5 MORE Common Mistakes Portuguese Speakers Make

I've already posted about common mistakes the Portuguese make, but here are some more! Yay! As I wrote before: When we try to speak in a foreign language we translate directly and literally from our own, but sometimes translating does not work, as in the following examples.

1. assist/attend

• I'm going to assist attend a conference about international business this weekend.

Note: Assist means to help somebody or provide assistance.  Ex. I need somebody to assist me in deciphering this cell phone bill!

2. coffee/café

• I want to go to a outdoor coffee café with a view of the river. 

Note: We only use coffee for the drink...this mistake is SO common!

3. yet/still

• Are you still working yet?

Note: We could also ask the question: "Have you gotten off of work YET?"

4.  anybody/nobody

• Anybody  Nobody wants to take vacation in August.  Everybody wants to take vacation at the end of July. 

5. are/there are

• Are There are lots of people here!

I hope this helps!

PORTUGUESE SPEAKERS: You know more in ENGLISH than you may think...

As English possesses Latin, brought to England by the Roman Empire, there are tons of words in the English Language that have the ending (tion), which can be easily replaced with the Portuguese ending (ão).  This vocabulary is more advanced, as Latin words were brought to England by clergy who could read and write.

Here is a short list just to demonstrate that you (Portuguese speakers) probably know more than you think!...And if you English speakers are learning Portuguese, you already know 20 words:

1. transportation--transportação
2. information--informação
3. education--educação
4. determination--determinação
5. excavation--escavação
6. ovulation--ovulação
7. verification--verificação
8. laceration--laceração
9. petition--petição
10. classification--classificação
11. notion--noção
12. potion--poção
13. rendition--rendição
14. lotion--loção
15. cognition--cognição
16. inflammation--inflamação
17. congregation--congregação 
18. limitation--limitação
19. configuration--configuração
20. nation--nação

5 Common Mistakes for Portuguese Speakers

Naturally, when we try to speak in a foreign language we translate directly and literally from our own, but sometimes translating does not work, as in the following examples.

1. congress/conference

• I'm going to an international congress conference about physical therapy this weekend.

Note: Congress is the governing body in the United States consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

2. all the people/everybody

• I think all the people go everybody goes on vacation in August in Europe.

Note: We use "all the people" when it is more specific or qualified, such as "all the people who registered for the test" or "all the people who I invited to the party"...

3. toes/fingers

• My feet were so cold after snowboarding all day that I could hardly move my fingers toes.

Note: The word "toes" does not exist in Portuguese; fingers is used instead.

4.  to have/be ______ years old

• When I had was 10 years old, I visited Finland with my family.

5. to like something

• I like very much going to the beach very much.
• She likes more shopping downtown more than going to the mall.

Note: These are syntax (word order) errors.

Pronunciation Challenges by Language: A Sampling from Portuguese to Japanese

This is just a brief shortlist and introduction to the most common pronunciation challenges associated with the following languages including a few helpful hints:

Brazilian Portuguese: t vs. ch (Ex. to--chew)

• In Brazilian Portuguese the 't' is sometimes pronounced as an American 'ch' sound. In English, the 't' sound is pronounced with the tongue closer to the teeth on the roof of the mouth, whereas the 'ch' sound is made further back on the ridge of the mouth.

Italian: h vs. a (Ex. hungry--angry)

• Italians must remember that the American 'h' sound is what linguists call an aspirated sound, which means that the speaker must exhale when pronouncing words that begin with 'h' instead of swallowing it.

Japanese: r vs. l (Ex. rock--lock)

• Japanese has one sound for both of these distinct sounds found in English, so students have an especially difficult time with this because no matter what they say it is incorrect, as they are using a sound in Japanese that exists "between" the 'r' and 'l'.  I always tell my students that the tongue is flat with the 'l' and curved back a bit with the 'r'.

Korean: p vs. f (Ex. coffee--copy)

• Remember that making the 'f' sound involves the top teeth and bottom lip, while the 'p' sound involves both lips.

Portuguese: sh vs. ch (Ex. share--chair)

• Portuguese speakers usually pronounce the 'ch' sound in English as 'sh'. 'Ch' is quick as in a sneeze... Achoo!...and 'sh' is soft and long as in Shhhh, the baby is sleeping.

Spanish: inserting an 'e' in front of words beginning with 's' (Ex. eSpain, esleep, esafe and esound)

• Spanish-speaking students need practice beginning the 's' sound without the help of words before or after that normally help the flow and connection of sounnds.

Turkish: v vs. w (Ex. wine--vine)

• The 'v' sound includes the use of the teeth and the bottom lip, while the 'w' sound is formed with both lips as if giving a kiss.

5 False Cognates in Portuguese

In case you haven't yet seen these 5 false cognates (or false friends), they are:

Português / English

1.  educado / educated =  polite, well raised, well mannered graduated from high school, college, university etc. 
Ex.  He was educated at the University of San  Diego California and currently teaches in the Language and Literature department. 

2.  esquisito / exquisite = strange, odd, weird, unique, beautiful, refined
Ex. The Italian restaurant in Del Mar has an exquisite view from the terrace overlooking the Pacific ocean.

3.  livraria / library = library, bookstore
Ex.  We did not manage to find the grammar book at the library, so we ended up going to a bookstore.

4.  novela / novel = soap opera, fiction, prose, narrative, book
Ex.  Old Man and the Sea was the last novel Hemingway wrote.

5. smoking / smoking= tuxedo, smoking (a cigarette, pipe, etc.)
Ex.  That man with the long beard sitting in the corner of the room, wearing a tuxedo, smoking a pipe is my uncle.

If you can think of any others leave a message below.  Thanks!