How to Talk About Books and Reading in Portuguese
Use approachable phrases for talking about genres, authors, a book’s story, and whether you would recommend it.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Livro means book and leitura means reading. To ask about someone’s reading habits, say Que tipo de livro você gosta de ler? (What kind of books do you like to read?). You can also ask about a specific title or author.
Ask what someone likes to read
Genres are often easy to recognize: romance, ficção científica (science fiction), suspense (thriller or suspense), biografia (biography), and fantasia (fantasy). A brief description can help if the exact word does not come to mind.
Você gosta de ler ficção?
Do you like reading fiction?
Qual foi o último livro que você leu?
What was the last book you read?
Você conhece essa autora?
Do you know this author?
Describe the book without giving away the ending
A história is the story or plot, personagem is character, and capítulo is chapter. To describe the experience, use adjectives such as interessante, divertido, emocionante, or difícil de acompanhar. A simple sentence can express an opinion without advanced literary vocabulary.
If you want to avoid spoilers, say sem contar o final (without giving away the ending). You can also ask whether someone has read the book before sharing details.
Estou lendo um romance sobre uma viagem.
I’m reading a novel about a trip.
A história é envolvente, mas o começo é lento.
The story is engaging, but the beginning is slow.
Ainda não terminei; sem spoilers, por favor.
I haven’t finished yet; no spoilers, please.
Recommend a book or ask for one
Recomendar means to recommend. Ask Você recomenda? (Would you recommend it?) or Tem algum livro parecido? (Is there a similar book?). To give a reason, connect your recommendation with porque (because): Recomendo porque os personagens são interessantes.
- Estou lendo… — I’m reading…
- Eu recomendaria esse livro. — I would recommend this book.
- É uma leitura leve. — It is an easy read.
Put it into practice
Name a book you have read, describe it with one adjective, and say whether you recommend it. Then ask what the other person is reading.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “I haven’t finished yet; no spoilers, please”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
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