Post: #1

Just want some thoughts on how important learning Portuguese is to travelling in Brazil? I realize the language can be very different in Portugal and Brazil, but is it worth it if you don’t intend to live there? I’m intending to spend time in both Portugal and Brazil.

My Spanish is getting to an advanced level and I’m looking at other similar languages now. Any experiences here with English speakers learning Spanish and then Portuguese? Is the transition fairly easy or are there better ways to branch out?

I’m also considering EE countries but just don’t think the time/reward commitment is there to justify learning a more difficult language.

Post: #2

Learning something to make yourself smarter is never a waste of time.

Every man's job is fundamentally to be self-reliant and to be able to survive and thrive in multiple environments both mentally and physically.

Learn as many languages as you can.

You ever met a polyglot that said, "Well that was a waste of time, I wish I would of spent that time watching Foxnews, CNN, twitter, facebook, netflix instead.?

Nope, Me neither.

Post: #3

A friend said his buddy spoke Spanish when they went to Brazil and the guy could communicate with all the girls and got laid with a few.

I also was once asked to speak to a client in Spanish by a superior, so I did. About 20 minutes later I had resolved the client's issue and she was happy, so I asked her, "Where is your Spanish from, it sounds different?"

She goes, "It's not Spanish, it's Portuguese."

I'm like, "Oh...neat."

Also, if you can speak/read Spanish, you can basically read Portuguese. the spoken language, however, is more difficult to understand than the written language (for a Spanish speaker), but it can be done, for the most part.

Basically, if you're a native Spanish speaker, you can communicate. So level up your Spanish and you'll be fine. Or go ahead and learn Portuguese quickly if you're really interested in that part of the world.

Post: #4

My housekeepers are Brazilian. I speak to them in Spanish and they answer me in Portuguese. We get by quite well most of the time. I think if someone is speaking to you it's much easier to absorb it than you having to try to speak a foreign language and search your brain for the vocabulary and grammar. If they give it to you, you can pretty much figure it out or get the gist. So, my housekeepers don't speak Spanish and I don't speak Portuguese, so we just roll with it. Sometimes it's difficult and we have to work around things, but for the most part we have a great relationship.

Post: #5

I reckon the most problematic thing in Brazil will be for people to understand your accent if you speak straight-up Castillian.
In case your Spanish is advanced, you can do what most Argentinians do when they come to Brazil and speak portuñol, basically aportuguesando the Spanish language (the accent in particular). That should be fine.

But of course, actually learning Portuguese will give you an advantage, and it's should be a smooth transition from Spanish.

Post: #6

(03-09-2018 09:16 PM)Freedom35 Wrote:  I’m intending to spend time in both Portugal and Brazil

I’m also considering EE countries but just don’t think the time/reward commitment is there to justify learning a more difficult language.

Where do you think you'll spend the majority of your time? As I've understood for both Brazil and Portugal, you can speak Spanish and you'll be understood however if you wish to learn Portuguese, pick the variant that is closer to the country you'll spend most of your time in long term.

Honestly, if you're able to learn any language to an advanced standard then you can learn a completely different one too and I wouldn't say that Russian or Polish are really that much harder than Portuguese and Spanish.

Post: #7

Both are Romance languages, as is French and Italian.

The roots are very similar, the prononciations different. I speak a little Spanish and found the pronounciations in Portuguese difficult, but if you have tried it a bit then French or Italian should be no more difficult. So I would pick the one that you think you would get the most use from.

Consider that French is spoken in many more places than Portuguese, but they tend to be in Africa or SEA.

Post: #8

I agree with the fact that Portuguese speaking people can understand the Spanish speaking people easier than the other way around but if you already are at an advanced level of Spanish then by all means, it isn't that difficult. I spent a total of 9 months throughout 4 years (long-distance shit) in Brazil and after my 3rd visit I could pretty much understand everything and that was before I learnt Spanish which I nowadays speak fluently. There are so many words to associate with that it isn't really that tricky when your English is basically native or advanced and on top of that you have an advanced Spanish, then Portuguese will not be such a challenge if you actually put in the effort.

Beware that the Portuguese spoken in Portugal is way different than in Brazil, in my ears it sounds way uglier in Portugal.

Good luck!