Spanish vs. Portuguese: What are the similarities & differences?

Looking to learn a new language but can’t decide between Spanish and Portuguese? This guide will break down the differences to let you make the best decision for your future.

Deciding to learn a new language is an admirable goal, but how exactly do you decide which one to learn? With so many exciting and useful languages out there, it can be hard to choose a language to master. After all, starting to learn a new language from scratch is a significant commitment that will require hours and hours of study.

However, learning a new language is also an unimaginably fulfilling experience, as becoming fluent in a language other than your own will open doors that you never even knew existed. If you’ve got your eyes set on Spanish and Portuguese, just imagine yourself ordering a sangría in perfect Spanish in the streets of Valencia or navigating a beautiful Brazilian beach. These experiences are only available to those who go through the extensive yet rewarding process of learning a new language.

So, how do you know which language is for you? Below, we’ll cover the similarities and differences between Spanish and Portuguese to give you the most complete idea of what it’s like to learn either of these languages. By the end, you’ll be able to make a more informed decision as to which language to pick up.

Table of contents

• Is Portuguese similar to Spanish?
• What are the main differences between Portuguese and Spanish?
• Which language is easier to learn, Portuguese or Spanish?
• Which language will be more useful to learn?
• Portuguese vs. Spanish in practice
• Portuguese vs. Spanish culture
• Conclusion

Is Portuguese similar to Spanish?

Portuguese and Spanish are relatively similar languages. According to a journal article by the Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, the estimated level of mutual intelligibility between Portuguese and Spanish is around 50% to 60%. That means that speaking one of the two languages will allow you to understand a little over half of the other language.

Alphabet

One of the biggest similarities between Portuguese and Spanish is the alphabet. Both the Portuguese and Spanish alphabets are based on the Latin alphabet, which is the same alphabet used in English. However, Spanish has one more consonant with the letter ñ. Portuguese also has this sound, but it uses nh instead.

This makes reading much easier than listening as both languages share a very similar written form, with many words having identical or near-identical spellings. So, if you speak one of the two languages, you’ll be able to read the other language without much trouble.

Conjugation rules

Both Portuguese and Spanish have comprehensive conjugation rules. Although the conjugation patterns are different, they work in very similar ways. Verb forms change depending on who is doing the action and the verb tense.

Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern. These verbs have a part made up of one or more syllables that remain unchanged through the conjugations. This part is known as the verb stem, and the rest is known as a verb ending. Here are the conjugations for the verb “to run” in Portuguese and Spanish.

English	Portuguese pronoun	Conjugated verb	Spanish pronoun	Conjugated verb
I eat	Eu	Corro	Yo	Corro
You eat	Tu	Corres	Tú	Corres
He/she eats	Ele / Ela	Corre	Él / ella	Corre
We eat	Nós	Corremos	Nosotros	Corremos
You eat	Vós	Correis	Ustedes	Corren
They eat	Eles / Elas	Correm	Ellos / ellas	Corren

Notice how they’re both very similar? You won’t struggle too much to understand the conjugation rules of the other language if you’re already familiar with one of them.

Irregular verbs, however, are a different story. As you can probably tell by their name, these verbs do not follow a conjugation pattern. Instead, you will have to memorize their conjugations. Here are the conjugations for the verb “to be” in both languages:

English	Portuguese pronoun	Conjugated verb	Spanish pronoun	Conjugated verb
I am	Eu	sou	Yo	soy
You are	Tu	és	Tú	eres
He/she is	Ele / Ela	é	Él / ella	es
We are	Nós	somos	Nosotros	somos
You are	Vós	estais	Ustedes	están
They are	Eles / Elas	são	Ellos / ellas	son

Verb tenses

Both languages have a relatively complex verb tense structure. Spanish has 23 verb tenses and 4 moods, while Portuguese has 20 verb tenses and 4 moods. In comparison, English only has 12 verb tenses, so you’ll have to get more comfortable with verb tenses if you’re looking to learn either of these languages.

Null-subject language

Both Spanish and Portuguese are null-subject languages. This means you can drop the subject, which is the person doing the action, and the sentence would still make sense. That’s because the conjugated verb has the information of who is doing the action, so there is no need to repeat it with the subject.

