Portuguese is spoken by more than 250 million people, but the Portuguese of Brazil and the Portuguese of Portugal differ enough that readers notice immediately. Choosing the wrong variant can make a website, contract or campaign feel foreign. Here is what changes and how to choose.
1. Vocabulary
Everyday words often differ. A few classic examples:
| English | Brazil (pt-BR) | Portugal (pt-PT) |
|---|---|---|
| bus | ônibus | autocarro |
| train | trem | comboio |
| mobile phone | celular | telemóvel |
| breakfast | café da manhã | pequeno-almoço |
| screen | tela | ecrã |
| user (software) | usuário | utilizador |
| file (computer) | arquivo | ficheiro |
In software and websites these differences are everywhere — a Brazilian user who sees “ecrã” or “ficheiro” knows the product was not made for them.
2. Pronouns and formality
Brazilians use você as the standard “you” in most contexts, including marketing and customer service. In Portugal, tu is common among friends, and formal texts often avoid the pronoun entirely or use o senhor/a senhora. Pronoun placement also differs: Brazilians naturally say “me ligue” (call me), while Portugal prefers “ligue-me”.
3. Grammar and verb forms
Brazilian Portuguese commonly uses the gerund for ongoing actions (“estou trabalhando”), while European Portuguese prefers “estou a trabalhar”. These small patterns appear in almost every sentence, which is why a text translated by a European Portuguese speaker never quite sounds Brazilian — and vice versa.
4. Spelling
The Orthographic Agreement of 1990 unified much of the spelling, but differences remain, such as “fato” (BR, fact) vs “facto” (PT), or accents in words like “econômico” (BR) vs “económico” (PT).
5. Culture, formats and references
Currency (R$ vs €), legal concepts, cultural references, humour and even preferred payment methods differ. A good translation for Brazil adapts these, not just the words.
Which variant should you choose?
- Selling to or working with Brazil → Brazilian Portuguese.
- Audience in Portugal → European Portuguese.
- Global audience, one version only → most companies choose Brazilian Portuguese, because Brazil is by far the largest Portuguese-speaking market and online audience.
- Angola, Mozambique and other African countries → usually closer to European norms; ask your local partners.
How we can help
Our team consists of native Brazilian Portuguese translators, so Brazilian Portuguese is our default. If you are not sure which variant you need, ask us — we will give you an honest recommendation. See also our Brazilian Portuguese translators and English to Portuguese translation pages.
Frequently asked questions
Which Portuguese should I use for Brazil?
Brazilian Portuguese (pt-BR). Vocabulary, pronouns, grammar, spelling and cultural references differ from European Portuguese, and Brazilian readers notice immediately.
Which variant should I choose for a global audience?
If you can only have one version, most companies choose Brazilian Portuguese, because Brazil is by far the largest Portuguese-speaking market and online audience.
Did the 1990 Orthographic Agreement remove the differences?
It unified much of the spelling, but differences remain, such as “fato” (BR) vs “facto” (PT) and “econômico” vs “económico”.
Which variant do your translators work in?
Our team consists of native Brazilian Portuguese translators, so Brazilian Portuguese is our default. If you are not sure which variant you need, ask us for an honest recommendation.
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- Localizing Your Website for Brazil: A Practical Checklist
