Five Fun Facts About The Portuguese Language

 

Portuguese is a popular language throughout the world with Portuguese speakers in almost every continent! It is a very fast-growing language with plenty of new learners. There is an interesting history behind the Portuguese language and the Portuguese culture that has impacted the language that we hear today. Portuguese translations and Portuguese words can be hard to learn, but Portuguese translations can also be easy, depending on the language you are translating from.

Learning the Portuguese language can give you insights into Portuguese culture. There are plenty of links between Portuguese and English, but it is hard for some to learn Portuguese. If you are feeling discouraged in your path to learning the language or Portuguese words, read on. Hopefully, these fun facts will help motivate you!

 

Portuguese is a Popular Language

Believe it or not, Portuguese is a very popular language around the world. As a matter of fact, it is the sixth most popular language around the world! There are over 200 million native Portuguese speakers throughout the world. It is the official language for over 8 different countries around the world. These countries are Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Cape Verde, and more. The Portuguese translations can vary from place to place, but the language is easy to understand across the board. There are also sprinkles of Portuguese culture that exist throughout all of these places, and more!

Most people think that Portuguese is only spoken in Portugal and Brazil, but that cannot be further from the truth. In fact, only five percent of the world’s Portuguese speakers live in Portugal. The rest of the Portuguese speakers live in the countries listed above, but they are other speakers elsewhere around the world. Though English is the quickest growing European language around the world, Portuguese comes in second place. In fact, Portuguese speakers are growing so fast. In effect, experts think that it will soon be used as an international communication language.

 

Portuguese has a Long History

Portuguese derives from Latin, which makes it one of the Romance languages. When the Romans finally made it to the Iberian Peninsula, they brought their language with them, blending Latin with the language of the local people. It is also influenced very heavily by Arabic, as are all languages of the Iberian peninsula. Portuguese was first used in official documents in the 9th century, and it continued to grow in use and popularity as time passed. Portugal became its own country in 1139, and Portuguese became its official language in 1290. Along with the language, Portuguese culture thrived.

As Portugal joined the European race to discover new places, the Portuguese language and Portuguese culture spread throughout the world. It quickly spread throughout Asia, Africa, and The Americas. Moreover, Portuguese was the language for official communications between Portugal and all of its colonies. It was also the language for administration and trade throughout Asia until the 19th century when Asian languages took over. Once again, Portuguese translations can vary from place to place, but not so much that it is not understandable from place to place.

 

Similarities Between Portuguese and English

There were only 23 letters in the Portuguese language until the letters K, W, and Y were added in 2009. That means that the language has the same amount of letters as the English language. Not only do they have the same number of letters in their alphabets, but they also have very similar grammar systems. Both languages use only two genders, and there are four definite articles that are used by both.

There are also several English words that have been borrowed from Portuguese translations. One of these words is the Portuguese word “embaracar.” the Portuguese to English translation of which is “to tie in knots,” or, as the English say it “embarrass.” I do not know about you, but I frequently feel tied in knots when I am embarrassed. The Portuguese word “feitico” is another word that has lent its use to the English language. The direct Portuguese to English translation is “a charm or sorcery,” but in English, we simply say “fetish.”

Another example of a similarity between Portuguese words and English words are the word “facto,” the Portuguese to English translation of which is “fact.” The Portuguese to English translation of the Portuguese word “compacto” is “compact.” The Portuguese to English translation of the Portuguese word “objecto” is “object.” And the Portuguese to English translation of the Portuguese word “intelecto” is “intellect.” As you can see, there are plenty of examples of the similarities between English and Portuguese.

 

Many People are Learning the Portuguese Language

Though Portuguese words are popular, it has always seemed to be in the background behind its closely-related cousin, Spanish. This is the same when it comes to those who are learning a new language. There are many more people learning to speak Spanish than there are people who are learning Portuguese. But that does not mean that there are not plenty of people who are learning to speak the Portuguese language.

Portuguese words did not make the top ten list of languages being learned around the world, despite it being so popular around the world. However, learning the language can lend you a better chance of learning one of the other Romance languages. All Romance languages are distantly related, and they share a certain amount of similarities across the board. Though it is not a popular language to learn, there are many benefits to learning it.

Likewise, if you already know one of the Romance languages, it can be fairly easy to learn the Portuguese language. Learning Portuguese words can open up a lot of opportunities for anybody who is planning on traveling a lot. There are plenty of ways that knowing the Portuguese language can give you opportunities to be immersed in not only the Portuguese culture but also Brazilian culture and many other cultures around the world.

 

Renaissance Translations’ Portuguese Translation Services

Our professional Portuguese translators are in hand to help you with your translation needs. We are aware of the differences between Brazilian, European and even African Portuguese. That’s why we have professional translators in every region. Get in touch with our translation project managers to discuss your project!