English isn’t a null-subject language, so we can’t just say, “Are American.” We have to say, “You are Mexican,” because we wouldn’t otherwise know who is American. In Spanish, however, you can say, “Tú eres americano” or “Eres americano.” Both are perfectly fine. The same is true in Portuguese, as you can say, “Você é americano” or “És americano.”

What are the main differences between Portuguese and Spanish?

Portuguese and Spanish are, of course, different languages, so it’s not all similarities between the two. Since they’re not mutually intelligible, there are certain things that you have to keep in mind as you compare and contrast both languages. Let’s take a look at some of these differences.

Phonology and pronunciation

The most significant difference between Spanish and Portuguese is that Portuguese has a far richer phonology, meaning it has more sounds than Spanish. For example, Spanish has only five vowels, while Portuguese has nine.

In Spanish, almost every single phoneme is tied to a single letter. That means that almost all letters are pronounced exactly the same, regardless of the letter around it or the local accent. In Portuguese, however, this is not the case, as several phonemes can be assigned to many letters. This means that the sound a letter makes will vary depending on the letter before and also depending on the location. Notably, Portuguese pronunciation rules are very different from Brazilian pronunciation rules.

Grammatical differences

There are a few grammar differences between Spanish and Portuguese worth pointing out, but none are particularly significant. Here are some of the biggest grammatical differences between these two languages:

• Use of definite article in Portuguese. Portuguese uses the definitive article more frequently than Spanish. For example, you’d say “Vou ao Brasil” (I am going to the Brazil) in Portuguese, but “Voy a Brazil” (I am going to Brazil) in Spanish.
• Contracting prepositions. Spanish prepositions don’t contract with the exception of del (de + el) and al (a + el). Portuguese prepositions, on the other hand, almost always contract. Some examples are duma (de + uma), aos (a + os), and pelo (por + o), although there are many more.
• Personal infinitive. As opposed to Spanish and most romance languages, the Portuguese infinitive must be conjugated according to the person doing the action. For example, the infinitive verb ir (to go) would be conjugated as ires in the second person singular.
• Gender. This is one of the trickiest parts of grammar to master for those who speak both Spanish and Portuguese, as many words are of the opposite gender in the other language. For example, “orden” (order) is spelled the same in both languages but is masculine in Spanish and feminine in Portuguese.

Historical differences

Spanish and Portuguese have deeply intertwined histories. As romance languages, they both come from Latin, which is one of the reasons they’re so similar. However, modern Spanish comes from the Castillian family of languages, while modern Portuguese comes from the Old Galician-Portuguese family.

Portuguese as we know it today — or resembling what we know today — started popping up by the 12th century. It then started to spread worldwide in the 15th century as Portuguese explorers began to sail the seas. At the same time, Spanish started to spread around the world as Spanish explorers began making their way around the world, thus also expanding the reach of their language.

At this point, Iberian Portuguese and Iberian Spanish began distancing themselves from the versions spoken elsewhere. That’s why Brazilian Portuguese today is so different from Portugal’s Portuguese, just as Spain’s Spanish is so different from Latin American Spanish.

Which language is easier to learn, Portuguese or Spanish?

If a small part of you is still worried about picking up a new language, we have great news for you. Both Spanish and Portuguese are considered some of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers. According to the U.S. Foreign Service Institute, these two languages are classified in the “super-easy” category for English speakers.

Each language requires 24 weeks of full-time study to attain proficiency, assuming 25 weekly class hours. That comes out to 600 class hours to become fluent in these languages, just under two semesters of full-time studying. Keep in mind that this is assuming full-time, uninterrupted studying. So, if you’re taking online Spanish lessons after school or taking a corporate language course, it might take a little longer.

With that said, if you’re feeling ambitious and want to reach your language goals even faster, an immersive program could help you learn Spanish or Portuguese in no time. The Berlitz Method is our foundational principle as a language school. We’ve helped countless students learn dozens of languages for over a hundred years through immersive, goal-oriented language programs.

Which language will be more useful to learn?

If you want a promising career boost from your language-learning efforts, then you’re on the right track. Studies have repeatedly shown that being bilingual can lead to a higher wage, regardless of the specific language you speak. That’s because people with the ability to speak more than one language are often better problem solvers, more creative, and even better multitaskers, according to aptitude tests. These skills make bilingual speakers super attractive hires and even eligible for higher positions!

