How to learn Portuguese on your own. Learn Portuguese from scratch! The best way to learn Portuguese

Knowledge of the Portuguese language will help in many ways - you decide to relax in sunny Portugal, you are going to meet friends or you are going to start partnerships. In any case, knowledge of Portuguese will be, if not a big plus, then a good helper in achieving your goals.

Portuguese by the method of Elena Shipilova

The author of the channel and a professional teacher Elena Shipilova gives the most basic Portuguese course, consisting of 7 lessons. This course for beginners will help in case superficial knowledge is required.
Channel visitors will be able to learn about tenses and learn the main verbs of the Portuguese language, Elena will talk about the rules for composing sentences.
Video lessons have been added to the channel for learning other languages ​​in the same compressed form - you can learn other popular languages, for example, English, German, Italian.

Portuguese with Roman Stelmakh

The host of the channel - a Ukrainian immigrating to Portugal - talks about Portugal in Russian. His youtube page contains many video tutorials with materials for learning, including the Portuguese language.
Here you can master the initial level of language proficiency, raise your level, get acquainted with Portugal and its features. A channel visitor will be able to learn about Portuguese cuisine and other features of the country.

Portuguese lessons with Elena

The visitor will find Portuguese video courses for beginners on the channel. The author of the channel is a native speaker, has lived in Portugal for more than 10 years and will talk about how to behave in everyday situations where Portuguese may be needed. Subtitles and explanatory captions in the video appear as needed. Audio lessons for Portuguese pronunciation are available.
All training takes place in Russian. The materials do not claim to be a full-fledged course, but they can be a good help in learning the language. Short videos will help you get acquainted with Portuguese cuisine, study and life.

Portuguese with Sandra

Charming teacher with a graceful accent Sandra in Russian will tell all the guests of the channel about Portuguese. Here you can find Portuguese courses for beginners and tourists. There is a video about the most common mistakes learners of Portuguese. All information is presented in a non-standard interesting way, designed to remember the lessons for a long time.

Portuguese with Amir Ordabayev

Amir will help you learn the language using a special Michel Thomas method for Russian speakers. The channel's materials will help those who wish to raise their level of Portuguese language skills to achieve their goal, there are also videos for beginners to learn the language. Teaching materials are given, as a rule, in the form of presentations with explanations in Russian and Portuguese, which will help improve grammar and pronunciation. On the channel you can also find videos about traveling around the world.
The author of the channel is a polyglot, so on his channel you can also find materials for learning other languages ​​- English, German, French, Dutch, Kazakh and many others.

Portuguese with Skylcclub online

The authors of the channel promise that after completing the classes, the student will be able to speak a foreign language and negotiate with foreigners.
The channel contains materials for learning Portuguese, English, German and Russian as a foreign language. As for the Portuguese language, the channel has videos that will introduce you to the initial level of learning - listeners will get used to grammar, be able to replenish vocabulary and learn how to learn the language faster.

Portugal is a beautiful country with a rich historical and cultural past. This was undoubtedly reflected in the manner of speaking. It is based on the familiar Latin alphabet and belongs to the group of Romance languages, which contributes to the ease and relative simplicity of its study.

Portuguese is the state language in 9 countries, which is more than 230 million people. And in terms of sound and grammatical features, it is very similar to classical Spanish.

Linguists distinguish 2 types of Portuguese: classical and Brazilian. They are quite different from each other in phonetics, and in spelling, and in grammar. There are many words in the translation of which 2 different versions are obtained. This is due to the stability of the language in the territory of modern Portugal and with regular changes in pronunciation and spelling in other countries. Further we will talk about the classic book version, in 2008 the last significant changes were made at the state level.

If you study regularly 2-3 times a week and repeat the material regularly, it will be quite tolerable to explain yourself on everyday topics in 2-3 months. And in a year you can reach a quite decent level - conversational with a dictionary. Learning Portuguese on your own is as difficult as any other language, it takes a lot of time and strong motivation.

Portuguese on my own

Learning Portuguese is quite easy, especially if you have a background in learning other languages ​​and experience in doing exercises. It is quite simple, there are only feminine and masculine genders, the minimum number of incorrectly declined verbs.

In general, the process of learning any language consists of interrelated stages, which must be performed sequentially, adding complexity gradually. Difficult tasks in the early stages of learning can kill any enthusiasm completely. The results of each school day should be tangible - it can be a new word, a rule, or an analysis of a famous song. It is best to share your achievements with like-minded people.


