Learn German from Brazilian Portuguese – PBC Languages
German from Brazilian Portuguese: native teachers, small groups, and 1-to-1 exchanges at PBC Languages. Real conversation, no shortcuts, no cost.
Create your free accountNo card needed. Exchanges between members are always free.
If you speak Brazilian Portuguese, German throws a few curveballs at your mouth before it gets to your brain. The vowels ü and ö don't exist in Portuguese, so 'müde' and 'schön' come out flat the first dozen times you try them. The 'ch' sound in 'ich' isn't the same as any Portuguese sound either, and most people default to a soft 'sh', which a German ear catches immediately. On top of that, German drops the voicing on final consonants: 'Tag' sounds like 'Tak', 'Hund' like 'Hunt'. Portuguese never does this, so your instinct is to pronounce everything exactly as it's spelled, and that instinct is wrong here.
Vocabulary plays tricks too. 'Gymnasium' in German is an academic secondary school, not a place to lift weights like 'ginásio' in Portuguese. 'Konkurs' means bankruptcy, not 'concurso' (a competition or exam). On the other hand, Latin-based words like 'Familie', 'Firma' or 'aktuell' land close enough to 'família', 'firma' and 'atual' that you can guess them on first read, which speeds up early vocabulary a lot.
Where it really slows down is structure. Portuguese has no case system; German has four (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive), and they change the articles constantly: 'der Mann', 'den Mann', 'dem Mann', 'des Mannes'. Word order is the other wall: the verb sits in second position in main clauses but jumps to the very end in subordinate ones ('Ich weiß, dass er heute kommt'). Once those two things click, usually after a few months of regular speaking practice, everything else moves fast, because German pronunciation itself, once you've got ü and ö down, is more consistent and phonetic than Portuguese.
Words you will actually hear
| Here | Elsewhere | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Konkurs | concurso | 'Konkurs' means bankruptcy in German; 'concurso' in Portuguese is a competition or public exam. Nothing to do with each other. |
| Gymnasium | ginásio | A German 'Gymnasium' is an academic secondary school. A Brazilian 'ginásio' is a gym or sports hall. |
| Novelle | novela | 'Novelle' in German is a short literary work or a legal amendment. 'Novela' in Portuguese is a TV soap opera. |
| Termin | término | 'Termin' means an appointment or scheduled meeting in German. 'Término' in Portuguese means the end of something. |
| Comic | cômico | German 'Comic' is a comic book or graphic novel. Portuguese 'cômico' describes something funny or a comedian. |
| Pasta | pasta | In German, 'Pasta' is Italian pasta, the food. In Portuguese, 'pasta' is a folder, briefcase, or paste. |
| Rat | rato | 'Rat' in German means advice. 'Rato' in Portuguese means mouse or rat. Similar sound, unrelated meaning. |
| Familie | família | Same Latin root, same meaning: family. One of the easy ones to recognize on sight. |
| Firma | firma | Both mean company or business firm. A cognate that works in your favor from day one. |
| aktuell | atual | Both mean current or up to date. Reliable cognate, no trap here. |
Classes coming up
Times in your own time zone. This list changes every day.
Exchanges looking for a partner
How it works here
-
Sign up and say your level
Two minutes. If you do not know your level, we place you in the first class.
-
Pick a class or an exchange
Classes are led by a native teacher. An exchange is with another member: half the time in their language, half in yours.
-
Join by video, nothing to install
From your phone or your computer. If you cannot make it, cancel and get your place back.
Questions about this
How long does it take a Brazilian Portuguese speaker to hold a real conversation in German?
It depends on how often you practice, but people who show up weekly to group classes and add 1-to-1 exchanges tend to reach a level where they can hold a basic conversation within several months. The case system and word order are what take the longest to settle, so consistency matters more than intensity.
Is the language exchange actually free?
Yes. There's no fee for the exchange itself. What you pay is your own time: half an hour speaking German, half an hour speaking Portuguese with the same person, so both of you get something out of it.
What level of German do I need before joining?
For group classes with a native teacher, you can start as a complete beginner since the class is structured around your level. For 1-to-1 exchanges, having at least some basic German helps, otherwise your half hour turns into charades instead of conversation.
How exactly is the half hour and half hour split during an exchange?
You agree on it with your partner beforehand, usually with a timer. Thirty minutes in German, then you switch and do thirty minutes in Portuguese, so the exchange stays balanced instead of one person doing all the teaching.
Keep looking around
Start this week
A free account, a free first group class, and exchanges that never cost anything.