That said, the language you choose to learn will definitely impact your career. Let’s take a look at our two languages to see what unique advantages they offer.

Spanish

• It is spoken by around 548 million speakers, which makes it the fourth most-spoken language in the world.
• There are 21 Spanish-speaking countries, and that’s only counting the countries that have it as their official language.
• There are more Spanish speakers in the United States than in any other country in the world except for Mexico. With 57 million native and non-native speakers, the U.S. has more Spanish speakers than countries like Spain, Colombia, and Argentina!
• Spanish is an important language for business, as Latin America is one of the fastest-growing regions in the world.

Portuguese

• It is spoken by 257 million people worldwide, making it one of the top ten most spoken languages.
• It is the official language of 10 countries and territories all around the world, including Mozambique, Angola, Macau, East Timor, and more, on top of the obvious Portugal and Brazil.
• Brazil has more Portuguese speakers than any Spanish-speaking country has Spanish speakers. With a total population of around 215 million, Brazil alone has well over 200 million Portuguese speakers!
• Brazil is a massive country with the 10th largest economy in the world. This presents incredible business opportunities for those looking to trade with or invest in this fantastic country.

Portuguese vs. Spanish in practice

Okay, now that you’re familiar with the biggest similarities and differences between Portuguese and Spanish, it’s time to see how that works in practice. Below, we’ll explore plenty of examples of how these two languages compare.

Similarities between Portuguese and Spanish

First up, we’ll look at similar words in Portuguese and Spanish. As you’ll notice, there’s a relatively easy way to translate words from one language to the other by simply modifying the ending. This makes it easy for Portuguese and Spanish speakers to communicate with each other, as it’s not too difficult to figure out the meaning of most words once you’re familiar with these endings.

You can even take it one step further and attempt to speak Portuñol — a portmanteau of Portuguese and Español. This is when Spanish or Portuguese speakers try to speak the other language by guessing the translation of words based on patterns. Note that this isn’t an actual language and doesn’t require any studying. Instead, it’s just guesswork that is often accurate! How fun is that?

Let’s jump into the most common words that are very similar in Spanish and Portuguese.

Noun cognates

Spanish speakers will joke that Portuguese nouns are just the same as Spanish nouns but with a –são ending, but is the stereotype really true? There is certainly some truth to it! As you’ll see below, there is an easy way to translate most Spanish verbs into Portuguese and vice-versa. Simply take the ending, replace it with the corresponding ending, and voilà! You’re very likely to guess the corresponding noun accurately.

If you’re ready to unlock this major key between these two languages, here are some of the most common Spanish and Portuguese noun endings:

Spanish ending	Portuguese ending	Examples
–ción	–çao	Resolución → Resoluçao, Condición → Condiçao, Relación → Relaçao
–sión	–são	Precisión → Precisão, Decisión → Decisão, Confusión → Confusão
–grama	–grama	Telegrama → Telegrama, Programa → Programa, Diagrama → Diagrama
–dad	–dade	Ciudad → Cidade, Curiosidad → Curiosidade, Caridad → Caridade
–aje	–gem	Viaje → Viagem, Paisaje → Paisagem, Mensaje → Mensagem
–ismo	–ismo	Moralismo → Moralismo, Activismo → Ativismo, Pesimismo → Pessimismo

Not too complicated, right? Let’s take a look at a few dozen noun cognates in Spanish and Portuguese to help you see just how similar these two languages are:

