What language is spoken in Brazil?

What language do people speak in Brazil?

If you are an English speaker and planning to visit Brazil soon, you must know it’s not a good idea to rely on your native tongue alone. And now you are wondering what language people speak in Brazil. You don’t have to be worried about it; language is something that people love to explore and learn. Here, we will explore some of the Brazilian languages. Brazil is the largest country in South America and Latin America, with over 211 million populations. Brazil has excellent language diversity, so you have the opportunity to learn the language of your own choice. In this article, we will explore and discuss all the languages that people are using in Brazil today.

Facts about languages and Brazil

People of Brazil speak different languages; however, the primary and official language of Brazil is Portuguese. Other than that, German and Italian are the most spoken language after Portuguese. A lot of people speak indigenous languages in Brazil as well. Let’s discuss each language in detail one by one. List of countries and territories where Portuguese is an official language.

The History of Brazilian Portuguese

Spoken by 211 million people across the Brazilian diaspora, Brazilian Portuguese is considered the most influential Portuguese form globally. Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking nation in the Americas.

The history of the language dates back to the 16th Century, although it wasn’t fluently spoken about then. It was by the end of the 18th Century that Portuguese acquired the label of national language in Brazil.

What is the Official Language of Brazil-Portuguese?

The official and primary language of Brazil is Portuguese. Most of the population (around 98%) of Brazil spoke Portuguese. It’s the national language of government and education, arts, and almost every aspect of daily life.

Brazil is a well-known and unique predominant country in South America for speaking the Portuguese language. However, the Brazilian Portuguese and native speakers of Portugal have some colloquial differences between them.

Brazilian Portuguese

Over the centuries, Brazilian Portuguese has developed from its European origin to make the accent different distinctly, just as linguistic and orthographic contrasts. Therefore, Brazilian languages are different from European languages. The Portuguese verbally expressed in Brazil was affected by the country’s native dialects and by pilgrims from other European countries.

Portuguese Speakers

During the 18th century, the number of Portuguese speakers in Brazil boomed massively. In 1808, the Portuguese court increased sticks. It moved to Brazil, and the subsequent flood of relocation implied that it was likely someplace during the 1830s when Portuguese-speaking Brazilians started to dwarf Portuguese speakers back home. See our Portuguese pronunciation guide. Today, Brazil is the only larger home of Portuguese speakers than any other country. However, Indigenous people believe that Portuguese speakers in Africa will dwarf those in Brazil by 2100.

Most Spoken Languages in Brazil other than Portuguese

Most spoken languages in Brazil other than Portuguese are German and Italian language. Let’s discuss them both.

German Language

You might be surprised that the German dialect is the second most spoken language in Brazil because indigenous people assume that Spanish is the second most spoken language in Brazil. However, this is not true; although Spanish is extensively used in Latin America in Brazil, it is considered a minority language. Around 1.9% of the population of Brazil speaks German.

You might wonder why the number of Italian immigrants in Brazil is more than German immigrants, and then how German is the second most spoken; it should be Italian? Most Italian immigrant children speak Portuguese, whereas German immigrant children speak the German language as their mother tongue.

The difference between Brazilian German and European German is more than that between Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese. Some people in Brazil, especially Espírito Santo, also speak Pomeranian German. Today, Brazil is home to over 1.5 million German speakers.

Italian Language

The Italian Language is the third most spoken language in Brazil. Italian dialect was brought to Brazil at the end of the 19th century when Italian immigrants moved toward Brazil for settlement.

Minority Languages

Brazil is one of the most bio-diverse places globally, with a great cultural heritage and linguistic diversity. People are concerned about the language diversity in Brazil. As you visit Brazil, you will learn how to disserve Brazil in Language. Immigrants from different countries bring different languages, and now they are Brazil’s minority language. But the thing is, the immigrant languages are other than the original European languages. Some of the minority languages of Brazil are:

French

Brazil is home to French speakers, as French is the minority tongue in Brazil. Around 30,000 French people live in Brazil, most of them are from Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo.

Japanese

The wave of immigration in 1908 brought a sizeable Japanese population to Brazil. Today, Brazil is the home of the most populated Japanese other than Japan. Over 1.5 million Japanese people live in Brazil. However, second and third generations of Japanese immigrants adopted Portuguese.

