Portuguese has many words that sound similar but have different meanings and uses. Learning to differentiate them is crucial for mastering the language. Below is a clear explanation of some commonly confused words in Portuguese.
1. Há / A
- Há: A verb from “haver,” used to indicate existence or time passage.
Há muitas pessoas aqui. (There are many people here.)
Há três dias que não chove. (It hasn’t rained for three days.) - A: A preposition indicating direction or distance.
Fui a Paris no ano passado. (I went to Paris last year.)
Moro a 10 km da praia. (I live 10 km from the beach.)
2. Mas / Mais
- Mas: A conjunction meaning “but.”
Queria ir ao cinema, mas estou cansado. (I wanted to go to the movies, but I’m tired.) - Mais: An adverb indicating an increase in quantity or intensity (“more”).
Quero mais café. (I want more coffee.)]
3. Haver / A ver
- Haver: A verb meaning “to exist” or “to happen.”
Havia muitas pessoas na festa. (There were many people at the party.) - A ver: A phrase meaning “to do with” or “related to.”
Isso não tem nada a ver comigo. (That has nothing to do with me.)
4. Traz / Trás
- Traz: A conjugation of the verb “trazer” (to bring).
Ele traz flores para a mãe. (He brings flowers to his mother.) - Trás: A preposition meaning “behind.”
Ele está atrás da porta. (He is behind the door.)
5. Comprimento / Cumprimento
- Comprimento: A noun referring to “length.”
O comprimento do rio é impressionante. (The length of the river is impressive.) - Cumprimento: A noun meaning “greeting.”
O cumprimento entre eles foi caloroso. (Their greeting was warm.)
6. Para mim / Para eu
- Para mim: Used when followed by a noun or at the end of a sentence.
Isso é muito importante para mim. (This is very important to me.) - Para eu: Used when followed by a verb in the infinitive.
Isso é necessário para eu entender melhor. (This is necessary for me to understand better.)
7. Perca / Perda
- Perca: A conjugation of the verb “perder” (to lose).
Não perca essa oportunidade! (Don’t miss this opportunity!) - Perda: A noun meaning “loss.”
A perda de um ente querido é dolorosa. (The loss of a loved one is painful.)
8. Concerto / Conserto
- Concerto: A noun meaning “concert.”
O concerto de música clássica foi maravilhoso. (The classical music concert was wonderful.) - Conserto: A noun meaning “repair.”
O conserto do carro custou caro. (The car repair was expensive.)
9. Acento / Assento
- Acento: A noun meaning “accent” or “diacritical mark.”
A palavra ‘público’ tem um acento agudo. (The word ‘público’ has an acute accent.) - Assento: A noun meaning “seat.”
O assento do avião era confortável. (The airplane seat was comfortable.)