English	Spanish	Spanish IPA	Portuguese	Portuguese IPA
Seat	Asiento	aˈsjento	Assento	aˈsẽtu
Accessory	Accesorio	akθeˈsoɾjo	Acessório	aseˈsɔɾiu
Concert	Concierto	konˈθjeɾto	Concerto	kõˈsɛʁtu
Bed	Cama	ˈkama	Cama	ˈkɐmɐ
Sofa	Sofá	soˈfa	Sofá	soˈfa
Afternoon	Tarde	ˈtaɾðe	Tarde	ˈtaʁdʒi
Water	Agua	ˈaɣwa	Água	ˈaɡwɐ
Sun	Sol	ˈsol	Sol	ˈsɔw
Hour	Hora	ˈoɾa	Hora	ˈɔɾɐ
House	Casa	ˈkasa	Casa	ˈkazɐ
Day	Día	ˈdia	Dia	ˈdʒiɐ
Month	Mes	ˈmes	Mês	ˈmes
Taxi	Taxi	ˈtaksi	Taxi	takˈsi
Airport	Aeropuerto	aeɾoˈpweɾto	Aeroporto	aeɾoˈpɔʁtu
Bridge	Puente	ˈpwente	Ponte	ˈpõtʃi
Train	Tren	ˈtɾen	Trem	ˈtɾẽj̃
Milk	Leche	ˈleʧe	Leite	ˈlejtʃi
Hotel	Hotel	oˈtel	Hotel	oˈtɛw
Shoe	Zapato	θaˈpato	Sapato	saˈpatu
Calendar	Calendario	kalenˈdaɾjo	Calendário	kalẽˈdaɾiu
Coffee	Café	kaˈfe	Café	kaˈfɛ
Leg	Pierna	ˈpjeɾna	Perna	ˈpɛʁnɐ
Head	Cabeza	kaˈβeθa	Cabeça	kaˈbɛsɐ
Arm	Brazo	ˈbɾaθo	Braço	ˈbɾasu
Finger	Dedo	ˈdeðo	Dedo	ˈdɛdu
Stomach	Estómago	esˈtomaɣo	Estômago	isˈtomaɡu
Doctor	Médico	ˈmeðiko	Médico	ˈmɛdʒiku
Manager	Gerente	xeˈɾente	Gerente	ʒeˈɾẽtʃi
Television	Televisión	teleβiˈsjon	Televisão	televiˈzɐ̃w̃
Husband	Marido	maˈɾiðo	Marido	maˈɾidu
Nose	Nariz	naˈɾiθ	Nariz	naˈɾiʃ
Expert	Experto	eksˈpeɾto	Experto	iʃˈpɛʁtu
Computer	Computadora	komputaˈðoɾa	Computador	kõputaˈdoʁ
Snow	Nieve	ˈnjeβe	Neve	ˈnɛvi
Cloud	Nuve	ˈnuβe	Nuvem	ˈnuvẽj̃
Shirt	Camisa	kaˈmisa	Camisa	kɐˈmizɐ
Friend	Amigo	aˈmiɣo	Amigo	ɐˈmiɡu
Adult	Adulto	aˈðulto	Adulto	aˈduwtu
Professor	Profesor	pɾofeˈsoɾ	Professor	pɾofeˈsɔʁ
Man	Hombre	ˈombɾe	Homem	ˈɔmẽj̃
Nurse	Enfermera	emfeɾˈmeɾa	Enfermeira	ẽfeʁˈmejɾɐ

Verb cognates

You might’ve thought that noun cognates were as similar as this would get, but verbs are here to show you otherwise. In fact, verbs in Spanish and Portuguese are so similar that the three main infinitive form endings are exactly the same!

Spanish ending	Portuguese ending	Examples
–ar	–ar	Amar → Amar, Respirar → Respirar, Nadar → Nadar
–er	–er	Comer → Comer, Beber → Beber. Hacer → Fazer
–ir	–ir	Dormir → Dormir, Abrir → Abrir, Salir → Sair

As you can see, all three verb groups have the same ending in their infinitive form. This should make it extremely easy for speakers of either language to recognize verbs in the other language. Let’s take a look at some examples:

