Portuguese in Brazil. Do Brazilians speak Russian?

Brazil- one of the few countries characterized by multilingualism. But it stands out among the rest in that the languages used here are not 2-3, but as many as 175. And this is far from the limit, because in the past, when the state’s population was larger, about 1000 different dialects were spoken here. 120 of them have disappeared over the past 50 years. What languages are spoken in the country now, and which of them is the state language?

Historical preconditions for the formation of multilingualism in Brazil

Why is Brazil a multilingual country? Initially, its territory was inhabited by Indian tribes, each of which had its own dialect. According to scientists, at that time there were 270-1078 different languages in the country. After the colonization of the country by Europeans, who ousted most of the tribes from their inhabited territories, Portuguese was spoken in the country.

Over time, Europeans began to transport African slaves to Brazil, who brought their own dialects. This was followed by the colonization of the country by France, Spain, Holland, and England. Each of these nationalities left its mark in the formation of the linguistic culture of Brazil.

And as a result of further immigration of populations from Europe and Asia, the number of languages in the country increased even more. But gradually, under the influence of geo-, demo- and political factors, it decreased to 175.

State language of the country

Among such multilingualism, only one language has the status of a state language in Brazil - Portuguese. This despite the fact that almost all South America speaks Spanish. What explains this phenomenon?

The fact is that in 1500 the country was colonized by Portugal. Since Spain controlled the adjacent territories, a treaty was signed between these European states Treaty of Tordisillar on the delimitation of possessions. Therefore, most Latin American countries speak Spanish, and only Brazil speaks Portuguese.

After colonization, Brazil was gradually populated by settlers from Europe who arrived by ship. As a result of mixing their language (Portuguese) with the local dialect, Língua Geral was formed. This dialect was used until the middle of the 17th century, when by decision of the Marquis of Pompal it was banned and Portuguese was declared the state language.

Officially, its status was enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Brazil in 1988. Today, the Portuguese language is used by almost the entire population of the country (99%) - in government agencies, schools, and on television.

But individual administrative units of Brazil have several official languages. So in the municipality Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira, part of the Amazon state, the languages of Indian tribes are still actively used to this day - tucano, baniwa, Nyengatu. According to the program to support the country's ethnic population, they, along with the Portuguese, have state status.

Brazilian Portuguese

The modern Portuguese language used in Brazil differs significantly from the European language. Under the influence of local dialects, it has changed greatly lexically and phonetically, and over 10 of its dialects have appeared. This is why this version of Portuguese is called Brazilian.

So the most common varieties of Portuguese in Brazil are dialects Rio de Janeiro And Sao Paulo. Even special dictionaries have been created containing words used exclusively in these areas.

In 2015, Brazil switched to a new, more common spelling standard. This greatly simplified Internet searches in Portuguese and avoided inaccuracies in the interpretation of various official documents.

How to communicate as tourists in Brazil

In Latin American countries there is a developed tourism, and Brazil is no exception. Therefore, those wishing to visit the state have a question about what language to speak here.

In addition to the state Portuguese and a number of Indian dialects, the local population uses about 30 languages in everyday life, belonging to the Germanic, Romance, Slavic and even Asian groups.

Of the European dialects in Brazil, Portuguese, which is the state language, Spanish (in border areas), German, Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian are actively used. The last two can most often be heard in the gringo (white settlers) neighborhoods - Sao Paulo, Vila Olympia, Santa Cruz. Among the Asian languages in the country, you can hear Japanese (the most widespread), Chinese (several of its dialects have been preserved, including endangered ones), and Korean. Sometimes even local residents cannot always determine what language their neighbors speak.

Thus, there is no single answer to the question of what language is spoken in Brazil. He is a complex and varied phenomenon here. During the existence of the country, the peoples inhabiting it mixed culture, language and traditions. They borrowed some words, expressions, phrases, and intonations from each other. The speech of immigrants gradually transformed, acquiring characteristic “Brazilian” features. And now it has mixed so much that representatives of different nationalities find in it something of their own, dear. This makes Brazil a unique country, bringing together people from hundreds of different countries.

Brazil is a wonderful country. We all know about her success in football and remember the bright flag. This country can hardly leave anyone indifferent. I would like to get to know the culture of Brazil better. And, naturally, we should start with the language. So what is the language in Brazil?

Official language

Brazil is a country in South America. The only official language in Brazil is Portuguese. Moreover, Brazil is considered the only Portuguese-speaking state in America. It is easy to guess that Portugal used to be a metropolis in relation to Brazil. We can talk about the use of a specific Brazilian version of the Portuguese language.

