To Remember: 5 Portuguese Mistakes to Avoid

BUT Portugueseknown as one of the most complex in the world, has features and expressions unique – which may vary depending on the nation and customs. Apart from Brazil and Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, East Timor, Sao Tome and Principe and Equatorial Guinea are other countries where Portuguese is the official language.

Due to the difficulty in speaking and writing, there are some doubts even for those who are fluent in Portuguese. To avoid mistakes, the secret is to check tips and write down what you learn – writing is the way to go!

1. “But” or “more”?

Who never got stuck in essay I wonder if it was correct to use “mas” or “mais”? This is because “but” uses the idea of ​​opposites and oppositions, while “more” is used in cases of quantity, sum.

Therefore, if the purpose of the sentence is to demonstrate the intensity of something, a number, the second expression is the correct alternative. The first must be used as an adversative conjunction, exposing the contradiction.

Examples:

• Of all the days of the week, John loves Friday the most.
• Beatrice’s dream is to travel more often.
• Miguel studied, but could not pass the year.
• Mariana is a good student, but she doesn’t like her math homework.

2. When to use “mal” or “mau”?

Following the previous example, the terms “bad” and “bad” cause a lot of confusion, however, when used, one should be guided by the meaning of the phrase, that is, the message that will be transmitted.

The key is to remember that the word “y” is used to describe something or someone in a negative way. On the other hand, “small” can be an adverb of manner, a noun and a conjunction used in situations where something has not been done well to indicate the passage of time and when the phrase indicates some kind of health problem or sadness.

Examples:

• Matthew is a hardened loser.
• Pedro is a bad character.
• The teacher went to the doctor, she became ill.
• It’s barely dawn, and Priscilla already wants to go to school.

3. “Is” or “that”?

In addition to the message to be conveyed, there is another difference that may dictate the choice of words: prayer times. The evidence for this is “is” and “a”. The first option should be used in pastreferring to the verb to be, while the second refers to the future, but can also be used for distances.

Examples:

• I haven’t seen Gabriela for several days.
• I waited for Ana for several hours.
• Mom, wait for me? I’m two minutes from home.
• Class, attention! The test will be in two weeks.

4. “Otherwise” or “if not”?

If doubts already arise when the words are not similar, imagine when the spelling is almost the same? That’s where the danger lives! As in other situations, there is always a rule to make it easier to use, including the use of the words “still” and “if not”.

The first step is to understand that the terms are correct and what will change is when each of them should be used. If the first option should be used in cases where the goal is to identify something opposite, then the second, separate, emphasizes the negative condition – it can be replaced with “if not.”

Examples:

• I study a lot, otherwise I will fail.
• Monica does nothing but think about her vacation.
• Fernando, if it’s not possible to study, let me know.
• If it’s not sunny, we won’t play on the beach.

5. “People” x “agent”

As in the previous model, it must be kept in mind that “a gente” and “agent” are part of the Portuguese vocabulary, that is, both terms are correct. O call is to understand when to use each of them, respecting the phrase and message.

While the first case expresses the idea of ​​a group, a group that can act together, the spelling together should only be used to refer to someone, someone who has an action – here it could be a law enforcement officer or someone with the power to make a difference prayer.

Examples:

• We are always traveling, every year ends.
• We like to study, school time is the most fun part of the day.
• A law enforcement officer is an authority that must be respected.
• I got lost so I was looking for a school agent.

Do you understand the differences? The way is to understand the circumstances so as not to make mistakes in the next editions! Remember: there is always a rule governing the use of each word.