English	Spanish	Spanish IPA	Portuguese	Portuguese IPA
To hunt	Cazar	kaˈθaɾ	Caçar	kaˈsaʁ
To close	Cerrar	θeˈraɾ	Cerrar	seˈʁaʁ
To sow	Coser	koˈseɾ	Coser	koˈzeʁ
To boil	Cocer	koˈθeɾ	Cozer	koˈzeʁ
To spy	Espiar	esˈpjaɾ	Espiar	ispiˈaʁ
To ear	Comer	koˈmeɾ	Comer	koˈmeʁ
To be	Ser	ˈseɾ	Ser	ˈseʁ
To be	Estar	esˈtaɾ	Estar	isˈtaʁ
To go	Ir	ˈiɾ	Ir	ˈiʁ
To give	Dar	ˈdaɾ	Dar	ˈdaʁ
To say	Decir	deˈθiɾ	Dizer	dʒiˈzeʁ
To bring	Traer	tɾaˈeɾ	Trazer	tɾaˈzeʁ
To be able to	Poder	poˈðeɾ	Poder	poˈdeʁ
To use	Usar	uˈsaɾ	Usar	uˈzaʁ
To see	Ver	ˈbeɾ	Ver	ˈveʁ
To be	Haber	aˈβeɾ	Haver	aˈveʁ
To owe	Deber	deˈβeɾ	Dever	deˈveʁ
To want	Querer	keˈɾeɾ	Querer	keˈɾeʁ
To pass	Pasar	paˈsaɾ	Passar	paˈsaʁ
To arrive	Llegar	ʎeˈɣaɾ	Chegar	ʃeˈɡaʁ
To find	Encontrar	enkonˈtɾaɾ	Encontrar	ẽkõˈtɾaʁ
To appear	Parecer	paɾeˈθeɾ	Parecer	paɾeˈseʁ
To ask	Pedir	peˈðiɾ	Pedir	peˈdʒiʁ
To open	Abrir	aˈβɾiɾ	Abrir	aˈbɾiʁ
To finish	Acabar	akaˈβaɾ	Acabar	akaˈbaʁ
To help	Ayudar	aʝuˈðaɾ	Ajudar	aʒuˈdaʁ
To begin	Comenzar	komenˈθaɾ	Començar	komẽˈsaʁ
To continue	Continuar	kontiˈnwaɾ	Continuar	kõtʃinuˈaʁ
To explain	Explicar	ekspliˈkaɾ	To pretend	pɾeˈtẽd
To pay	Pagar	paˈɣaɾ	To pay	ˈtɔ ˈpa
To publish	Publicar	puβliˈkaɾ	Publicar	publiˈkaʁ
To live	Vivir	biˈβiɾ	Viver	viˈveʁ

Adjective cognates

You’ll find plenty of Spanish and Portuguese cognates in adjectives. In fact, most of them have very similar if not identical endings, making it very easy to pick them out in the other language. Here are some of the most common adjective endings:

Spanish ending	Portuguese ending	Examples
–ista	–ista	Egoísta → Egoísta, Pesimista → Pessimista, Altruista → Altruísta
–ente	–ente	Prudente → Prudente, Suficiente → Suficiente, Impaciente → impaciente
–ble	–vel	Amable → Amável, Insoportable → Insuportável, Probable → Provável
–ar	–ar	Popular → Popular, Espectacular → Espectacular, Singular → Singular
–ico/–ica	–ico/–ica	Heróico → Heróico, Romántico → Romântico, Ecléctico → Eclético
–ivo/–iva	–ivo/–iva	Masivo → Massivo, Invasivo → Invasivo, Competitivo → Competitivo
–oso/–oso	–oso/–oso	Misterioso → Misterioso, Curioso → Curioso, Silencioso → Silencioso

So, how similar are Spanish and Portuguese adjectives, then? Take a look at the following list and let us know what you think!