Spanish

So, here comes the Spanish language; you might be thinking that it takes way too long for Brazilians to speak Spanish. Well, some of them do. Around 460,000 Spanish speakers live in Brazil, but you can’t say that Brazil is a Spanish-speaking country. Most Brazilians can understand Spanish, although they may or may not be fluent speakers. Read more about how close Spanish is to Portuguese.

Spanish speakers were brought to Brazil in clusters; most of them were from the close Brazil borders or Latin American countries, where Spanish is the primary language. Some Spanish speakers gather in the collection in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

Is English spoken in Brazil?

It may come as a surprise to you, but if you plan to visit Brazil, your English won’t do you any good down there. It is because English is not a common language in Brazil.

English

English is not a common language used in Brazil; however, it also has a name in the minority Brazilian tongues. Around 5 % of Brazilians can speak the English language, but they are not fluent in it.

Vlax Romani

Vlax is another Brazilian minority language. Brazil has some 354,000 Vlax Romani speakers, part of the 1.2 million Vlax Romani community.

Brazil’s Immigrant Enclaves

Brazil has become a multicultural society in the last few decades. Apart from Venezuelan and Bolivian asylum seekers, the country now has a diverse ethnic community consisting of Arabs, Japanese, German, and Italian immigrants.

The Remote Influence Of Indigenous Languages

Any indigenous language that has ever been spoken in a place leaves its mark. In Brazil, however, the most significant influence of any language was Portuguese. When the Portuguese and Brazilian came into contact in the 16th century, it wasn’t evident that it would ultimately become a native language for Brazilians.

Nonetheless, Brazil also had its fair share of indigenous languages, including Apalaí, Arára, Bororo, Canela, Carajá, Carib, Guarani, Kaingang, Nadëb, Nheengatu, Pirahã, Terena, Tucano, Tupiniquim, Ye’kuana. One hundred and eighty Amerindian languages are spoken in remote areas, and many other foreign languages are spoken by immigrants and their descendants.

The country was home to the most significant number of indigenous peoples in South America and the second-largest after Canada. The first contact between Europeans and native people occurred when Christopher Columbus landed on Guanahani Island (now known as San Salvador) in 1492.

Brazilian Population

The Brazilian population is the seventh most populous in the world. The country has 9,542,000 square kilometers (3,811,000 sq mi), and its capital city is Brasília. Brazil’s population is estimated at approximately 198,959,000. Brazil is one of the five megadiverse nations globally, with an estimated 8,500 species of plants and 4,800 species of animals.

In 2010, the United Nations World Population Prospects report ranked Brazil as having the highest population growth rate among all countries. In 2015, Brazil surpassed China to become the world’s fifth-largest economy. The Brazilian people came up with their own words to describe modern concepts.

Brazilian Music

Brazilian music is a musical style that has evolved from the fusion of different types, such as samba and bossa nova. The main characteristics are percussion instruments (maracas, tambourines, triangles), electric guitar, bass, saxophone, flute, accordion, piano, harmonica, trumpet, tubular bells, drums, claves, marimbaphone, shaker, and vocals.

Brazilian Cuisine

Brazilian cuisine is influenced by European, African, Asian, and Native American cultures. It is characterized by tropical fruits like banana, pineapple, mango, papaya, guava, coconut, passion fruit, custard apple, starfruit, lychee, and jackfruit. Other ingredients include rice, beans, corn, manioc, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, cilantro, parsley, capers, olives, chilies, lime, lemon, orange, grapefruits, lemons, limes, avocados, bananas, honey, sugar, salt, tamarind, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, tea, cocoa, and mate.

Brazilian Architecture

Brazilian architecture is very diverse because there were many influences during colonization. Many buildings have a colonial style, but others are more modern. Some examples of this diversity can be seen in the following images:

Brazilian Art

Brazilian art is rich in history, culture, and tradition. There are many museums in Brazil where you can see the works of famous artists. One of the best places to visit for art lovers is the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, which houses over 400 paintings. Another great place to visit is the Museu da Imagem e Do Som in Rio de Janeiro, which contains over 20,000 pieces of art.