Comparison of Portuguese and Spanish


Portuguese and Spanish, although closely related Romance languages, differ in many aspects of their phonology, grammar, and lexicon. Both belong to a subset of the Romance languages known as West Iberian Romance, which also includes several other languages or dialects with fewer speakers, all of which are mutually intelligible to some degree.
The most obvious differences between Spanish and Portuguese are in pronunciation. Mutual intelligibility is greater between the written languages than between the spoken forms. Compare, for example, the following sentences—roughly equivalent to the English proverb "A word to the wise is sufficient," or, a more literal translation, "To a good listener, a few words are enough.":
There are also some significant differences between European and Brazilian Portuguese as there are between British and American English or Peninsular and Latin American Spanish. This article notes these differences below only where:
  • both Brazilian and European Portuguese differ not only from each other, but from Spanish as well;
  • both Peninsular and Latin American Spanish differ not only from each other, but also from Portuguese; or
  • either Brazilian or European Portuguese differs from Spanish with syntax not possible in Spanish.

    Sample texts

Portuguese and Spanish share a great number of words that are spelled identically or almost identically, or which often differ in predictable ways. The following paragraph, taken from the Gramática esencial del español, by Manuel Seco, is contrasted with the literal Portuguese translation below, with notable lexical similarities and differences of word order:
Pero, a pesar de esta variedad de posibilidades que la voz posee, sería un instrumento de comunicación muy pobre si no contara más que con ella. La capacidad de expresión del hombre no dispondría de más medios que la de los animales. La voz, sola, es para el hombre apenas una materia informe, que para convertirse en un instrumento perfecto de comunicación debe ser sometida a un cierto tratamiento. Esa manipulación que recibe la voz son las "articulaciones".
Mas, apesar da variedade de possibilidades que a voz possui, essa seria um instrumento de comunicação muito pobre se se contasse só com ela. A capacidade de expressão do homem não disporia de mais engenhos que a dos animais. A voz, sozinha, é para o homem apenas uma matéria informe, que para se transformar num instrumento perfeito de comunicação, tem que ser submetida a certos processos. As manipulações que a voz recebe, são as "articulações".
But, despite this variety of possibilities that the voice possesses, it would be a very poor instrument of communication if there were no more to it. Man's capacity for expression would not have any more tools than that of animals. The voice alone is for man just a formless medium, which to become a perfect communication instrument must be subjected to certain processes. The manipulations that the voice undergoes are the "articulations".
The following sample is taken from the newspaper El País. Because it uses everyday language, it has fewer cognates, making the two languages more distant and resulting in low intelligibility for speakers who have no knowledge of or exposure to the other language.
Más de 200 personas encendieron hogueras e intentaron acercarse de nuevo a la delegación, la meta que no lograron el día anterior. Más contenedores ardieron en esas calles. Varias furgonetas de la Policía cargaron e intentaron hacerles frente. Pero lejos de arredrarse, los manifestantes corrieron contra un grupo de agentes que se quedó solo en la vía. La policía los dispersó disparando pelotas de goma, hasta lograr resguardarse de nuevo en la calle de Mallorca. La tensión se masticaba entre los agentes, rodeados de hogueras.
Mais de 200 pessoas atearam fogo e tentaram aproximar-se de novo à estação, um alvo não atingido no dia anterior. Mais contentores foram incendiados nas ruas. Várias viaturas policiais intervieram e tentaram confrontá-las. Mas em vez de recuar, os manifestantes viraram-se contra um grupo isolado de agentes na estrada. A polícia dispersou-os disparando balas de borracha e abrigou-se novamente na Rua de Maiorca. A tensão era palpável nos policiais, cercados por focos de incêndio.
More than 200 people again lit bonfires and tried to approach the station, a goal they did not achieve the day before. More containers were burned in the streets. Several loaded police vans attempted to confront them. But far from being intimidated, the protesters moved against an isolated group of agents on the road. The police dispersed them by shooting rubber bullets and managed to take cover again on Mallorca Street. The tension was palpable among the police, as they were surrounded by bonfires.

Vocabulary

Cognates

While the majority of lexical differences between Spanish and Portuguese come from the influence of the Arabic language on Spanish vocabulary, most of the similarities and cognate words in the two languages have their origin in Latin, meaning that both languages share many common root words. A significant number of those cognates, however, differ semantically: similar words have different meanings. Portuguese has more specific terms and expressions which do not occur, or are not directly translatable, in Spanish. Several key differences reflect the unique historical and cultural development of each of these two languages. Levels of understanding in the written forms are much higher than in the spoken forms. Mutual intelligibility is not always possible, and varies greatly among interlocutors and contexts. Some of the similarities and differences are listed below.

One form vs. multiple forms

In some instances, a single word can have multiple meanings in one language, while these meanings are expressed by different words in the other:
  • Portuguese ' corresponds to both Spanish ' 'to create' and ' 'to raise'.
  • Spanish ' corresponds to both Portuguese ' 'dream' and ' 'sleep'.

    False friends

Significant pairs of cognates have a broader or narrower meaning in one language than in the other, are disused, or their meanings are entirely different. On this basis they are termed "false friends":
SpanishPortugueseEnglish
cola
fila; bicha; linha
queue, file
cola cauda; rabo tail
vaso
copo
glass, cup
copo
floco
flake
competencia
concorrência, competição
competition
despido
demissão
dismissal, firing
oso
urso
bear
pez
peixe
fish
polvo
dust
tienda
loja; negócio; butique; estabelecimento; depósito
shop, business, depot
ganancia
ganho, lucro, interesse, rendimento, proveito, vencimento, acréscimo
profit, gain, interest
inversión
investimento
investment
embarazada
grávida

pregnant
estafa
calote, fraude, burla

swindle, fraud, trickery
exquisito
refinado; esmerado

exquisite
molestia
incómodo, inconveniência, maçada, distúrbio

inconvenience, disturbance
servicios
lavabo, lavatório, toilette, toalete, WC, sanitário

toilet, WC, lavatory
perro
cão, cachorro

dog
berro
agrião

watercress
aceite
óleo

oil
oficina
escritório, gabinete, atelier, agência, cartório, bureau/birô, departamento, workshop, oficina de reparação automóvel, garagem auto-mecânica

office, workshop
firma
assinatura

signature
presunto
presumível, suspeito, provável

presumed, suspect
risco
falésia

cliff
topo
toupeira

mole, moleskin

PortugueseSpanishEnglish
cola
pegamento, cola
glue
vaso maceta, tiesto
vase, flowerpot
floco
copo
flake
competência
aptitud, capacidad
competence, competency
despido
desnudo
naked
osso
hueso
bone
pez
brea
pitch, resin
polvo
pulpo
octopus
tenda
tienda, lona, toldo
tent, marquee
ganância
codicia, avaricia, afán
greed, avarice, covetousness
inversão
inversión
inversion
embaraçada
avergonzada

embarrassed
estafa
agotamiento, fatiga, extenuación

exhaustion, tiredness, wear out
esquisito
raro, extraño, peculiar

odd, strange, peculiar
moléstia
enfermedad, achaque, plaga, peste

disease, plague
serviço
servicio

service
perro
oxidado

rusty
berro
chillido, berrido

screech, shriek
aceite
aceptado

accepted
oficina
taller; taller de coches; taller mecánico de autos

auto repair centre, repair garage, workshop
firma
empresa; compañía; sociedad, negocio

business, firm, company, corporation, enterprise, venture, establishment, group, house
presunto
jamón

ham, prosciutto
risco
riesgo

risk, line
topo
cumbre

top