spellings. One can say it is more resistant to transitions and the adoption of new words. Therefore, some words used in both languages are completely different.
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