English	Spanish	Spanish IPA	Portuguese	Portuguese IPA
Happy	Feliz	feˈliθ	Feliz	feˈliʃ
Tall	Alto	ˈalto	Alto	ˈawtu
Cold	Frío	ˈfɾjo	Frio	ˈfɾiu
Small	Pequeño	peˈkeɲo	Pequeno	peˈkenu
Pretty	Bonito	boˈnito	Bonito	boˈnitu
Ugly	Feo	ˈfeo	Feio	ˈfeju
Easy	Fácil	ˈfaθil	Fácil	ˈfasiw
Hard	Difícil	diˈfiθil	Difícil	dʒiˈfisiw
Delicious	Delicioso	deliˈθjoso	Delicioso	delisiˈɔzu
Sad	Triste	ˈtɾiste	Triste	ˈtɾistʃi
Uncertain	Incierto	inˈθjeɾto	Incerto	ĩˈsɛʁtu
Educated	Educado	eðuˈkaðo	Educado	iduˈkadu
Honest	Honesto	oˈnesto	Honesto	oˈnɛstu
Irritating	Irritante	iriˈtante	Irritante	iʁiˈtɐ̃tʃi
Proud	Orgulloso	oɾɣuˈʎoso	Orgulhoso	oʁɡuˈʎɔzu
Hard	Duro	ˈduɾo	Duro	ˈduɾu
Expensive	Caro	ˈkaɾo	Caro	ˈkaɾu
Busy	Ocupado	okuˈpaðo	Ocupado	okuˈpadu
Cloudy	Nublado	nuˈβlaðo	Nublado	nuˈbladu
Cold	Frío	ˈfɾio	Frio	ˈfɾiu
Ugly	Feo	ˈfeo	Feio	ˈfeju
Clean	Limpio	ˈlimpjo	Limpo	ˈlĩpu
Strong	Fuerte	ˈfweɾte	Forte	ˈfɔʁtʃi
Low	Bajo	ˈbaxo	Baixo	ˈbajʃu
Tired	Cansado	kanˈsaðo	Cansado	kɐ̃ˈsadu
Fresh	Fresco	ˈfɾesko	Fresco	ˈfɾɛsku
Rich	Rico	ˈriko	Rico	ˈʁiku
Poor	Pobre	ˈpoβɾe	Pobre	ˈpɔbɾi
Friendly	Amable	aˈmaβle	Amável	ɐˈmavɛw
Interesting	Interesante	inteɾeˈsante	Interessante	ĩteɾeˈsɐ̃tʃi
Famous	Famoso	faˈmoso	Famoso	fɐˈmɔzu

Differences between Portuguese and Spanish

Now, Spanish and Portuguese aren’t always super similar. If that were the case, then maybe they wouldn’t be considered separate languages. So, let’s take a look at some words that aren’t similar at all in Spanish and Portuguese.

Words that are entirely different

Just as many words look and sound similar, hundreds look nothing alike. That’s what makes these two languages worth studying! Here are 40 words that are completely different in Spanish and Portuguese:

English	Spanish	Spanish IPA	Portuguese	Portuguese IPA
Store	Tienda	ˈtjenda	Loja	ˈlɔʒɐ
Knee	Rodilla	roˈðiʎa	Joelho	ʒoˈeʎu
Street	Calle	ˈkaʎe	Rua	ˈʁuɐ
Window	Ventana	benˈtana	Janela	ʒɐˈnɛlɐ
To forget	Olvidar	olβiˈðaɾ	Esquecer	iskeˈseʁ
Sales	Rebajas	reˈβaxas	Saldos	ˈsawdus
To throw	Echar	eˈʧaɾ	Atirar	atʃiˈɾaʁ
Dog	Perro	ˈpero	Cão	ˈkɐ̃w̃
Thanks	Gracias	ˈɡɾaθjas	Obrigado	obɾiˈɡadu
Railroad	Ferrocarril	ferokaˈril	Chemin de fer	ʃeˈmĩ dʒi ˈfeʁ
Juice	Jugo	ˈxuɣo	Suco	ˈsuku
Breakfast	Desayuno	desaˈʝuno	Café da manhã	kaˈfɛ dɐ mɐˈɲɐ̃
Cake	Pastel	pasˈtel	Bolo	ˈbɔlu
Near	Cerca	ˈθeɾka	Perto	ˈpɛʁtu
Thin	Delgado	delˈɣaðo	Magro	ˈmaɡɾu
Yesterday	Ayer	aˈʝeɾ	Ontem	ˈõtẽj̃
Tea	Té	ˈte	Chá	ˈʃa
Chicken	Pollo	ˈpoʎo	Frango	ˈfɾɐ̃ɡu
Fish	Pescado	pesˈkaðo	Peixe	ˈpejʃi
To stay	Quedarse	keˈðaɾse	Ficar	fiˈkaʁ
To talk	Hablar	aˈβlaɾ	Falar	faˈlaʁ
To need	Necesitar	neθesiˈtaɾ	Precisar	pɾesiˈzaʁ
Mother	Madre	ˈmaðɾe	Mãe	ˈmɐ̃j̃
Little girl	Niña	ˈniɲa	Menina	meˈninɐ
Black	Negro	ˈneɣɾo	Preto	ˈpɾɛtu
Father	Padre	ˈpaðɾe	Pai	ˈpaj
Corn	Elote	eˈlote	Milho	ˈmiʎu
To live	Vivir	biˈβiɾ	Morar	moˈɾaʁ
Difficulty	Dificultad	difikulˈtað	Perrengue	peˈʁẽɡi
Glass	Vaso	ˈbaso	Copo	ˈkɔpu
Soft	Suave	ˈswaβe	Macio	maˈsiu
Hot	Caliente	kaˈljente	Quente	ˈkẽtʃi
Dirty	Sucio	ˈsuθjo	Sujo	ˈsuʒu
Sick	Enfermo	emˈfeɾmo	Docente	doˈsẽtʃi
Son	Hijo	ˈixo	Filho	ˈfiʎu
Boyfriend	Novio	ˈnoβjo	Namorado	nɐmoˈɾadu
Tomorrow	Mañana	maˈɲana	Amanhã	ɐmɐˈɲɐ̃
Rain	Lluvia	ˈʎuβja	Chuva	ˈʃuvɐ
Sock	Calcetín	kalθeˈtin	Meia	ˈmejɐ
Pants	Pantalones	pantaˈlones	Calça	ˈkawsɐ

