Learning Portuguese: methods, courses and tips that actually work

"Obrigadoo." The woman at the bakery answered you in a single breath, swallowing half the vowels, and you wonder whether this is really the language you revised on the plane. Welcome to Portugal, where written Portuguese reads almost like French and spoken Portuguese sounds, for the first few weeks, like whispered Russian. Yet if you want to learn Portuguese, there is nothing insurmountable about it, especially if you speak French, provided you pick the right variety and the right methods.

Here is what really works, from the free courses offered by the state to the small habits that help you improve over a coffee.

Why learn Portuguese when you move to Portugal?

In Lisbon, Porto or the Algarve, you can live in English, and many Portuguese people also speak French. But you would miss the essentials: the chat with your neighbour, the waiter's sense of humour, the letter from the Finanças (the tax office) that you need to understand without a translator. As soon as you leave the international neighbourhoods or deal with the administration, the doctor or the plumber, Portuguese becomes indispensable.

And the Portuguese really appreciate the effort. A bom dia (good morning), an obrigado with the right ending (men say obrigado, women obrigada), a hesitant sentence are enough to change the tone of an exchange. Our article on the everyday codes of life in Portugal gives you the polite phrases to know from your first week.

At work, the language opens doors too: outside call centres and international companies, most jobs require Portuguese. Our guide to working in Portugal looks at the sectors that recruit French speakers.

European or Brazilian Portuguese: which should you learn?

If you live in Portugal, learn European Portuguese, without hesitation. The two varieties are written in almost the same way, but they are spoken very differently.

Brazilian Portuguese opens its vowels wide and sings; European Portuguese swallows them. The Portuguese understand Brazilian Portuguese very well, having always heard it in telenovelas. The reverse is harder, and a learner trained only on the Rio accent can end up lost in Lisbon.

The differences also affect grammar and vocabulary:

In Portugal, tu (the informal "you") is common between people who are close, whereas Brazil mostly uses você. And some words change meaning from one side of the Atlantic to the other: it is better to learn them in their Portuguese context.

How do you pronounce European Portuguese?

This is the real difficulty, and the good news is that it follows a few rules:

• Unstressed vowels almost disappear. Telefone is pronounced roughly "tlfon". A final e is barely heard.
• A final o is pronounced "oo". Obrigado becomes "obrigadoo", Porto becomes "Portoo".
• An s at the end of a syllable becomes a "sh" sound. Dois (two) sounds like "doysh", Lisboa sounds almost like "Lizhboa".
• Nasal sounds rule. Pão (bread), mãe (mother), não (no): French speakers have an advantage here, because they already know nasal vowels.
• Lh* and *nh sound like the "lli" in "million" and the "ny" in "canyon": trabalho (work), vinho (wine).

Listen a lot before you speak. For the first few weeks, everything seems to flow into a single word; then, one morning, you suddenly make out the sentences at the counter.

Which false friends trip you up when you learn Portuguese?

Portuguese being so close to French is a gift, but it also sets a few traps. The most common ones, which almost every newcomer runs into one day:

• Puxe and empurre. On doors, puxe means "pull" and empurre means "push". Newcomers push when they should pull, every single time, for weeks.
• Esquisito does not mean exquisite, but strange. Telling the cook that their dish is esquisito will not please them.
• Constipado means having a cold, not constipated: useful to know before you explain your symptoms at the pharmacy.
• Apelido means surname, not nickname. You will see it on every form.
• Propinas are university tuition fees, not tips.
• Talho is the butcher's, and ementa is the restaurant menu.

These mistakes raise a smile, rarely more. The Portuguese have heard worse and usually correct you kindly.

Where can you take free Portuguese classes in Portugal?

The public programme is called Português Língua de Acolhimento (PLA), literally "Portuguese as a host language". It took over from the old "Português para Todos" courses. According to AIMA, the public agency in charge of migrant integration, these courses are for people aged 16 and over whose mother tongue is not Portuguese and who hold a residence document in Portugal or can show equivalent proof.

These free Portuguese classes are run by three types of institution: state schools, the training centres of the IEFP (the public employment institute) and the Centros Qualifica. The courses lead to levels A1 and A2, then B1 and B2. A certificate at level A2 or above serves as proof of knowledge of Portuguese for permanent residence, long-term resident status and nationality.

Places are limited, and sessions depend on funding and region. To sign up, the simplest route is to go to the job centre or the state secondary school in your municipality with your ID, your NIF (tax number) and your residence document. For an EU citizen, that document is normally the EU residence certificate: get it first, then ask whether a session is planned near you.

What other ways are there to learn Portuguese?

If the PLA sessions are full, or if you want to go faster, there are several paid routes:

• Universities. In Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra, the faculties of letters offer Portuguese courses for foreigners, either intensive in summer or spread over the academic year. These courses are serious, well supervised and often lead to a certificate.
• Private language schools. There are many in the big cities, offering small-group classes in the evening or on Saturdays. To find Portuguese classes in Lisbon or Porto, compare group sizes and ask for a trial lesson.
• Private lessons, in person or by video call, ideal for working on conversation and the vocabulary of your profession.

A word of caution about apps: many mainstream apps that help you learn Portuguese teach the Brazilian variety by default. Check before you subscribe. Practice Portuguese is built around European Portuguese, with dialogues recorded by Portuguese speakers. An app remains a complement: it teaches you words, rarely how to hold a conversation.

How do you improve fast once you are there?

The best teacher is everyday life. A few habits that change everything:

• Listen to Portuguese radio and television. The free RTP Play platform streams the programmes of the public broadcaster; the TV news, slow and clearly spoken, is perfect for getting used to the accent.
• Switch your phone to Portuguese. You will pick up everyday vocabulary without effort.
• Ask people to answer you in Portuguese. The Portuguese happily switch to English to help you. One sentence is enough: Pode falar em português, por favor? Estou a aprender. (Could you speak Portuguese, please? I'm learning.)
• Join a language tandem. Language exchanges, where a Portuguese person learns your language while you learn theirs, work very well in university towns.
• Do your shopping at the market, not only at the supermarket: conversation is compulsory there, and the stallholders are patient. Our guide to Portugal's markets points you to the best ones.

What level should you aim for, and should you take the CIPLE exam?

For everyday life, a good A2 level already lets you get by: doing your shopping, booking an appointment, understanding the gist of a simple conversation. To work in Portuguese, aim for B1 or B2 instead.

If you need official proof of your level, there are two routes. First, the A2 certificate obtained at the end of a PLA course. Second, the CIPLE exam, which certifies level A2 in Portuguese as a foreign language. CAPLE, part of the Faculty of Letters of the University of Lisbon, organises it several times a year in centres in Portugal and abroad. The conditions for Portuguese nationality have been reformed recently: when you apply, check the level and the proof required.

The most important point fits in one sentence: start before you leave. A few months spent listening and learning the basics from home make the first weeks much gentler. And the day the woman at the bakery answers you "obrigadoo", you will know exactly what she said.