Top 10 Portuguese Mistakes in Brazil

If you speak Spanish, you might think Brazilian Portuguese is easy. "I'll just add a samba accent to my Spanish words!"

Stop. Put your hands up. You are committing a crime called "Portuñol."

Portuguese is a distinct, beautiful language with its own traps. The most famous? You see a door that says PUXE. You push it. It doesn't open. You push harder. Everyone laughs. Why? Because Puxar means To Pull.

Here are the Top 10 mistakes learners make in Brazil.

1. "Puxar" vs. "Empurrar"

• The Mistake: The Door Problem.
• The Reality:
  • Puxar: Pull (Sounds like Push).
  • Empurrar: Push.
• The Fix: Memorize this immediately or suffer forever.

2. "Pois não?"

• The Mistake: Hearing "Não" and thinking they said No.
• The Reality: When a waiter says "Pois não?" it means: "How can I help you? / Yes of course!"
• The Fix: Don't walk away. They are being polite!

3. "Obrigado" vs. "Obrigada"

• The Mistake: Using the wrong gender.
• The Reality: The word must match your gender.
  • Men say: Obrigado.
  • Women say: Obrigada.
  • (It doesn't matter who you are talking to).

4. "Exquisito" vs. "Esquisito"

• The Mistake: Thinking it means "Exquisite/Delicious" (like in Spanish).
• The Reality: In Portuguese, Esquisito means Weird / Strange.
• The Fix: If you tell the chef the food is Esquisito, he will be offended. Say Delicioso.

5. "Pretender"

• The Mistake: Thinking it means "To Pretend."
• The Reality: Pretender means To Intend.
• The Fix: Use Fingir for "Pretend."

6. "Assistir"

• The Mistake: Thinking it means "To Assist/Help."
• The Reality: Assistir usually means To Watch (TV/Movie).
• The Fix: Use Ajudar for "Help."

7. "Parente"

• The Mistake: Thinking it means Parents.
• The Reality: Parentes are Relatives (Uncles/Cousins).
• The Fix: Pais are Parents.

8. Nasal Sounds (Pão vs. Pau)

• The Mistake: Lazy pronunciation.
• The Reality:
  • Pão: Bread (Nasal sound, ã).
  • Pau: Stick (or a very rude anatomical word).
• The Fix: Be very careful at the bakery. Use Vokabulo’s Voice Input to practice the nasal "Ão."

9. "Tudo bem" vs. "Tudo bom"

• The Mistake: Confusion.
• The Reality: They are basically interchangeable greetings. Tudo bem is more common for "How are you," Tudo bom for "Is everything good?"
• The Fix: Just pick one. Brazilians are chill.

10. "Propina"

• The Mistake: Leaving a "Propina" for the waiter (Spanish word for Tip).
• The Reality: In Portuguese, Propina means Bribe (corruption money).
• The Fix: The word for Tip is Gorjeta. Do not offer a bribe to your waiter.

How Vokabulo Helps

Brazilian Portuguese is all about specific vocabulary. With Vokabulo, you can tag words as #FalseFriends. Review Puxar and Empurrar every day with our Smart Study feature until you stop running into doors.

Ready for Rio? Download Vokabulo and learn the real Portuguese, not just "Remixed Spanish." 🇧🇷🏖️