At the first stage, they traditionally get acquainted with the pronunciation and “try” the sound of words by ear. Usually, a minimum of text is used here, a maximum of graphic materials:

  • alphabet and pronunciation of some letters and syllables;
  • learning simple monosyllabic words and concepts, most often as examples of the sound of individual letters;
  • audio materials - music, simple nursery rhymes and rhymes in Portuguese.

All exercises are aimed at gradually getting used to the sounds of speech, pronunciation and broadening one's horizons. Further, textual materials and more complex tasks are added, aimed not only at sound, but at reading and understanding the written text. The following exercise is added:

  • written tasks related to the sound of individual words;
  • reading from a sheet of simple phrases and short simple sentences;
  • analysis of syllables and diphthongs obtained by combining two vowels or a vowel and a consonant.

At this stage, you can diversify the learning with videos for children with Portuguese subtitles to reinforce the perception of sound, pronunciation and context. It is still difficult to pronounce meaningful phrases and expressions here. But a personal dictionary appears with the first words in Portuguese and a translation, it is he who will help to periodically refresh the information already studied in memory. By the time you read the first simple sentences, several months may have passed. A little later, you need to add to the training:

  • writing letters and simple monosyllabic words to consolidate the material with the help of mechanical memory;
  • reading small texts of a basic level of complexity with a gradual increase in the level;
  • videos with subtitles in Portuguese to get used to speaking.

Reading texts should cause a certain complexity and the need to use a dictionary, ideally, to learn something new, you need to understand about 70% of the text. At 90% or more, the complexity of the texts needs to be increased. Methodological materials and a variety of written exercises will already be required to develop motor skills and consolidate the studied material.


Only after passing the basic stages with a good result, you can move on to reading books, learning grammar and spelling rules, watching movies in Portuguese. The final stage can last indefinitely, you can improve the language all your life, because even the Portuguese themselves do not know it 100%. At this stage, you can use a complex of text, audio and video materials, you will need:

  • audiobooks and music in Portuguese;
  • adapted books from basic to advanced;
  • a variety of video materials (it is better to watch videos on interesting topics);
  • communication with native speakers in language centers, on special forums or other network resources.

These materials are available online or on the shelves of bookstores so you don't have to attend a language school regularly to learn from books. But at the first stage, the help of a teacher will still save you both nerves and time. Setting the pronunciation for yourself is a very difficult event; it is almost impossible to study the phonetic features of the language on your own.

How can you learn Portuguese?

These mandatory, or basic, stages will have to be passed, which of the training options you would not choose. Without phonetic foundations, it is difficult to pronounce words correctly, and without the pronunciation of letter combinations, it is almost impossible to learn how to read books. There are several options for learning the Portuguese language (however, like any other) with the help of a teacher or native speaker. The most popular of them:

  • language schools and language courses with experienced teachers and homework;
  • online courses where you can get advice, help and support at all stages of learning;


  • specialized chats and forums, where teachers and native speakers themselves often offer their help;
  • personal lessons with a teacher - they are much more expensive than any other options, but great for emergency study;
  • armed with a phrase book and a dictionary of the Portuguese language, go to Portugal.

A trip to a country where everyone speaks Portuguese can cost a lot, but it can also bring more results than a couple of years in a language school. Here you should choose according to the possibilities and desire, as well as proceed from the timing and purpose of training. A single business trip involves one level of language proficiency, while living in a country and working in a technical field is a completely different one.

Resources for learning Portuguese from zero to conversational level

In addition to traditional books and educational materials, modern technologies offer various websites and applications that can greatly facilitate the entire learning process. Somewhere methodological literature is freely available, someone offers online assignments and tests, and on some sites you can watch video and audio materials.

The following 10 options can be distinguished from online services:

Duolingo.com is a great resource and very popular with students and young people. Here you can choose a level for yourself and learn the language in the form of a game, including through a mobile application for a smartphone.


  • A popular service for accelerated learning - Language Marathon Language Heroes . Both native speakers and those wishing to improve their knowledge and communicate with like-minded people gather here.
  • A site where you can improve your knowledge of grammar, or the blog semantica-portuguese.com. There are a large number of articles on various topics about the country, cultural characteristics, national holidays, various rules for speaking and writing Portuguese.
  • You can sing songs in karaoke and just listen to your favorite performers on the website www.ouvirmusica.com.br . Easy navigation, a large number of well-known compositions, divided by genre and artist, lyrics.
  • Online radio for PC or smartphone Tunein , here you can select the radio station of any region of the country of interest and listen to programs in real time.
  • Everyday phrases, spoken Portuguese can be improved using an online resource SemperFamilia . Here you can read articles, do exercises and supplement your speech with simplified everyday vocabulary.
  • Podcasts from native speakers will help you understand spoken language. On the site audio lingua materials are presented in 13 popular European languages.
  • Excellent exercises in Portuguese phonetics, recorded by native speakers from Brazil and other countries, an interesting guide to pronunciation Forvo.