Days of the week

Perhaps you weren’t expecting the days of the week to be starkly different between Spanish and Portuguese. After all, the days of the week were named after the Roman gods in Latin, so most romance languages have very similar names for them today. However, Portuguese is the exception.

That’s because Martin of Braga, a 6th-century archbishop, disagreed with the Roman custom of naming the days of the week after pagan Roman gods. Instead, he numbered the days of the week except for Saturday and Sunday since they weren’t named after pagan gods.

English	Spanish	Spanish IPA	Portuguese	Portuguese IPA
Monday	Lunes	ˈlunes	Segunda-feira	seɡũdaˈfejɾɐ
Tuesday	Martes	ˈmaɾtes	Terça-feira	teʁsaˈfejɾɐ
Wednesday	Miércoles	ˈmjeɾkoles	Quarta-feira	kwaʁtaˈfejɾɐ
Thursday	Jueves	ˈxweβes	Quinta-feira	kĩtaˈfejɾɐ
Friday	Viernes	ˈbjeɾnes	Sexta-feira	seʃtaˈfejɾɐ
Saturday	Sábado	ˈsaβaðo	Sábado	ˈsabadu
Sunday	Domingo	doˈminɡo	Domingo	doˈmĩɡu

False cognates

This is an area all language learners should always pay close attention to. Also known as “false friends,” these are words that sound dangerously similar to words in a different language but have completely different meanings. This can cause lots of confusion at best and painfully embarrassing situations at worst, so watch out!

Spanish	Spanish IPA	Spanish meaning	Portuguese	Portuguese IPA	Portuguese meaning
Salsa	ˈsalsa	Salsa	Salsa	ˈsawsɐ	Parsley
Compañero	kompaˈɲeɾo	Colleague	Companheiro	kõpɐˈɲejɾu	Romantic partner
Prenda	ˈpɾenda	Clothing item	Prenda	ˈpɾẽdɐ	Gift
Barata	baˈɾata	Cheap	Barata	baˈɾatɐ	Cockroach
Escritorio	eskɾiˈtoɾjo	Desk	Escritorio	iskɾitoˈɾiu	Office
Oficina	ofiˈθina	Office	Oficina	ofiˈsinɐ	Body shop
Secretaria	ofiˈθina	Secretary	Secretaria	sekɾetaˈɾiɐ	Desk
Ligar	liˈɣaɾ	Ti flirt	Ligar	liˈɡaʁ	To call someone
Salada	saˈlaða	Salty	Salada	saˈladɐ	Salad
Espantoso	espanˈtoso	Horrible	Espantoso	ispɐ̃ˈtɔzu	Amazing
Exquisito	ekskiˈsito	Exquisite	Esquisito	iskiˈzitu	Weird
Gozar	ɡoˈθaɾ	To enjoy	Gozar	ɡoˈzaʁ	To make fun of
Propina	pɾoˈpina	Tip	Propina	pɾoˈpinɐ	Tuition
Polvo	ˈpolβo	Dust	Polvo	ˈpɔwvu	Octopus
Nota	ˈnota	Note	Nota	ˈnɔtɐ	Bill
Ano	ˈano	Anus	Ano	ˈɐnu	Year
Billetera	biʎeˈteɾa	Wallet	Bilheteira	biʎeˈtejɾɐ	Ticket office
Brincar	bɾinˈkaɾ	To jump	Brincar	bɾĩˈkaʁ	To joke
Despido	desˈpiðo	A farewell	Despido	desˈpidu	Naked
Cena	ˈθena	Dinner	Cena	ˈsɛnɐ	Scene
Embarazada	embaɾaˈθaða	Pregnant	Embaraçada	ẽbaɾaˈsadɐ	Embarrassed
Largo	ˈlaɾɣo	Long	Largo	ˈlaʁɡu	Large
Rato	ˈrato	A short while	Rato	ˈʁatu	Mouse
Rojo	ˈroxo	Red	Roxo	ˈʁɔʃu	Purple
Borrar	boˈraɾ	To erase	Borrar	boˈʁaʁ	To dirty up
Apagar	apaˈɣaɾ	To turn off	Apagar	apaˈɡaʁ	To erase
Cadera	kaˈðeɾa	Hip	Cadeira	kaˈdejɾɐ	Chair
Chata	ˈʧata	Short	Chata	ˈʃatɐ	Heavy
Chulo	ˈʧulo	Cute	Chulo	ˈʃulu	Vulgar
Cartón	kaɾˈton	Carton	Cartão	kaʁˈtɐ̃w̃	Card

