Learning Portuguese can be a rewarding and fun experience, especially because of the cultural and linguistic similarities with Spanish. However, to move beyond «Portuñol» and truly master the language, there are some tricks to learn Portuguese.
In addition to following our tips, another important step for those who want to learn the language is to choose Portuguese courses with native teachers. It may seem difficult to fit this type of training into your routine, but the good news is that technology makes it much easier with the option of taking online Portuguese courses.
Throughout this guide, we will talk more about this, but now it’s time to discover the 13 tricks to learn Portuguese.
13 Tricks to Learn Portuguese in Your Daily Life
In this list of tricks to learn Portuguese effectively and enjoyably, you will find:
- Create a daily habit
- Listen to Brazilian music
- Watch series and movies in Portuguese
- Change your devices’ language
- Follow Brazilian influencers
- Read children’s or young adult books in Portuguese
- Write daily in Portuguese
- Talk with native speakers
- Record your voice speaking Portuguese
- Use educational podcasts in Portuguese
- Make visual notes
- Practice with educational games
- Learn common everyday expressions
1. Create a daily habit
Spend at least 15 minutes a day studying Portuguese. Consistency is more important than the length of occasional study sessions.
2. Listen to Brazilian music
Listen to bossa nova, samba, funk, pop rock, or any other music style you enjoy. This practice will help you get familiar with the pronunciation and rhythm of the language.
Here are some suggestions of Brazilian artists if you don’t know much about their music culture yet:
- Anitta
- Ivete Sangalo
- Chico Buarque
- Caetano Veloso
- Gilberto Gil
- Milton Nascimento
- Maria Gadú
- Marina Sena
- Duda Beat
- Anavitória
- Alceu Valença, among others.
3. Watch series and movies in Portuguese
Watching Brazilian productions with subtitles in the same language to improve your listening and reading comprehension is an excellent trick to learn Portuguese.
You’ll understand the flow of conversations and expand your vocabulary.
Here are some suggestions for Brazilian series:
- Coisa Mais Linda
- 3%
- Cidade Invisível
- Bom Dia, Verônica
- Beleza Fatal
- Sob Pressão
- Sessão de Terapia
- Avenida Brasil (Soap Opera)
- Segunda Chamada
- Ilha de Ferro
- Arcanjo Renegado
Among Brazilian movies, some masterpieces will help you learn Portuguese while enjoying great cinema:
- Ainda Estou Aqui (Oscar Winner for Best Foreign Film 2025)
- Central do Brasil
- O Homem que Copiava
- Que Horas Ela Volta?
- Tropa de Elite
- Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho
- O Que É Isso Companheiro?
- Cidade de Deus, among others.
4. Change your devices’ language
Set your phone, computer, and other electronic devices to Portuguese to increase your daily contact with the language.
5. Follow Brazilian influencers
Follow Brazilian profiles on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube that talk about topics you’re interested in.
6. Read children’s or young adult books in Portuguese
Simpler books make initial comprehension easier and help gradually expand your vocabulary.
7. Write daily in Portuguese
Among the tricks to learn Portuguese, remember to write short sentences, messages, or small texts every day. This helps reinforce spelling and grammar.
8. Talk with native speakers
If you have the opportunity to talk with Brazilians, do it in Portuguese.
It is increasingly common to find Brazilians in Colombia, especially working. Invite them to chat, explain that you’re trying to learn Portuguese, and practice.
It could be a friend of a friend, a coworker, or even someone who trains at the gym at the same time as you (haha!).
Also, it’s likely that these Brazilians want to practice Spanish too, so you can form a great duo.
9. Record your voice speaking Portuguese
Recording your own voice allows you to compare your pronunciation with that of native speakers and correct common mistakes.
10. Listen to Portuguese podcasts
Podcasts are excellent alternatives for those who are already at an intermediate level of Portuguese and want to keep progressing.
One advantage of podcasts is that you can listen while doing other activities such as driving, commuting to work by bus, or working out.
11. Make visual notes
Associate new words with images to make it easier to visually memorize the learned vocabulary.
12. Practice with educational games
Online games or specific apps can make learning fun and interactive.
13. Learn common everyday expressions
Focus first on the most common expressions used daily to make communication feel more natural from the start.
A Live Online Course: The Best Trick to Learn Portuguese
Although all the tricks mentioned above are extremely useful, nothing replaces direct interaction with a qualified native teacher.
A live online Portuguese course offers unique advantages that significantly speed up your learning:
| Benefit | Explanation |
| Direct interaction | Get your questions answered immediately |
| Instant correction | Grammar adjustments and correct pronunciation |
| Personalized content | Classes tailored to your specific needs |
| Authentic cultural immersion | Learn real expressions used by Brazilians |
In addition, classes with a teacher will give you what everyone wants: the real possibility of reaching fluency quickly! Combine consistent practice with online classes taught by native teachers.
Where to find these classes?
We present to you Multilingue, a language school specializing in Portuguese and English, with live online classes in small groups or individually, adapted to each need.
Visit our website to learn more about our classes or send us a WhatsApp message to discuss your needs and customize a model based on your personal or business goals.