  • Online course service Memrise , including classes in phonetics, vocabulary and spelling. Here you can choose tasks according to your level.
  • For those who want to learn the language from books or read famous works in Portuguese interpretation, the following online resources are suitable: book library and light reading on various everyday topics - online magazine Veja.
  • In the Play Market and the App Store, you can find dozens of apps to learn Portuguese from any level. These links will be enough to get you started, and advanced students will already find additional resources to help.

Regular lessons. If you want to learn something, you need to conduct regular and fairly frequent classes. As for language learning, at least 2-3 times a week it is necessary to devote 2-3 hours to studying new material. Or every other day, but for 40-50 minutes. If less often - everything learned is forgotten, more often - training quickly bothers


  • Self-motivation and entertainment. Textbooks and methodological indexes will bore even the most motivated student. Diversify the process by watching funny videos, reading materials that are interesting to you and communicating with like-minded people.
  • Tasks for daily repetition. Come up with traditions or games for memorizing the material: word of the day, day of Portugal, 2 books a month with writing a review, etc.
  • Begin the lesson by reviewing what you have learned. A dictionary and a personal workbook will help you not to miss important things and remember all the words. When there is a lot of material, repeat selectively from different parts.
  • Take every opportunity to exercise. It can even be a conversation with loved ones, chatting on a forum or in a group, skype calls - colloquial speech helps to start thinking close to the original and understand unfamiliar words in the context of a conversation.
  • Create a rating system for yourself. Treat yourself to your favorite cake after the end of a big topic, or please yourself with a new blouse with a successful test. This will help to connect boring and difficult studies with prizes and pleasant moments. Psychologically, it is easier to experience difficulties, complete with joyful events.
  • Don't drop out immediately at the first sign of boredom. Learning a language for yourself has an unpleasant side - you can quit at any time. If the motivation is your momentary desire, then the fuse will quickly pass, and the pleasure of understanding speech in a foreign language will come not earlier than in six months - a year. Surviving this period and actively absorbing educational material is a difficult, but quite feasible task.

Learning any language is impossible without immersion in the history and culture of the country and people. Portugal is a country that can bring you many surprises. Lisbon is a great old city with many beautiful buildings and architectural monuments. Impulsive and very active, the Portuguese will appeal to those who like to chat and throw out emotions. Culture, holidays, traditions and customs - they are very different from Russians in all areas. And the beauty of architecture and a large number of attractions will surely attract you with a tourist visit. Learn Portuguese on your own and with pleasure, and this country will definitely reciprocate.

If you dream of living in Brazil or just by coincidence you have been brought to this paradise, you should think about learning Portuguese, since it is difficult to communicate in other dialects here. I myself, when I started learning Portuguese many years ago, did it solely because it was spoken in Brazil, but as I studied, I really fell in love with this language, and it began to be of great value to me in itself.

Learning Portuguese is a task that requires a lot of time and effort. Is it a difficult language? I wouldn't say it's difficult: English was harder for me, although most Brazilians I know find Portuguese more difficult than English. Therefore, the conclusion: the complexity of the language is a subjective matter. If you really love the Portuguese language and study it day and night, it will not seem boring or difficult.

The volume of the program is so large that the question arises: where to start? What textbooks are best for studying? For beginners to learn Portuguese, I can recommend Maria Fernanda Allen's textbook “Portuguese in Three Months”. Of course, no one learns a language in three months, so I don't pay attention to the name. The textbook is good in that it provides an initial base in order to start studying the Brazilian version of the Portuguese language according to Brazilian textbooks for foreigners (not adapted for the Russian audience). When studying this textbook, do not pay attention to the “imitated pronunciation” system, because 90% of the transcriptions that are given there do not correspond to reality. Keep in mind that this textbook gives continental Portuguese, with notes on Brazilian differences. But I think that this is by no means a minus, and then it will still count for you, since you cannot completely ignore the European version either.

SIMULTANEOUSLY with this tutorial, I highly recommend learning the Brazilian version of the language on the Internet: listening to Brazilian radio, brazilian music chatting with Brazilians on social networks.