Portuguese vs. Spanish culture

Although they both come from the Iberian Peninsula, Spanish-speaking countries and Portuguese-speaking countries have different cultures. In fact, there are major cultural differences within countries that speak the same language! Here are some of the broad cultural differences between Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries.

Greetings

In Portugal and Brazil, it’s very common for men to greet each other with a warm, big hug. In Spain and most of Latin America, however, most men greet each other with a firm handshake. Hugs are reserved for family members and close friends.

Women typically kiss when greeting each other in both cultures, often with two kisses. There’s one big difference, though. In Spain and Latin America, the kisses go from left to right, while they go from right to left in Portugal and Brazil. If only one kiss is the norm, then Portuguese speakers will typically go for the right while Spanish speakers will go for the left.

Mealtimes

If you’ve traveled to Spain before, then you already know that they run a bit late when it comes to mealtimes. Lunch isn’t usually served until 3 p.m. and forget about dinner until after 9 p.m. This might be a little too late for most of the world, including Portugal, where Lunch is at 1 p.m. and dinner is at 8 p.m.

Surnames

Spain and Latin America follow a very strict surname pattern: paternal surname first, followed by maternal surname. That means children inherit both their parents’ surnames, although the father’s always comes first.

Portuguese naming patterns are similar, except they’re much more flexible. Historically, daughters would receive their mother’s surname, while sons would receive their father’s surname. Nowadays, most people in Portugal and Brazil inherit both surnames, except that the mother’s surname usually comes first.

Portuguese vs. Spanish - which should you learn?

Both Portuguese and Spanish are incredibly fascinating and beautiful languages. As if that wasn’t a good enough reason to learn either one of them, they’re both extremely helpful languages in the business world. With hundreds of millions of speakers around the world, you’ll find no shortage of people to speak and practice with.

Choosing to study one over the other is a very personal decision, as you’ll have to consider your interests, goals, and circumstances. Spanish might be a better choice if you live in an area with a significant Spanish-speaking population. Alternatively, Portuguese might be a smart career move if you work for a company headquartered in Brazil.

And if you can’t decide? Learn both! As you now know, Spanish and Portuguese are very similar, so why not make a plan to tackle both? If you want to go this route, the best way would be to learn one first and then the other. That way, you won’t get the different grammar and pronunciation rules mixed up while you’re still in the early stages of learning. And don’t worry, the second language will be much easier to learn once you’ve got one under your belt!

Still trying to figure out where to begin? Then start by taking a look at our Spanish and Portuguese blogs! We regularly publish helpful articles about learning the language and culture, so reading a few of these can give you a better idea of which one to learn. Some examples include our introductory guide to saying hello in Portuguese and our guide to writing an email in Spanish.