Passar a + Infinitivo (B1)

Portuguese grammar concept: Passar a + Infinitivo with Portuguese flag.

Olá pessoal! In this lesson, I bring you yet another sentence structure that doesn’t translate into English neatly. If you want to describe starting to do something as a new situation, habit or way of doing things in European Portuguese, you’ll often come across: passar a + infinitive For example: Passei a estudar português todos … Read more

Deixar de + Infinitivo (B1)

Portuguese language learning poster about 'Deixar de + Infinitivo' with Portuguese flag.

Often, languages don’t translate into each other neatly. The sentence structure I bring in this lesson is one of them. If you want to say “to no longer do something” in European Portuguese, you’ll often come across this structure: deixar de + infinitive For example: Deixei de fumar.I stopped smoking. Ela deixou de trabalhar aqui.She … Read more

Voltar a vs Voltar para: What’s the Difference?

voltar a vs voltar para - European Portuguese Lesson

The verb voltar means “to return” or “to go back”, but the preposition that follows it can change what we mean. Two very common structures are: voltar a + infinitivevoltar a/para + place At first, these can be confusing because voltar a can have two different meanings. Let’s look at how they work. Voltar a … Read more

Começar a vs Passar a: What’s the Difference in Portuguese?

European Portuguese Lesson about the differences between "começar a" and "passar a"

If you want to say that someone started doing something in Portuguese, you probably already know the structure: começar a + infinitivo Comecei a estudar português.I started studying Portuguese. But there is another very useful construction that can sometimes be translated similarly: passar a + infinitivo Passei a estudar português. At first, these two structures … Read more

DE in European Portuguese (Simple Beginner Guide – A0)

Portuguese language lesson for beginners with a cartoon girl and lesson details.

You’ve already learned how to use a, em, and para to talk about movement. Now it’s time to learn another very common use of de. Let’s keep it simple. The Core Idea 👉 DE = where someone or something is from, also to whom someone is related, or to whom something belongs Use de to … Read more

Understanding Portuguese Grammar Terms

A Guide for European Portuguese Learners When you start learning European Portuguese, you quickly find out there is a hidden additional language you need to learn right alongside it. And this is one of the most common struggles I hear from learners: grammar terminology. Words like sujeito, verbo, objeto, formas verbais, preposição, pretérito and the … Read more

A vs PARA in European Portuguese (Simple Beginner Guide – A0)

A Portuguese language lesson comparing "A" vs "PARA" with shopping cart and lesson number 19.

You now know how to use a and para. But when do we use one and not the other? Let’s keep it simple. The Core Idea 👉 A = simple movement 👉 PARA = destination + intention or a longer stay Both can mean “to” in English, but Portuguese often makes a distinction. A PARA … Read more

Prepositions of Movement in European Portuguese (A0 Beginner Guide)

Prepositions of movement in Portuguese language educational illustration with arrows and Portuguese.

If you’ve ever said vou em Lisboa or estou a casa, you’re not alone.Prepositions of movement are one of the first confusing areas in European Portuguese. In this beginner-friendly guide, you’ll learn how to express movement clearly using simple structures like ir a, ir para, and more. This post brings together all A0 lessons on … Read more

How to Use PARA in European Portuguese (Simple Beginner Guide – A0)

Portuguese language lesson for beginners with supermarket and lesson icons.

If you’ve learned “a” already, you might be wondering: 👉 When do I use “para” instead? Let’s keep it simple. The Core Idea 👉 PARA = destination + intention Use it when: Watch the Video How to Use PARA in European Portuguese (Simple Beginner Guide) Simple Examples Common Mistakes 👉 A common mistake is using … Read more

How to Use AO and À in European Portuguese (A + Articles Made Simple A0)

Absolute Beginner Portuguese lesson on the prepositions of movement a (to) with it's contractions: ao and à (to the)

If you’ve ever said: Vou a o supermercado ❌ …you’re very close. This is the next step after learning “a” in Portuguese, and it’s actually very simple. The Core Idea You already know: 👉 A = where you are going But when the word has an article: Watch the Video How to Use AO and … Read more