According to one version, even the name of the country is associated with the Portuguese language. Allegedly, the Portuguese discovered trees on the coast, and the wood began to be exported in large quantities to Europe. This tree was named "pau brazil" by the Portuguese, meaning "brazil tree". The word "brasil" comes from the Portuguese "brasa". And it in turn means “heat” or “hot coals”. The Portuguese thought they had found a place where the commercially valuable brazil tree grew, which the Arabs traded. This tree produced valuable redwood, which was used to make paints, furniture and musical instruments. However, they were mistaken - Arab traders brought a tree related to this species, but a different one. But the name, nevertheless, could perhaps stick.

Aboriginal and immigrant languages

However, Brazil can be considered a multilingual country. There are now 175 languages spoken, including both Aboriginal and immigrant languages. It is stated that there were another 120 languages that were once spoken, but they have disappeared. True, less than 1 percent speak an unofficial language. There are indigenous Indian languages in Brazil: Nyengatu, Tukano, and Boniva. They are notable for having become the second official languages of one of the municipalities in the state of Amazonas. There are also a huge number of Indian languages. Also spoken in Brazil are European and Asian languages, which were brought with them by immigrants from these countries.

By learning Portuguese, you can feel at home in Brazil, “where there are a lot of wild monkeys in the forests,” as Charlie’s Aunt says in the movie Hello, I’m Your Aunt! Ah, this bright country of Brazil! Now you know what language they speak there.

Let's take a brief excursion into history and find out Why did Portuguese become the national language in Brazil? and not in its pure form, but with the addition of a local dialect.

Local and immigrant languages

Brazil is a multilingual country.

To date 175 languages are spoken there, including local Aboriginal languages and immigrant languages and dialects. There were another 120 languages, but they disappeared over time.

Nowadays, those who speak the unofficial language of Brazil are less than 1%.

After all Previously, the indigenous Indians of Brazil spoke their own languages. That is why the aborigines and the population of the new formation did not understand each other.

As a result of such metamorphoses the result was a language called “Lunga-Jeral”, which became the language of transition, and subsequently - and general in the state of Brazil.

Are you going on vacation?

Then pay attention to the fabulous resorts of Cuba.

There are also several aboriginal languages in Brazil.

These include the languages of the Indian tribes Boniva, Tukano, Nyengatu. These three languages have become famous because they are officially recognized as the second languages of one of the municipalities in the state of Amazon.

There are other, lesser-known Indian languages and dialects. Such languages, for example, include the language of the Matses Indians (Majoruna). They speak a similar language of the Matis and Korubo Indians.

The Indians of this tribe are the largest group, which forms the northern group of the panel language.

There are Kulina-Pano, Marubo, and Kanamari tribes. But this tribe belongs to the Katukina language group.

The remaining peoples and their languages are practically not studied.

National language of Brazil

Brazil is one of the countries in South America.

After colonization by Europeans, Portuguese became the official language.

It is the only country in Latin America that speaks Portuguese. All other states speak Spanish.

Brazilian Portuguese is a specific variant of classical Portuguese.

Over its centuries-old history of development the language absorbed the vocabulary of Indian and African tribes. This is very clearly visible in the names of local dishes, plants, and animals.

But even in this version there are dialects. In the north and south of the country, the language differs in the pronunciation of consonants.

The Portuguese language in its pure form is more closed, it has more sibilant sounds. The grammar has remained virtually unchanged.

Or explore the sights of the amazingly beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro

In addition to the official Portuguese language, other languages are spoken in Brazil.

After all until the middle of the 19th century, the majority of the population was Caucasian from Portugal, and only then did the Germans, Italians, Spaniards, Russians, Arabs, and residents of the Balkan countries begin to join.

For a hundred years, From 1850 to 1965, approximately 5 million immigrants moved to Brazil. The bulk were Italians, Lebanese and Germans.

And after the Second World War ended, the Japanese poured into the country.

Last time the Brazilian dialect of Portuguese has become more studied than Portuguese itself in its purest form.

When traveling around Brazil, you can use English or the services of a translator.

After all, English is now the most widely spoken in the world, so in hotels, restaurants, airports there will always be people who speak English.

At the household level It's better to learn a few common phrases in Portuguese, Well, and be able to count from one to ten or a little more.

Here is a short list of basic phrases:

Ola! - Hello!
Bom dia! - Good afternoon! / Good morning! (before noon)
Boa tarde! - Good evening! / Good afternoon! (from noon to 18.00)
Boa noite! - Good evening! / Good night! (from 18.00 to midnight)
A te avishta - Goodbye!
Adeush! - Bye!
Quantu kushta? - What is the price?
Obrigado - Thank you (men say).
Eu so de Moshkov - I am from Moscow.
Eu nay fala purtugesh - I don't speak Portuguese.
Si - Yes.
Nau - No.
Fala English/Russu? – Do you speak English/Russian?
Shamo me... - My name is...
Pur Favor - Please.
Onda shta...? - Where is…?
Obrigada - Thank you (women say).
Tenya, and bondade - Be kind.

un – 1;
doish – 2;
trash – 3;
quattro – 4;
blue – 5;
seiches – 6;
sete – 7;
oytu – 8;
new – 9;
desh – 10.

