Portuguese is one of the Iberia-Romance groups of languages that developed from colloquial Latin that was spoken in the Medieval Kingdom of Galicia. In total, Portuguese speakers number 240 million, 215 million of whom are native speakers. Among the tags the language has acquired include;
Portuguese is the sole official language for countries such as Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and São Tomé and Príncipe. Other places that the language is spoken include: Macau (China); Equatorial Guinea; East Timor; Goa, Daman and Diu in India and in Malacca in Malaysia.
Portuguese is one of the Iberia-Romance groups of languages that developed from colloquial Latin that was spoken in the Medieval Kingdom of Galicia. In total, Portuguese speakers number 240 million, 215 million of whom are native speakers. Among the tags the language has acquired include;
- It is the third most spoken European Language.
- It is the seventh most spoken language in the world.
- It is the official language of the European Union and Mercosul.
- It is the second most spoken language in South America after Spanish Castile.
- It is the official language in 9 countries.
Below are the most commonly used phrases if you are visiting a Portuguese speaking country.
1. Desculpe, eu não falo português - Sorry, I do not speak Portuguese.
2. Onde é o banheiro? - Where is the toilet?
3. Que horas são? - What time is it?
4. Obrigado. Não há de quê - Thank you very much. You are Welcome.
5. Como o senhor se chama? - What is your name?
6. Você fala inglês? Não Compreendo - Do you speak English? I don't understand.
7. Pode me ajudar? - Can you help me?
8. Quanto é... - How much is...
9. Meu nome é.... - My name is...
10. Um, dois, três, quatro, cinco, seis, sete (seche), oito, nove, dez - one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
Portuguese is one of the sweetest languages to learn...oh and it is easy. If you are planning to stay long in Brazil or Portugal, make an effort to learn the language. It helps to know one more international language. Like I always tell my kids, do not laugh at somebody with an accent...the accent means they know a language that you don't. The more languages you know, the more urbane you are and the more you know about our planet.