Your Portuguese Learning Library. One Read at a Time.
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B1
Present Subjunctive in Portuguese (Presente do Conjuntivo)
The Portuguese Present Subjunctive (Presente do Conjuntivo) is used far more frequently than its English counterpart. That’s why many learners struggle with when and how to use…
B1
Imperative in Portuguese: How to Give Commands & Make Requests
Like other Romance languages, Portuguese has a rich system of verb conjugations, including the Imperative mood. The Imperative is used to give commands, instructions, suggestions, and directions—whether…
B1
Poder vs. Conseguir in Portuguese
Portuguese learners often struggle to tell apart poder and conseguir, especially English speakers, since “can” usually covers both. So, how do we know when to use poder…
Why Speaking Portuguese Feels So Hard — and How to Fix It
Most language learners understand much more Portuguese than they can speak — and that can be frustrating. Sound familiar? See, conversing in a new language is tough.…
B1
Past Participle in Portuguese
In Portuguese, we use the Past Participle to form perfect tenses, the passive voice, and also as adjectives. In what follows, I’ll walk you through the Portuguese…
B1
Tão vs. Tanto in Portuguese: What’s the Difference?
If you’re learning Portuguese, you might be confused about when to use tão and tanto. While both are essential for intensifying the meanings of other words, they…
A2
Must-Know Portuguese Irregular Verbs
Have you noticed that some of the most frequently used verbs in Portuguese happen to be irregular? These verbs aren’t just high-frequency – they also carry a…
B1
Portuguese Gerund: Progressive Tenses and Beyond
The Portuguese Gerund (Gerúndio) is used to form progressive tenses (like the Present Continuous) and corresponds to the English present participle – the –ing form of verbs.…
A2
Portuguese-Spanish Cognates
Being already familiar with Spanish while learning Portuguese is a huge advantage – these languages are closely related and share thousands of cognate words. Wondering about what…
B1
Portuguese Object Complements and Pronouns
Little words like lhe, te, or nos often show up around Portuguese verbs. These are object pronouns, just like him, you, or us in English. Simply put,…
A2
Portuguese Reflexive Verbs and Pronouns
Reflexive verbs are everywhere in Portuguese and are widely used in everyday speech. It’s easy for learners, especially those unfamiliar with Romance languages, to overlook the reflexive…
Portuguese Connected Speech for Enhanced Pronunciation and Listening Comprehension
It is often challenging to keep up with native Portuguese speakers, even for advanced learners. This is probably not because you don’t know the words they’re saying,…
A2
The Portuguese Verb Ficar – Conjugation and Usage
Ficar is a high-frequency and versatile Portuguese verb that every learner should master early on. Depending on the context, ficar can mean ‘stay’, ‘be’, ‘get’, or ‘become’.…
A2+
Portuguese Prepositions and Contractions Explained
Prepositions in Portuguese often get a bad rap among language learners, and for good reason – mastering the usage of Portuguese prepositions is one of the most…
A2
Question Words in Portuguese
Intrepid language learners often start trying to interact in Portuguese from day one. I love their attitude and hope you are one of them. Now, being able…
B1
Portuguese Pretérito Perfeito vs. Imperfeito: What’s the Difference and When to Use Each?
Understanding the difference between Pretérito Perfeito (Preterite) and Pretérito Imperfeito (Imperfect) in Portuguese is a common challenge, especially for learners whose native language, like English, doesn’t make…
A2
How to Form the Plural in Portuguese
In Portuguese, not only do nouns change spelling depending on number (singular or plural), but so do other word types like adjectives, demonstratives, and possessive pronouns. That’s…
A2
Portuguese Word Gender and Agreement
In Portuguese, as in other Romance languages, nouns are classified by gender—either masculine or feminine. However, this gender classification extends beyond nouns to adjectives, pronouns, and articles,…