Video tour of Brazil

Did you like the article?

Subscribe to site updates via RSS, or stay tuned for updates

Brazil is a dream country for many travelers. The largest state in South America is famous for its carnival and beaches, Iguazu Falls and many more natural and cultural attractions and interesting places. The official language is Portuguese and it is the only Portuguese-speaking country in this part of the world.

Three hundred colonial years

In 1500, Pedro Alvares Cabral, a Portuguese navigator, landed on the shores of South America, whose record, among other achievements, from that moment included the discovery of Brazil. On April 24, 1500, he and his crew set foot on the shores of South America and named the coast Terra de Vera Cruz.
33 years later, the large-scale colonization of Brazil by the Portuguese began. The colonists who came from here actively grew coffee and sugar cane, mined gold and sent ships loaded with valuable timber to the Old World.
In 1574, a decree was passed banning the use of slave labor by local Indians, and labor began to be imported from. In parallel with colonization, the spread of language occurred. It will become official in Brazil later, but for now both local residents and imported Africans had to learn to speak Portuguese.
The country gained independence in 1822 and was officially called the Republic of the United States of Brazil.

Some statistics

Despite the fact that the country has a huge expat population and more than 170 languages and indigenous dialects are spoken, Portuguese is the only official state language in Brazil.
It is used in everyday life by the vast majority of citizens of the country.
The rest are spoken by less than one percent of the republic's residents.
The only exception is the municipality of Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira in the state of Amazonas. The second official language adopted here is Nyengatu.

The Nyengatu language is used by about 8,000 people in northern Brazil. It serves as a means of ethnic self-identification for some tribes that have lost their own dialects during the process of colonization.

That one and not that one

Modern varieties of Portuguese in Europe and Brazil are somewhat different. Even within Brazil itself, phonetic and lexical discrepancies can be discerned between the dialects of the northern and southern provinces. This is largely due to borrowings from the languages of local Indian tribes and the dialects of slaves brought to South America in the 16th-17th centuries from the black continent.

How do I get to the library?

When traveling to Brazil as a tourist, be prepared for the fact that very few people in the country speak English. At best, you can talk to the receptionist at a good hotel. The way out of the situation will be a Russian-Portuguese phrasebook and the ability to gesticulate emotionally, and the innate Brazilian sociability will be more useful than an ideal knowledge of languages.

What associations does the country of Brazil evoke in you? Of course, this is football, this is a carnival and TV series. Brazil is in South America. Getting to know this colorful country needs to start with the language.

Which one in Brazil?

Experts estimate that there are about 170 languages and dialects in Brazil. So what language is spoken in Brazil? Portuguese is the officially recognized language. This is the only state in America whose residents speak Portuguese. The fact is that until the beginning of the 19th century, Portugal was the metropolis of Brazil. During the era of colonization, the territory of modern Brazil was under the rule of the Portuguese, so the local population was forced to learn Portuguese. The only difference is that Brazilians use

Portuguese specifically. They have their own dialect, and different states of Brazil have their own peculiarities of Portuguese.

How did the Portuguese language originate in Brazil?

The beginning of the emergence of the Portuguese language in Brazil is considered to be 1530, when small settlements of the Portuguese appeared on the shores of the New World. The Indians - Brazil - spoke many languages of their many tribes. Naturally, the new and old residents did not understand each other, so a language appeared that was called “Lungua Geral”, which became a transitional language. This language has become common in Brazil. The language spoken by the visiting Portuguese is also what the natives began to speak. They began to adopt some words from each other, and the result was a language that was understandable and convenient for everyone. After all, before this, each tribe had its own language, and even the aborigines themselves did not always understand each other. Over time, the Indians were supplanted by the Portuguese. Why is true Portuguese different from Brazilian Portuguese? Because European Portuguese developed under the influence of the languages of the French, Spanish and English, and in the Brazilian version of Portuguese it is forever

words from the languages of the Indians and Africans were repeated.

What language is spoken in Brazil today?

Today, Brazil is considered a multilingual country; in addition to the official Portuguese, the indigenous languages Nyengatu, Tukano, and Boniva have also been preserved. These languages are considered the second official languages in the state of Amazonas. There are those who don’t even know what language they speak in Brazil, because they have always spoken only in their native dialect. True, such residents are less than one percent. There are also immigrant languages in Brazil brought from European and Asian countries. They are represented by German, Italian and Slavic. Also in major cities

During childbirth, you can hear Chinese and Japanese speech. Sometimes geography teachers provoke students with the question: “In such a large country as Brazil, what language is spoken?” Some answer that it is in Brazilian. This is partly true, because the Brazilian language is multifaceted and interesting, just like their country. But in fact, it would be more correct to say: “Brazilian version of Portuguese.” This language differs from the original at the level of phonetics and vocabulary.