LinguaReading a word you have never seen
With this unit you can read almost any Portuguese word aloud. You know the nasal vowels (ã, ão, ãe, õe, and a vowel before a final m), the pairs lh, nh, ch, the two r’s, and the Brazilian endings: final e as i, final o as u, t and d before that i as “tch” and “dj”, final l as u. The table puts them all side by side.
| Spelling | Sound | Words |
|---|---|---|
| ão, ãe, õe | nasal vowels | pão, mãe, limões |
| -m | nasal vowel, no m | bom, sim, som |
| lh, nh | “lli”, “ny” | folha, vinho |
| ch | “sh” | chá, chuva |
| r-, rr | strong, breathy | rio, carro |
| -r- | quick tap | caro |
| -te, -de | “tchee”, “djee” | noite, tarde |
| -l | u | mel, anel |
At the start of a sentence or on a sign, the pair begins with a capital: Chuva hoje. Only the C is capital – the h stays small.
The most common plural ending of the language: ç, then õ with its wave, then e and s. Two marks in four letters – canções, lições.
n, then h, written without lifting much between them. Compare with lh: the first letter is the only difference – vinho, folha.
Try the rules on a word you have never seen: chocolate. ch: “sh”. o: o. la: stressed – no mark, so the syllable before the last. te at the end: “tchee”. Result: “sho-ko-LA-tchee”. Then amanhecer (to dawn): nh as “ny”, c before e as s, a final r that may almost vanish: “a-ma-nye-SEH”.
Boa tarde, mãe!Good afternoon, Mum!
O pão com mel é bom.Bread with honey is good.
Words in this lesson
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a mãe | mother | A mãe da Ana é professora. Ana’s mother is a teacher. |
| o limão | lime, lemon | O limão está muito azedo. The lime is very sour. |
| não | no, not | Eu não falo alemão. I don’t speak German. |
| o tempo | time; weather | Como está o tempo aí? What is the weather like there? |
| a folha | leaf; sheet (of paper) | Escreva o nome nesta folha. Write your name on this sheet. |
| amanhã | tomorrow | Até amanhã! See you tomorrow! |
| a chuva | rain | Com essa chuva, eu fico em casa. In this rain, I’m staying home. |
| o chá | tea | O chá está quente demais. The tea is too hot. |
| a noite | night, evening | A festa é hoje à noite. The party is tonight. |
| o doce | sweet, dessert | Depois do almoço, um doce. After lunch, something sweet. |
Exercises
This lesson has 10 exercises in the app:
- multiple choice: 3
- trace the letter: 3
- fill the gap: 2
- match the pairs: 1
- listen and type: 1
Try the first one
Which word begins with the “sh” sound?
The answer, the other exercises, the audio and your progress are in the app – free at A0 and A1.