English Reference

Word

portuguese

Phoneticspor·tuguese

/ˈpɔɹtʃəˌɡiz/

Definitions

01the language

A1

n. the language spoken in Portugal, Brazil, and several other countries.

n. a Romance language originating in Portugal and serving as the official language of Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, and other nations.

“She decided to learn Portuguese before her trip to Lisbon next summer.”

“While European and Brazilian Portuguese share the same formal grammar, their phonology and everyday vocabulary differ significantly.”

Usage

Always capitalized as a proper noun.

02the people

A2

n. people who come from Portugal.

n. the people of Portugal, collectively or individually.

“The Portuguese are known for their beautiful traditional music called Fado.”

“The Portuguese have a long history of maritime exploration that shaped global trade routes in the fifteenth century.”

Usage

Used with the definite article 'the' when referring to the people as a whole.

03relating to Portugal

A1

adj. relating to the country of Portugal, its people, or its culture.

adj. of or pertaining to Portugal, its inhabitants, or their cultural output.

“We enjoyed some delicious Portuguese custard tarts at the bakery.”

“The restaurant specializes in authentic Portuguese cuisine, featuring a wide variety of salted cod dishes.”

Usage

Always capitalized.

Etymology

From Portuguese português.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
A1 · Beginner
Frequency
Common
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/portuguese

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