What Language Do They Speak in Brazil?

Did you know Brazil is the largest country in South America, but unlike its Spanish-speaking neighbors, Spanish isn’t the primary language?

Brazil’s official and most widely spoken language is Portuguese. Approximately 97.9% of people speak Portuguese as their primary language. 

Today, Brazilian Portuguese has evolved into a distinct dialect with a unique vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammatical quirks that set it apart from the Portuguese spoken in Portugal. 

In the following sections, we’ll examine the historical origins of the Portuguese language in Brazil, explore the regional variations and nuances of Brazilian Portuguese, and discuss other languages spoken throughout the country. 

Brazil Before Portuguese

Portuguese arrived in Brazil through the colonization efforts led by the Portuguese navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500. On its way to India, Cabral’s fleet landed unexpectedly in Porto Seguro, Brazil, marking the Portuguese’s official “discovery” of Brazil.

Before this colonization period, the indigenous people of Brazil spoke their own dominant languages. The most widely spoken of these indigenous languages was the Tupinambá language spoken by the native Tupi people. Many colonists and missionaries adopted the Tupinambá language and taught it to Indians grouped in the missions, recognizing it as Língua Geral or “General Language.”

For about 200 years, the General Language dominated Colonial Brazil until Portuguese became mandatory by the Crown. This shift, coupled with African slave influences and later immigrant contributions, shaped modern Brazilian Portuguese, evident in place names and everyday vocabulary.

Brazilian Portuguese

Brazilian Portuguese, known as “português brasileiro” in Portuguese, is a variety of Portuguese spoken in Brazil. With over 203 million speakers, Brazil is the largest Portuguese-speaking nation globally and a significant influencer of the language’s global evolution. 

Many words from indigenous languages are part of everyday Brazilian speech. These words are used for place names, like Caraguatatuba and Pindamonhangaba, and for naming animals and plants, like tamanduá, capivara, and açaí. This shows how Brazil’s first people still influence its language and culture today.

When enslaved Africans came to Brazil in the 16th century, they brought new words and ways of speaking. This added a musical and unique style to Brazilian Portuguese. Words like samba, capoeira, and moqueca are examples of this influence.

Over time, as more immigrants came to Brazil, the language kept changing. Different regions developed their ways of speaking, like caipirês, mineirês, and baianês. Today, Brazilian Portuguese is very different from European Portuguese, showing how Brazil’s language has grown and adapted over the years.

European Portuguese Vs. Brazilian Portuguese

Brazilian and European Portuguese are largely mutually intelligible in written form. In written Brazilian and European Portuguese, the sentence “Eu gosto de viajar” (I like to travel) looks the same and is easily understood by speakers of both varieties.

However, in spoken Brazilian Portuguese, the pronunciation of the word “gosto” (like) can vary. In some regions, it may be pronounced with an open “o” sound (“gostoo”), while in others, it may have a closed “o” sound (“gostu”). 

Another example is the word “casa” (meaning “house”). In Brazilian Portuguese, it’s pronounced with an open “a” sound, while in European Portuguese, it’s pronounced with a closed “a” sound. This difference in vowel pronunciation is one of the phonological distinctions between the two varieties.

Listen to Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese side-by-side in this video:

Do Brazilians Speak Spanish?

One of the most common misconceptions about Brazil is that its residents speak Spanish, given its location on the South American continent and its proximity to Spanish-speaking neighbors. I also held this misconception before learning more about Brazil’s history and location. 

One reason Spanish is not the official language of Brazil is the country’s colonial past under Portugal. However, another reason Spanish is not widely spoken is that most of Brazil’s population is concentrated away from the rest of Latin America, with little contact from neighboring countries except for a few bordering states. 

Take a look at the population density map from 2019 data. Most of Brazil’s population lives on the coast, far from the borders of Latin American countries. This is why there’s not much immigration and Spanish influence in the country.

That said, Spanish is still an important language in Brazil. According to the 2020 National Migratory Registry in Brazil, there are 6,342,000 Spanish speakers in Brazil, making it the second most spoken language in the country.

Spanish is also taught in many Brazilian schools and is Brazil’s second most studied language after English.

Can You Speak English in Brazil?

English is spoken in larger cities in Brazil. However, the country doesn’t have a substantial English-speaking population. Many Brazilians who speak English work in sectors like tourism, hospitality, and customer service. 

Brazilians often adopt words and phrases from English into their vocabulary. This includes terms related to shopping, technology (like “mouse” for computer), lifestyle (“happy hour”), and more. While these words are used and understood, their pronunciation may differ from standard English.

Despite access to English learning among the affluent population in Brazil, overall English proficiency levels still need to improve. In the 2023 Education First English Proficiency Index (EF EPI), Brazil was ranked 70 out of 113 countries and regions, with an EF EPI score of 487, considered a low proficiency level. 

European Languages Spoken in Brazil

Different languages from Europe are also spoken in Brazil after Portuguese. 

A significant German influence, particularly in the south, dates back to the 19th and early 20th centuries when German and Italian families immigrated for better opportunities. This immigration led to cultural diversity, with Germans settling mainly in the south and Italians extending to São Paulo.

This influence isn’t just seen in cultural aspects like traditions, food, and appearance but also in language. Many people in towns like Lajeado speak German, sometimes as their first language at home. However, it’s not standard German but rather a regional dialect influenced by time and local culture.

Here are the most commonly spoken European languages in Brazil based on historical data and immigrant populations:

• German: German was the most spoken European immigrant language in Brazil after Portuguese. The 1940 census revealed there were over 644,000 German speakers during that period. 

• Italian: Despite a larger immigration wave, Italian had around 458,000 speakers according to the same census, making it the second most spoken European language.

• Spanish: According to the 1940 census, Spanish speakers numbered around 74,000, reflecting a significant but smaller presence compared to German and Italian.

• Other European Languages: Polish, Ukrainian, and different dialects like Hunsrik (derived from German), Talian (an Italian dialect), and Plautdietsch (spoken by Russian Mennonites) are also spoken in rural areas, especially in southern Brazil. These communities are often bilingual and have distinctive dialects.

Asian Languages Spoken in Brazil

The most common languages of Asian origin spoken in Brazil include Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. 

Japanese: Brazil has a significant Japanese-speaking community, especially in cities like São Paulo, Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará, and Amazonas. The country is home to the largest ethnic community of Japanese descendants outside Japan, totaling about 2 million people.

The Japanese language is not only limited to oral communication but also in written form in publications, such as newspapers, within the Japanese-Brazilian community. The Japanese spoken in Brazil is usually a mix of different Japanese dialects influenced by Portuguese.

Chinese: Chinese speakers, including those from Macau, can be found in Brazil, mainly in São Paulo. Some Chinese speakers also use a Portuguese-based creole language called Macanese (patuá or macaísta), in addition to Hakka, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Chinese language teaching and learning in Brazil have expanded with the deepening of China-Brazil relations. The first Confucius Institute in Brazil was established in 2008, with subsequent growth in the number of students participating in Chinese language programs.

Korean: Korean speakers can be found in various regions of Brazil, including Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Amazonas. Brazil’s Korean population is estimated to be around 50,000, making it the largest Korean community in Latin America.

Historically, Korean immigration to Brazil dates back to the Japanese occupation of Korea. According to The Korea Herald, there’s a rising interest in Korean language and literature education in Brazil, positioning the country as a promising hub for Korean language education in the wider Portuguese-speaking world.