False Friends
Journal vs. Jornal: A Personal Diary, Academic Journal, or Newspaper?
Jornal often means newspaper in Portuguese. Learn the words for a private diary and a scholarly journal too.
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Brazilian Portuguese Blog
Practical guides, real-life examples, and cultural insights to help you understand everyday Brazilian Portuguese and speak with confidence.
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False Friends
Preservative vs. Preservativo: Read Food Labels in Portuguese
On a Portuguese food label, look for conservante rather than preservativo when you mean a preservative ingredient.
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Order vs. Ordem: Place an Order or Give an Instruction in Portuguese
Portuguese ordem often means a command or sequence. A restaurant or online purchase order is usually a pedido.
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Office vs. Ofício: Where You Work and What You Send in Portuguese
Ofício is not the everyday word for an office. Choose escritório, consultório, or órgão based on the place you mean.
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Portuguese Vocabulary
How to Say ‘Pay Attention’ in Portuguese: Prestar Atenção
Portuguese does not literally use pagar for ‘pay attention.’ Use prestar atenção and connect it to the person or thing you are focusing on.
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How to Say ‘Make Sense’ in Portuguese: Fazer Sentido
Fazer sentido works in questions, explanations, and everyday reactions when an idea is clear or logical.
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How to Say ‘Make a Decision’ in Portuguese: Decidir or Tomar uma Decisão
Use decidir for the verb ‘decide’ and tomar uma decisão for ‘make a decision’ in Brazilian Portuguese.
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How to Say ‘Take a Break’ in Portuguese: Fazer uma Pausa
Learn the natural Portuguese phrases for a short pause, a rest, and time away from work.
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How to Say ‘Have Fun’ in Portuguese: Se Divertir
Learn how se divertir changes with the subject and how Brazilians wish friends a good time.
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How to Say ‘Make Friends’ in Portuguese: Fazer Amizade
Use fazer amizade with people, and use conhecer or fazer novos amigos to talk about meeting new friends.
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How to Say ‘Make a Mistake’ in Portuguese: Cometer um Erro
Use cometer um erro, errar, and enganar-se to explain different kinds of mistakes in Portuguese.
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How to Say ‘Take Notes’ in Portuguese: Anotar and Fazer Anotações
Use anotar or fazer anotações for taking notes in a Portuguese class, meeting, or lecture.
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How to Say ‘Make an Effort’ in Portuguese: Fazer um Esforço
Learn a supportive way to talk about effort in Portuguese without translating the English verb make literally.
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How to Say ‘Make Progress’ in Portuguese: Progredir and Melhorar
Use progredir, avançar, or melhorar to describe progress in language learning and everyday goals.
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How to Say ‘Get Ready’ in Portuguese: Se Preparar or Ficar Pronto
Learn the difference between getting yourself ready and saying that a meal, document, or task is ready.
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‘Take a Chance’ and ‘Give Someone a Chance’ in Portuguese
Portuguese uses different phrases for taking a risk and giving another person an opportunity.
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How to Say ‘Look Forward to’ in Portuguese: Mal Posso Esperar
Learn natural Brazilian Portuguese alternatives to the literal English phrase ‘look forward to.’
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How to Say ‘Keep in Touch’ in Portuguese: Manter Contato
Learn friendly phrases for keeping in touch after a trip, event, course, or work project.
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