After a year of studying this textbook, you can proceed to the Brazilian version itself. The course starts from the very beginning, but you already have a base that you will improve. The recommended textbook is “Falar. Ler. Escrever.” (Livro-texto), as well as the accompanying exercise book (Livro de exercícios), and disks for phonetic exercises. It is recommended to study Portuguese every day for at least 3 hours, spreading the days evenly between:

  • lessons in the basic textbook and exercise book (3-4 days);
  • phonetic exercises (1-2 days);
  • reading Brazilian literature in the original (1 day);
  • watching Brazilian films, series and TV shows (2 days);
  • communication with Brazilians on the Internet;
  • regional studies and the study of culture, history and geography of Brazil;
  • visiting Russian forums and Internet resources dedicated to the Portuguese language.

After completing this textbook (about 2 years), you are considered to have a basic level of Portuguese. Then it will simply need to be improved without textbooks: by reading the press, scientific literature, specialized literature, fiction, etc.

You can also take the MGIMO textbook for students studying Portuguese as a second language as a reinforcement. But it is also worth keeping in mind that it is focused on the continental option.

Read the blog, ask any questions about the Portuguese language, grammar, vocabulary, etc., I will always answer and I will be happy to discuss.

Good luck and welcome to the fabulous world of the Portuguese language!

The world that opens up for Portuguese learners: Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau

This course from 30 lessons + final test created for a beginner who is not at all familiar with the Portuguese language. At this stage, our goal will be to introduce you to the Portuguese language, to give a general concept.

Having studied and worked through the entire course, you yourself decide to continue studying further or not.

For my part, I guarantee that the lessons will certainly bring you a lot of positive emotions from the process and the main reward - the result of your knowledge and, as expected, the application of the experience gained in practice - in life.

After all, as we all know: Knowledge without practice is dead knowledge.

I think that the living Portuguese language will enchant you forever. It's like taking a dip in the warm sea water on the Brazilian coast. Feelings and impressions that will never be forgotten, except that they can be repeated.

Personally, my experience was exactly like this when I studied Portuguese back in 2004, for me it was a fateful event that turned my whole life upside down. I must say that in 2016 it will be 12 years that I dedicated and gave to Portuguese Brazil. She never regretted for a moment the hours spent both in studying and in practice, and later daily practice, living side by side with the Brazilians day after day for almost 9 years.

What feelings do people spontaneously fascinated by the Portuguese language have?

It's like falling in love with a person! Once and for all life. It's not love at first sight. It is a love that is comprehended, deepened, strengthened and developed gradually and gradually as it deepens into the bowels of the Portuguese Brazilian.

Do you want to experience something similar in your life? Do not cram, do not torture, do not memorize and force yourself out of the stick. And to really fall in love with the language and it will never again be a difficult task and strong-willed efforts on oneself.

It will be a hobby, joy, high and a result that will give you the desire to conquer new horizons, to see what you are capable of! How far are you ready to go after your dreams and find out your own abilities in patience, diligence, diligence, constancy of motivation and a lot of everything that we are trying to develop in ourselves throughout our lives in order to become successful, fulfilled, happy.

Do you want to realize your dream of understanding Portuguese?
Start here today! Let this course be your starting point in achieving your dreams.

Back to the details of the course, how do the basic lessons happen?

How it works?

Free course - 100% free.
You need to enroll in the course in the form on the main page of the site.

You receive 4 letters once a week. In each letter there are links to sets with lessons.

The free course includes 30 lessons. Each lesson materials in PDF format + video.

Lessons are developed by me personally, no plagiarism from textbooks. You can buy textbooks without me.

The lessons included time-tested information. All material is passed through personal experience (12 years with live Portuguese). The lessons are not the same as in standard courses and textbooks. Only experience + textbooks + life realities.

Everything that the Brazilians were able to convey to me in 10 years, I give to you. Without embellishment, understatement and "fabulous" elements. Only the way they really communicate in Brazil.

About Portuguese European (Lisbon, Portugal). My favorite is Portuguese Brazilian. That's what I specialize in. No other. Other variants of Portuguese are not interesting to me and I could not put my soul into them, as I do with the Brazilian version, which for me is joy, work, pleasure and work.

Each theory lesson is short (up to 4 pages), written assignments + a video file are attached to it (usually up to 7 minutes).
Study the lessons and complete the assignments in writing.

The tasks are simple, great to improve your knowledge of Portuguese and your motivation to study. Those who do not want to do any tasks are those who do not really need it. And who does, go to the end.

You are free to do your homework in the mode that is convenient for your daily routine. Everyone has a different pace of life. Some are busier, some less. We all only have 24 hours in a day. That is why I want you not to feel in some kind of difficult framework when exactly to perform. You can do it at the pace that suits you.

About verification. Everything needs time. I check the homework of the students of the "Basic" group at the end of the week regularly, I allocate several hours for this. After verification, I send the verified version with notes, answers to questions, comments to the email from which the letter with dz.

