Language: Why Portuguese People Cannot Understand Expats

If you are an Expat living in Portugal, you must have tried to speak Portuguese when going to a café, talking to a neighbour, or going to the supermarket. If you are a preventive person, most likely trying to avoid the stressful situations of being misunderstood, who might have studied some sentences and told them to yourself many times before actually speaking directly to a native Portuguese person. If I were you, I would do that! 

When speaking with our Expat friends and clients, sometimes we do not understand entirely what they are trying to say so we have to ask them to repeat, which they gladly do! It is very impressive how many Expats want to learn and practice Portuguese, and want to face their fears (as if relocating in itself is not scary enough!)! The truth is that without a basic level of Portuguese, you will not be able to integrate fully into the Portuguese community or have a real Portuguese experience. I feel like if you are not interested in learning the language, you are robbing yourself of an immersive cultural experience. 

Therefore, I've decided to write here a few linguistic reasons why we cannot understand you, even after you study, and learn vocabulary and full sentences. It all comes down to one thing and one thing only: pronunciation.

Here are some sounds you can practice to improve your Portuguese: 

1 - THE SOUND OF "O" AT THE END OF WORDS / LETTER U

Favorito

Bolo 

Obrigado

If you have a sentence with many masculine words like these above, and you do not pronounce the "o" as, in Portuguese, "u", (similar to "oo" in English), then we get confused. For us, it takes us some time for our brain to get there, and comprehend what you are trying to say. 

2 - DITONGOS

"ei", "ai", "ou", "ão", "au", "eu"

These are just some examples of sounds worth practicing. These look simple, as they are only two letters. However, I think you will agree, when I say that to be pronounced properly, you do need some practice. Some sounds come from the nose, others from the mouth, and some, to be honest, look like they do not come out of our body AT ALL! 

3 - NH / LH

When I was studying at University, there was a Russian girl who took English with me. She was a great student, extremely committed, she always sat in the first row. In one lesson, we were studying two specific sounds that were very similar, but they were indeed different. We could all hear it, but she looked confused and said she couldn't notice any difference. 

I remember this story every time I think about these sounds. "NH" and "LH".

These are very specific sounds, very Portuguese sounds I'd say, present in so many words you can't avoid them so it is a good idea to perfect them as much as possible. 

I know learning a new language is scary, and overwhelming. Living in a new country is scary and overwhelming. But both of these are exciting and life-changing. Anyone can learn Portuguese, no matter your age, or nationality. It is just a matter of making the effort, finding the best method for yourself, and asking for help when you need it. 

If you want to receive for free our ebook "FoodOut_A bite into European Portuguese", which is a survival guide to your first days in Portugal, click here: Food Out: A Bite Into European Portuguese.