European Portuguese vs Brazilian Portuguese… is there a big difference between the two?” We often hear this question from clients who wonder if they can use the same Portuguese voice over in Europe and South America. It’s really no surprise that this causes confusion! After all, the languages are both called “Portuguese”. Do they really sound that different? Do their words have different meanings?

We’re here to answer these great questions and give you a better understanding about European Portuguese vs Brazilian Portuguese. We’ll also discuss what business owners need to know when expanding their companies to Portugal and Brazil.

First, let’s start with a little bit of history.

Where did European Portuguese originate from?

European Portuguese evolved from Latin, which was spoken by Roman soldiers when they came to the Iberian Peninsula in 216 BC. As centuries passed, the Portuguese language was shaped by historical events, including the exploration of previously unknown lands (which added new words to the lexicon) and the development of the printing press in 1440 (which established Portuguese as a literary language). 

Today, Portuguese is the fifth-most spoken native language in the world. It’s the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé and Príncipe, and has co-official language status in East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, and Macau. There are approximately 300 million Portuguese speakers, with 260 million of them being native speakers.

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How did people in South America start speaking Brazilian Portuguese?

While being sponsored by the Kingdom of Portugal and the Catholic Church to go to India in 1500, explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral discovered Brazil. He found that the population consisted of about 2,000 tribes of indigenous people who spoke different languages and dialects. Over the next three centuries, the Portuguese Empire expanded its kingdom there. It wasn’t until 1822 that Brazil declared its independence from Portugal. 

Many modern day linguists and anthropologists believe that the early tribes Cabral encountered were hunters who migrated from Asia into the Americas. This helps to explain how Brazilian Portuguese became closely connected with other languages. Throughout time, the language was also influenced by slaves taken to Brazil from Africa as well as Asian and European immigrants. Today, Brazil has a population of about 203 million and almost all speak Brazilian Portuguese. This makes Brazil the largest Portuguese speaking nation in the world. 

Listen To Brazilian Portuguese:

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European Portuguese vs Brazilian Portuguese: What are the similarities and differences?

Both languages use verb conjugations, noun genders, and subject-verb agreement rules, following the same basic principles of Portuguese grammar. But while European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese are similar, there are enough differences to make them incompatible when it comes to any type of media, like a voice over for a commercial or company e-learning course. A Portuguese voice over recorded for an audience in Portugal will not be easily understood by an audience in Brazil. Here are a few reasons why:  

The main difference between European and Brazilian Portuguese is pronunciation. Brazilian Portuguese has a melodic intonation, while European Portuguese typically has a nasalized pronunciation. In fact, the pronunciation of certain consonants and vowels is often different between the two languages.

There are also variations in vocabulary and spelling. For example, Brazilian Portuguese has more loanwords from English and indigenous languages.

Verb conjugation and the way sentences are structured also differs.

Both languages have regional dialects and accents. However, Brazilians often use different words or phrases for items or ideas compared to speakers from Portugal. This is especially noticeable when it comes to slang.

Why is this information important for companies looking to expand to Portuguese-speaking markets?

Before expanding to any international market, it’s vital to localize any content you have about your products or services. Localization is simply making sure that your target audience understands your message. You wouldn’t use a tv commercial made for an audience in Portugal in a town in Brazil. As we demonstrated above, there’s just too many differences with pronunciation, vocabulary, sentence structure, and slang for a one-size-fits all approach. While it often takes more work and more money to localize your content, the cost of not localizing it includes confusing and possibly offending your audience. And that’s a cost we know you wouldn’t want to pay!

What Could Go Wrong? Why Localization Is So Important!

In 1987, KFC made a huge blunder as they were launching their restaurants in China. They didn’t localize their famous “finger licking good” slogan, and ended up announcing to Chinese audiences: “We’ll eat your fingers off!”

In 2009, HSBC launched a campaign in non-English speaking countries called “Assume Nothing.” This tagline wasn’t localized, and in several markets it was translated as “Do Nothing.” It cost HSBC 10 million dollars to fix the issue!

portuguese localization

What does the Portuguese localization process look like?

It all starts with translation. It’s key that the Portuguese translation be performed by a native speaker who understands the language nuances and is familiar with the cultural practices of the target audience. 

Once the translation is completed, localization comes into play. Portuguese localization experts ensure that the cultural and social norms, traditions, history, legal requirements, regulations, safety guidelines, and even humor of your regional market are being considered. 

Localization can help your business succeed in any market!

Need help expanding into the Portuguese or Brazilian market?

Since our specialty is voice over, dubbing, translation and localization, we can help with all of your international expansion needs! If you’re not sure where to start, we also recommend reading a great blog we wrote about the different types of multimedia you might want to use to maximize a connection with your target market and international employees. 

We hope you found this information to be helpful. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or comments you have about European Portuguese vs Brazilian Portuguese projects. You can also contact us today for a free quote on any of your business needs!