Intermediate B1

This intensive course is for language learners striving toward the B1 level.

CEFR Scale

My suggestion* for these two weeks is to focus on:

  • perfeito vs. imperfeito / subjunctive mood intro
  • reading and listening comprehension
  • conversation

*There's always room to adjust the course according to the group's preferences:

After this course, you'll have come closer to the B1 level and have the tools and strategies to get there and beyond.

Not sure if you should enroll in the A2 or B1 course?

Clean Slate A0

Geared toward Absolute Beginners, this course gives you a solid start and foundation to build upon.

CEFR Scale

This is an introductory course to the Portuguese language as spoken in Portugal. Throughout the course, we will focus on the Portuguese sound system and basic Portuguese grammar.

You will also learn how to introduce yourself and day-to-day, useful phrases. Finally, we will discuss learning resources and strategies to support your learning journey.

After the course, you will have a basic understanding of European Portuguese pronunciation and grammar. You will also be capable of engaging in simple, short oral interactions. Last but not least, you will be aware of a variety of learning resources and strategies to help you succeed at learning the language.

Portuguese short story for beginners - de maos dadas - Portuguesepedia
Easy Reads for Portuguese Lanugage Learners - Entre a Felicidade e a Tristeza - by Portuguesepedia

I will keep you updated on upcoming course seasons

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Self-assessment
Where are you at? (1 Beginner–10 Fluent)

Beginners A2

This intensive course is for language learners striving toward the A2 level.

CEFR Scale

My suggestion* for these two weeks is to focus on:

  • prepositions
  • past tense: perfeito vs. imperfeito
  • listening comprehension and conversation

*There's always room to adjust the course according to the group's preferences:

After this course, you'll have come closer to the A2 level and have the tools and strategies to get there and beyond.

Not sure if you should enroll in the A2 or B1 course?

Beginners A1

This intensive course is for language learners striving toward the A1 level.

If you have just started your learning journey, you may find this course too challenging. Consider enrolling for the Clean Slate A0 instead (if available).

CEFR Scale

This is an all-round course, meaning that we’ll work on all aspects of language learning (at the A1 level):

  • pronunciation
  • listening comprehension
  • reading comprehension
  • conversation
  • grammar

After this course, you'll have come closer to the A1 level and have the tools and strategies to get there and beyond.

Not sure if you should enroll in the A1 or A2 course?

There are plenty of interesting options for our accommodation. It will most likely be a countryside house near Tavira.

I haven't booked it yet because I want to get a better idea of the group's composition (how many couples/singles) and your preferences before I do so. That will for instance help me understand how big a house we might need.

I look forward to soon talking to you about this and much more. Até breve, p

Self-assessment
Where are you at? (1 Beginner–10 Fluent)

Surprise surprise!

Do you know what constipado means in Portuguese? It mightn't be what you are thinking...

Get a list of 50+ English-Portuguese False Friends and be surprised.

Where are you at? (1 Beginner–10 Fluent)

INTENSIVE COURSES FALL '23 (Algarve) » Applications are open!

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Learn Portuguese through Short Stories

Spanish-Portuguese False Friends to Keep an Eye Out For

Spanish and Portuguese are both Romance languages sharing the same Latin root. As a result, there are thousands of Spanish and Portuguese words that look and sound similar and mean pretty much the same thing.

There are cases, nonetheless, where semantics have grown apart as time went by, which led to what we call false friends

Accordingly, false friends (aka false cognates) are words that look and sound similar but mean different things. 

Now, words in this category don’t necessarily mean totally different things in either language. 

There are many cases where they merely represent different shades of the same original meaning. Although used in different contexts, they are still semantically relatable.

Also, a Portuguese word can have two meanings of which the one with the least currency matches the dominant meaning of the Spanish cognate (and vice versa). These word pairs are often labeled as false friends as well.    

With that said, let’s look at a few common Spanish-Portuguese false friends. 

Reading tips! Here’s an analogous read for English-Portuguese false friends: 50+ English-Portuguese False Friends to Keep an Eye Out For

Common Spanish-Portuguese False Friends

SpanishPortuguese
1acordarse
recall; remember
acordar
wake up
2barata
cockroach; cheap
barata
cheap
3cadera
hip
cadeira
chair
4cena
dinner
cena
scene
5embarazada
embarrassed; ashamed
embaraçada
pregnant
6escoba
broom
escova
brush
7escritorio
desk
escritório
office
8exquisitoesquisito
9largo
long
largo
large
10oficina
office
oficina
workshop
11polvo
dust
polvo
octopus
12propina
tip
propina
tuition fee (pt-pt); bribery (pt-br)*
13rato
a little while
rato
mouse
14rojo
red
roxo
purple
15rubio
blond
ruivo
redhead, ginger
16traer
bring
trair
betray

* Read the following article to learn more about how European and Brazilian Portuguese compare: European vs. Brazilian Portuguese – How Different Are They, Really?

Perfect vs. Imperfect

Break Free from the Tyranny of the Present Tense

Portuguese Bad Words

Master Portuguese Strong Language and Swear Like a Native.

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Stay tuned for upcoming online courses and other learning materials.

Where are you at? (1 Beginner–10 Fluent)