Practice Portuguese

Buckle up and join Joel and Rui for a conversation about car preferences and driving experiences. Check out our Driving unit for even more European Portuguese vocabulary and expressions related to cars and driving!

Estamos de volta! Returning to the roots of where this all started back in 2013, Rui and Joel are reviving our flagship Podcast! Although we’re releasing video episodes, we’ll also keep our audio-only listeners in mind, so you can subscribe to our podcast feed in your favourite app and listen while on-the-go. In this episode, […]

We didn’t know what to talk about, so Practice Portuguese team member, Molly, gave us a list of questions to answer! Topics include: pet peeves, where else in the world we’d live, binge-watching habits, favourite cuisine, biggest fears and much more! We also reveal some behind-the-scenes news of what the Practice Portuguese team has been […]

Did you know the verb “dar” has at least 60 different meanings in Portuguese? 😱 The simplest translation is “to give”, but it also has many idiomatic meanings, which depend on the context. Today, Joel and Rui take a deep dive into “dar”, with some help from one of our Shorty episodes: Dar Uma Mãozinha. […]

Are Rui and Joel still alive?! After many busy months, we’re back to talk about everything that we’ve been up to, and what’s next for Practice Portuguese in 2022. Special thanks to borderland.pt (@borderland.photo) for the fantastic job on our neon logo!

2021 has already been off to a busy start! Rui & Joel update you on everything that’s going on, in Portuguese: • Rui & Joel get COVID swabs jammed up their noses… for TV • Rui quits something and joins something else within the same week (Huh?) • Our mobile app is on the way! […]

Have you been to the dentist lately? In this first-ever video podcast, we feature one of our latest Shorties and discuss useful vocabulary all about… teeth! While recording, we’re interrupted by some personal text messages that we reveal and deconstruct for your learning pleasure!

We all have moments where we need some colourful language to express ourselves. (No, we’re not talking about swear words, that’s for another episode). Today we go through the whole colour spectrum while featuring the Shorty, “Um Lindo Bebé“. Do you know how to say your favourite colour in Portuguese?

Featured Shorty: "Diário de uma Quarent(o)ena II." A lot has happened, to say the least, since we last recorded a podcast episode! We start out by challenging your comprehension with casual Portuguese conversation to get you up to speed on what's been happening with us personally as well as in the world... since we know we are definitely your primary resource for all things COVID-19! We spend the rest of the episode tweaking the pronunciation of our brave listeners who once again contributed their recordings. (Obrigado!) We review the pronunciation of the different R, S, E, and O sounds, perfecting the cadence and flow of Portuguese sentences… plus, you'll discover a word that even Rui has trouble pronouncing!

In this episode, we once again analyze record audio clips from our brave listeners! We listen to the Shorty, "À Busca de Doces", and explore how to make your Portuguese sound more native with pronunciation subtleties and word choice. We also clarify some other challenging concepts, such as the differences between "aí, ali, & lá".

Today, the tables have turned, because YOU, (our listeners) are the main voices of this special episode! European Portuguese learners from around the world bravely submitted recordings of themselves reading our featured Shorty, "Um Encontro". We listen to each one, while suggesting subtle improvements for perfecting their pronunciation, including some challenging vowel sounds, and rules of the letter "S", and more. A BIG "thank you" to everyone who bravely submitted their recordings. Let us know if you enjoy this and we'll do more of this in future episodes! (Learn more about the pronunciation of the letter "S" here: The Letters "S" and "C")

'Tis the season… to spread misinformation about the origins of Christmas and Santa Claus! In this special holiday episode, Rui and Joel explore the food and other traditions of Christmas in Portugal, while featuring one of our latest Shorties, "a Consoada". Boas festas a todos! 🎄

Dona Amélia, an old-fashioned woman who only believes in natural remedies, pays a visit to the pharmacy. Will the pharmacist be able to help her, despite her hearing difficulties?

Cláudio and Joana are a Portuguese couple who decide to take a trip to Tomar in a rental car. When it comes to driving, they can't seem to agree on anything. Will they make it to their destination without driving each other crazy?

In this episode, we deconstruct one of our latest "Shorties". We go through some useful food vocabulary, discuss verb and tense choices, and Rui irons out Joel and Molly's "estrangeiro" pronunciation! There's also some exciting news about Practice Portuguese, especially for those of you who might be in the Algarve next weekend.

This is an episode of introductions! First, we introduce Molly, an American who recently moved to Lisbon and is off to a great start with her Portuguese. Next, we introduce the new “Shorties”, which are bite-sized audio dialogues, each around 1 minute in length. We listen to a segment from one of our Shorty contributors, […]

Dona Gertrudes, a retired 65-year-old woman, has just a received a surprisingly large bill from her gas company. Upset and nervous, she attempts to sort the matter out on the phone.

Monica has just moved to an apartment in the Historic Center of Porto. She meets her neighbour Eduardo who tries to impose some unexpected rules. Will she be able to deal with these strict requirements?

To prepare for an upcoming birthday party that they'll be hosting, a modern grandma and her jokester husband stock up on groceries at the local supermarket. While taking advantage of every promotion they can, will they actually remember to pick up everything they went there for in the first place?

Eduarda, the mechanic, deals with a customer who thinks he knows exactly what's wrong with his car… when in fact, the biggest problem might just be the driver! (Special guest: Eliana Silva)