Reading about grammar and vocabulary is the first step, but real learning happens through practice. Here are 10 practical exercises, designed specifically for English speakers, with the correct answer and an explanation of why.
Click "Show answer" only after trying to answer yourself, that's how the exercise actually helps you.
Vocabulary and pronunciation exercises
Exercise 1
Complete: "I'm going to order a ___ of water at the restaurant" (translate "glass" into Portuguese, choose between "copo" and "vaso").
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Answer: copo. In Portuguese, "vaso" means a flower pot or a toilet. "Glass" (for drinking) translates to "copo": "um copo de água".
Exercise 2
If you want to say the food is delicious, which word do you use in Portuguese?
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Answer: "delicioso" or "uma delícia". Watch out for "esquisito", which looks like "exquisite" but actually means strange or weird in Portuguese, the opposite meaning.
Exercise 3
Translate: "I'm going to my office to work" (careful with the false friend "oficina").
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Answer: "Vou para o escritório trabalhar." In Portuguese, "oficina" means a mechanic's workshop. Your workplace is "escritório".
Grammar exercises
Exercise 4
Fill in the contraction: "Ele mora ___ (em + a) cidade grande."
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Answer: na. "Em + a" always contracts to "na". The full sentence is "Ele mora na cidade grande" (He lives in the big city).
Exercise 5
Conjugate correctly: "Você ___ (falar) português muito bem."
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Answer: fala. "Você" conjugates in the third person singular, just like "ele/ela". The sentence is "Você fala português muito bem" (You speak Portuguese very well).
Exercise 6
Complete using the future subjunctive: "Quando você ___ (vir), me avise."
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Answer: vier. The verb "vir" (to come) conjugates as "vier" in the future subjunctive for "você". Full sentence: "Quando você vier, me avise" (When you come, let me know).
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Pronunciation exercises
Exercise 7
How does the final "L" in "Brasil" sound in Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation?
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Answer: like a short "U" sound. "Brasil" sounds roughly like "Braziu". The "L" at the end of a syllable in Brazilian Portuguese almost always sounds like "u".
Exercise 8
How is the "-ão" ending in "pão" pronounced? Describe it.
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Answer: it's a nasal sound. Air comes partly through the nose, similar to saying "ow" but more nasal and closed. There's no exact equivalent in English, it takes ear training to get right.
Sentence construction exercises
Exercise 9
Rearrange the words to form a correct sentence: "café / quero / um / eu"
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Answer: "Eu quero um café." (I want a coffee.) The subject-verb-object order in Portuguese is very similar to English in simple sentences.
Exercise 10
Translate using the verb "ficar": "I got happy with the news."
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Answer: "Fiquei feliz com a notícia." "Ficar" is used to express change of state, a function English splits across several verbs ("to become", "to get", "to stay").
🎯 How to get the most out of these exercises: repeat them again in 3 days and again in a week. Spaced repetition fixes learning much better than repeating everything the same day.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I practice Portuguese exercises?
Ideally 15 to 30 minutes daily, consistently, rather than long occasional sessions. Daily consistency fixes learning far better than occasional marathons.
Is it normal to make a lot of mistakes at the beginning?
Yes, it's completely normal and necessary. Mistakes show you exactly which rules you need to reinforce, as long as you have a reliable way to get feedback and correct them.
Are these exercises suitable for absolute beginners?
Yes, they're designed for A1-A2 level, specifically for English speakers just starting out, with an explanation of why each answer is correct.
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