Mastering Portuguese is a basic skill for professionals in any field. Even so, mistakes and doubts about the correct use of the language are constant. Therefore, in this post we have listed 50 common Portuguese mistakes so that you can avoid them. Check it out!
“Instead of” / “instead of”
“Instead of” is used as a substitution. “Instead of” is used as an opposition.
Ex: Instead of going to the theater, he preferred to go to the cinema. / Instead of speaking, he preferred to keep quiet.
“Do” / “Do”
In the sense of elapsed time, the verb “fazer” is impersonal, that is, it is only freight forwarders brokers email lists used in the singular. In other senses, it agrees with the subject.
Ex: I have been in this city for two months. / They did a good job.
“Towards”/ “Against”
“Ao encontro de” has the same meaning as “to be in agreement with” and “De encontro a” means opposition.
Ex: This decision meets the interests of the population. (it was favorable) / What he did was against what I had said. (it was contrary)
“On par” / “on par”
In the sense of being aware, the correct form is “a par”. “Ao par” is only used to indicate equivalence between exchange rates.
Ex: He is already aware of what happened. / For a long time, the dollar and the real were almost at par.
“Through” / “by means of”
“Por meio” has the same meaning as “via”. “Através de” expresses the idea of crossing.
Ex.: I will give a more precise explanation through an example. / I looked through the window at what was happening on the street.
“In my opinion” / “In my opinion”
This is one of the most common Portuguese mistakes. However, “In my opinion” does not exist.
Ex: In my opinion, the event was a success.
Portuguese mistakes - Clank Digital
“At first” / “In principle”
“A princípio” is equivalent to “at the beginning”. “Em princípio” has the same meaning as “em thesis”.
Ex: We thought, at first, that he was telling the truth. / In principle, every man is equal before the law.
“Otherwise” / “If not”
Another Portuguese mistake to learn and not make again. “Senão” means “unless”, “otherwise”. “Se não” is used as a conjunction, that is, “se” is a conditional conjunction that indicates a condition.
Ex: I did nothing but complain. / If it doesn’t rain, we can go out.
“Where” / “Where to”
“Where” refers to a place where someone or something is, that is, it expresses the idea of a fixed location. “Where” indicates movement and is linked to verbs that express this idea.
Ex: Wrong: I don’t know where I left my cell phone. / Where are you going?
“A” / “there is”
To indicate past tense, the verb “haver” is used. “A”, as an expression of time, is used to indicate future or distance.
Ex: I have worked in this sector for 15 years. / I will speak to the director in five days.
