“How can I learn Portuguese quickly?”
We’ve gotten this perguntaquestion many times. And while there’s no atalhoshortcut to fluency, you can start speaking in Portuguese by learning the right things first. Here’s what we suggest:
1. Start by learning basic greetings and polite phrases, such as:
- ObrigadoThank you (male speaker) / ObrigadaThank you (female speaker)
- Por favorPlease
- Bom diaGood morning
- Boa tardeGood afternoon
Here’s a short video about using different greetings at different times of the day.
2. Instead of learning all the verbs, start with the ones that are most common.
For example:
- serto be (perm.)
- irto go
- fazerto do, to make
You can find the 10 most common Portuguese verbs and how each of them is used in sentences in our quick guide here.
3. Consider focussing on these two common verb tenses when you’re getting started:
- Present (I speak = Eu falo)
- Simple past (I spoke = Eu falei)
4. Learn words that you’ll actually use in your daily life.
If you spend time in restaurants or cafés, learn basics like um caféa coffee , torradatoast , A conta, por favorThe bill, please . Or if you use public transport, learn words like comboiotrain , autocarrobus , and próxima paragem (next stop).
You don’t need to learn everything, just what’s most relevant to your life and your plans for actually using the language. ☺️ You can explore by topic using our Site Index.
5. Immerse yourself.
Part of learning a new language is just hearing it over and over again: the more you hear it, the easier it is to understand and eventually speak it. With that in mind, here’s a list of A1 shorties to help you practice.
Happy learning!