Attention, the course itself is free: lessons, theory, material, practice.
Verification of works is a paid service. You are free to choose to simply subscribe and receive all the materials for free, complete the lessons in the table or find someone to check.
Or subscribe, receive lessons and submit work for review. If you send homework number 1 - I inform you about payment in the first letter. Payment is made in one go = 930 rub(for the whole course 30 lessons and control work).

This is how we keep in touch with you. You see what works and what doesn't work. Where you need to pull yourself up and where you succeeded and surprised with your efforts.

For more than 4 years that I have been teaching Portuguese online, I have seen people of different types, temperaments and diligence. Some drove me crazy with inattention to the material, others amazed me with their accuracy and purposefulness in completing tasks.

Everyone is individual and my task is to find the key to each. It is in order to realize the main mission of the project - communicate Portuguese Brazilian effectively to everyone who really likes it and who is ready to devote time to it.

Throughout the time that you will study the lessons from the free course, if you decide to send homework for a paid check, then you send them to me by email. Homework is only done in a Word document. Important: a document with dz must be named according to the template: Surname_Name_lesson No._.

How it looks like (document name, I mean): Ivanov_Ivan_ur1(or if there are several dz in one document at once, then the range from which to which lesson is indicated: Ivanov_Ivan_1-10ur.)

Each student, so as not to get lost in the common database, has his own folder, and if a dozen works come in with the name: "Doc-t: dz 1". It is very easy to confuse them and send them to the wrong people.

It happened in practice, so this paragraph is strict. Only by fulfilling this requirement can you be sure that your dz will be received and verified. DZ with the name "homework" and something similar - are not checked.

You will have feedback with me during the course of the lessons, and I will also give support in emerging questions on the topic of the Portuguese language within the framework of the topics covered in this basic course.

Topics not included in the course, based on their complexity, are not covered in the course, because it is basic, introductory, for simple communication skills, and not deep knowledge. All this is covered in the advanced course, which follows the basic course on a paid basis.

You will not receive my emails for selling or selling anything.

The main disadvantage of the free course is that it does not include my assistance via Skype. That is, I can not check your pronunciation. But in terms of writing and speaking, the basic course does well.

The course allows you to get the basics of the language. At the end of the course, you take a final test to test yourself.

What are the achievements for the work done? What are the results? There is something to strive for? Do you want more?

I explain everything in a straight forward way. I prefer to be honest with you, no false promises, no ulterior motives.

Fill out the form on home page site and confirm your consent to the free course (in the activation email from the mailing service) - and the first archive with lessons will come to you at 8 am

Do not postpone your dreams "for later", remember that we write life on a clean copy, there will not be another chance.

I recalled an Arabic proverb: "A dressed-up camel in the desert is found only once!"

Don't miss your chance, Brazil is waiting for you!

See student testimonials

Inhale-exhale
And you will never forget the aroma of Brazilian air. It needs to be experienced. You can't describe with words. Get inspired for great achievements in your destiny!

Section description

Contents of the Portuguese Books section

  • Portuguese language books by year

Below you can download e-books and textbooks for free and read articles and lessons for the Portuguese Books section:

Section contents Section description

Description of the section "Books on the Portuguese language"

In this section, for your attention are provided for free download Portuguese language books. Portuguese is a Romance language of the Indo-European family of languages. Developed from medieval Galician-Portuguese. Writing based on the Latin alphabet. It is the second largest Romance language after the closely related Spanish and one of the most widely spoken languages ​​in the world.

Speakers of the Portuguese language are united under the general term Lusophones after the Roman province of Lusitania, which roughly corresponded to the territory of modern Portugal, and the entire set of Portuguese-speaking territories - Lusophonia.

In addition to books, the site has Portuguese audio courses. We highly recommend the book "Visa to Portugal - Portuguese Audio Course". The book contains more than 400 necessary words, phrases, expressions. All everyday topics from greetings and words of courtesy to questions that will help you not get lost in an unfamiliar city, find the right place, check into a hotel, explain yourself in a restaurant or shop.
Also includes sections on meetings, acquaintances and nightlife.

You will learn from books that Portuguese writing is based on the Latin alphabet, with a number of diacritics. The principle of "as it is heard is as it is spelled" is observed less consistently in Portuguese than in Spanish, so Portuguese is somewhat more difficult to learn.

You can also download Portuguese tutorials. The tutorials are very easy to learn. The material will contain words first in Russian, then in Portuguese with transcription. For a better understanding of diction, listen to the pronunciation in audio files.