Lessons and examples of common mistakes learners make in European Portuguese, including tricky verb distinctions, prepositions, word order, and confusing expressions. Perfect for learners who want to improve accuracy and understand subtle differences in usage.
These two Portuguese structures, Estar a fazer vs andar a fazer, don’t exactly mean the same thing. If you’re learning European Portuguese, you’ve probably seen both of these: They both look like “to be doing” in English. But they are not interchangeable. And if you use them randomly, you’ll sound slightly… off. Let’s fix that … Read more
Portuguese prepositions can be tricky, especially when several expressions seem to mean “below” or “under.” In this lesson, you’ll learn the difference between debaixo, por baixo, and abaixo and how to use them naturally in European Portuguese. We’ll break down each expression with clear explanations, practical examples, and common mistakes learners make. In this grammar-focused … Read more
Portuguese prepositions can be tricky, especially when several expressions seem to mean “above” or “over.” In this lesson, you’ll learn the difference between acima, em cima, and por cima and how to use them naturally in European Portuguese. We’ll break down each expression with clear explanations, practical examples, and common mistakes learners make. In this … Read more
One of the first verbs people meet in Portuguese is ser, and it can feel intimidating straight away. But at the beginner level, you really don’t need all the theory. Let’s keep it practical. At its core, ser is used to express three very basic things. 1️⃣ QUEM alguém é (WHO someone is) We use … Read more
After ser, the next verb learners usually meet is estar. And again: no need to overcomplicate it. At the beginner level, estar is mainly used to talk about two things: 👉 how someone is👉 where someone is👉 the weather That’s it. 1️⃣ COMO alguém está (HOW someone is) We use estar to talk about states, … Read more
Olá a todos! Welcome back to another lesson in our language-learning journey. Today, we’re diving into another crucial aspect of numbers: saying dates in European Portuguese. This includes how to express the day of the month and talk about years. Knowing how to correctly say dates will help you in everyday conversations and understand others … Read more
Both “há” and “existe” can be translated as “there is” or “there are” in English, but they’re used slightly differently and carry different tones. Let’s find out more about the diffrences in this post. ✅“Há” This comes from the verb haver, which is used impersonally (it doesn’t change with singular or plural in this context). … Read more
Anchor Words in Portuguese⚓is not an official term. It’s something that I call words that “anchor” the clitics before the verbs. If that just now didn’t make sense, you may want to catch up on Object Pronouns in Portuguese before you continue. What are Anchor Words in Portuguese⚓? Firstly, clitic placement in European Portuguese can … Read more
Have you been wondering when to use definite articles in Portuguese? This is one of the most confusing areas of Portuguese grammar, especially for beginners learning European Portuguese. In this guide, you’ll learn exactly when to use definite articles (o, a, os, as) with clear examples, audio, and real-life usage. If you’re not yet familiar … Read more
If the question of when NOT to use definite articles in Portuguese has been driving you crazy, then this post is for you! This is one of the most confusing areas of European Portuguese grammar, especially for beginners. In this guide, you’ll learn exactly when to drop the articles (o, a, os, as) with clear … Read more