Among the Western Romance tongues, Brazilian Portuguese is one of the most straightforward languages to pick up. It is forgiving, common usage involves a much smaller amount of verb tenses as some of its contemporaries (I’m looking at you, French and Spanish!), and the syntax is reasonably straightforward. However, it does have its pitfalls.
Proper pronunciation can be tricky, while colloquialisms and idiomatic Portuguese can take years to master. And even in the standard vocabulary, there are some irregular and tricky words that so often cause problems to non-native speakers.
Ser and Estar
To be or not to be? In Portuguese, Hamlet’s question takes on a new dimension, as the language has two different translations for the standard verb “to be.” First, ser is a constant state of being, one that is inherent to the speaker’s nature. For instance, one would use ser to say “I am tall,” “I am shy,” or “I am from England.” These aspects of a person are not constantly subject to change. In fact, they help to describe the identity or personality of the speaker.
The verb estar is for changing or temporary states of being. For example, Portuguese speakers use estar for when they are tired, hungry, happy, or in any fleeting mood. One is not tired by nature—it is a passing state. Rather, you feel tired, then you rest, and you are no longer tired.
Gente and pessoal
In Brazilian Portuguese, the words gente and pessoal have, strictly speaking, the same meaning. Both can simply be translated as “people.” However, many Brazilians informally use gente to mean “we,” and pessoal to mean “they.” There’s no rule or hint as to why this division is made, so it’s something you can only really pick up through practice.
Levar and trazer
Simply put, levar is the verb “to take,” while trazer is the verb “to bring.” Easy, right? Well, in English, the phrases “I’ll take a cake to the party” and “I’ll bring a cake to the party” are largely interchangeable. Not in Portuguese, where you can only take something away, and bring something to a given place. In this case, the equivalent of “taking a cake to the party” (using levar) would be grossly incorrect.
Equally, Portuguese speakers cannot bring a piece of the cake home, they have to take it. A frustrating, yet common error made by most learners.
Assume and assumir
The most common use of the English verb “assume” is to presume, suppose, or take something for granted. This meaning is non-existant in Portuguese, where the equivalent assumir only means to take control of something or be given new power or responsibility, such as “assuming” political office.
Therefore, the saying that “when you assume, you make an ass out of you and me” doesn’t work as well in Portuguese … or, does it?
Exit and êxito
If you’re looking to leave a bar in Brazil, don’t ask for the êxito—the word you’re looking for is saída. Êxito, while coming from the same Latin root as “exit,” actually means “success.”
Pretend and pretender
A classic false friend between English and Portuguese, the verb pretender is not used in the same way as “to pretend.” In fact, pretender used in place of “intend,” when you attempt or strive to do something. This meaning was once used in the English language but is long outdated. If you are trying to say “pretend,” however, you should use the Portuguese equivalent of the verb “to feign”—fingir.[/restricted]
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