One of the most difficult parts of learning Portuguese is the system of verb conjugations. Unlike English, where verbs stay the same, Portuguese verbs change depending on the subject, tense, and mood. This makes it hard to remember how to use verbs correctly. The verb “to speak” (falar) has many forms. For example, “eu falo” (I speak), “você fala” (you speak [formal]), “ele fala” (he speaks), and “nós falamos” (we speak).
Nouns in Portuguese are masculine or feminine. Unlike English, where nouns are simply singular or plural, every Portuguese noun is assigned a gender. Mastering this distinction is crucial because adjectives and articles must agree with the noun’s gender. Unfortunately, there are numerous exceptions and seemingly arbitrary rules that leave learners scratching their heads. The word “casa” (house) is feminine, while “carro” (car) is masculine.
The subjunctive mood is different in Portuguese and English. In Portuguese, it is used to express doubt, possibility, or desire. In English, there is no direct equivalent. This can make it hard for learners to understand when the subjunctive is needed.
Despite the challenges, there are reasons to be optimistic about learning Portuguese. The basic word order is similar to English, which makes it easier to start. Portuguese pronunciation is generally more phonetic than English, which makes it easier to learn.
The good thing is that if you already speak Spanish (or to a lesser extent probably Italian or French), the grammar is basically almost identical in terms of the tools it offers. Portuguese uses similar tenses in similar situations to Spanish. In addition, there are many cognates between these languages, words that are very similar not only in the way they are written, but also in the way they are pronounced.