Common Mistakes English Speakers Make When Learning Portuguese

Avoid these pitfalls and accelerate your Portuguese learning journey

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After teaching hundreds of English-speaking students over the years, I've noticed the same mistakes appearing again and again. The good news? Once you're aware of these common pitfalls, they're easy to avoid!

1. Gender Agreement Confusion

The Mistake:

Treating Portuguese nouns as gender-neutral like English.

Unlike English, every Portuguese noun has a gender (masculine or feminine), and adjectives must agree.

Wrong: A casa bonito (The house beautiful-masculine)

Right: A casa bonita (The house beautiful-feminine)

Example:

Pro tip: Generally, words ending in -a are feminine, and words ending in -o are masculine. But there are exceptions (like "o problema"), so always learn the gender with the noun.

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2. False Friends (Falsos Amigos)

The Mistake:

Assuming Portuguese words that look like English words have the same meaning.

These treacherous words look familiar but mean something completely different:

• Exquisito → "weird" or "strange" (not "exquisite")
• Pretender → "to intend" (not "to pretend")
• Pasta → "folder" or "briefcase"
• Assistir → "to watch" or "to attend" (not "to assist")
• Atualmente → "currently" (not "presently")

Example:

Example: Saying "Estou constipado" (I'm constipated) when you mean "Estou resfriado" (I have a cold)! 😅

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3. Overusing "Você"

The Mistake:

Using "você" in every sentence because it's the first word you learned.

Sounds unnatural:

• Você está bem?
• Você quer café?
• Você mora aqui?

More natural:

• Está bem?
• Quer café?
• Mora aqui?

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4. Direct Translation of "To Be"

The Mistake:

Not understanding when to use ser vs. estar.

English has one verb "to be," but Portuguese has two — and they're NOT interchangeable.

SER (permanent characteristics):

• Eu sou professora
• Ela é brasileira

ESTAR (temporary states or location):

• Eu estou cansada
• Ele está em casa

Example:

Example: Saying "Eu sou cansado" (personality trait) instead of "Eu estou cansado" (temporary state).

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5. Wrong Preposition Usage

The Mistake:

Directly translating English prepositions.

Wrong vs Right:

• "I like of music" ✗
• "Eu gosto de música" ✓

Common confusions:

• Depende de (not "em")
• Penso em você (not "sobre você")
• Vou ao cinema (not "no cinema")

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6. Pronouncing Written Portuguese

The Mistake:

Trying to pronounce every letter.

Examples:

Você → vo-SEH
Muito → MOOY-too

Example:

Pro tip: Listen to native speakers constantly — your ears will teach you faster than reading rules.

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7. Using "Obrigado" Incorrectly

The Mistake:

Not changing based on YOUR gender.

• Male → Obrigado
• Female → Obrigada

It depends on who is speaking — not who you're thanking.

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8. Literal Translation of English Phrases

The Mistake:

Translating idioms word-for-word.

English: It's raining cats and dogs

Wrong Portuguese: Está chovendo gatos e cachorros 😄

Right Portuguese: Está chovendo muito
or
Está chovendo canivetes

Example:

Each language has its own expressions — learn Portuguese ones instead of translating.

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9. Mixing Up "Mais" and "Mas"

The Mistake:

Confusing similar-sounding words.

• Mais = more
• Mas = but

Examples:

• Eu quero mais café
• Eu quero café, mas não tenho tempo

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10. Being Afraid to Make Mistakes

The Biggest Mistake:

Not speaking because you're afraid.

Brazilians LOVE when you try to speak Portuguese — mistakes are part of learning.

Example:

Pro tip: Perfect grammar without practice gets you nowhere. Speaking (even imperfectly) makes you fluent.

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How to Avoid These Mistakes

1. Work with a native speaker
2. Immerse yourself (music, podcasts, TV)
3. Keep a mistake journal
4. Practice daily (even 10 minutes)
5. Be patient with yourself

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Moving Forward

Now that you know these common pitfalls, you're already ahead of most learners.

Example:

Every mistake is a learning opportunity. Embrace them.

Want personalized feedback? Book a trial lesson and let's work on your specific challenges together.

Boa sorte! 🇧🇷