Learn Portuguese fast by learning common scenarios.
Skip the "the cat drinks milk" phase. Type the moment you're about to walk into, like a Lisbon pastelaria or a beach in Rio, and GigaLearner writes the Portuguese you'll actually hear and say. Hit play, slow it to 0.75×, parrot away.
Why scenarios beat word lists.
Real lines, not random words
You learn the exact Portuguese for the moment you're in, in the order it actually comes up.
Hear it the way it's said
One natural voice explains in English and speaks the Portuguese. Too fast? Slow it to 0.75× and say it back.
Nasal sounds, made easy
Words like "pão" and "não" use nasal vowels that English doesn't have. Hearing them at 0.75× and copying is the fastest way to get them right.
5 more common Portuguese scenarios to rehearse first.
The situations that come up on day one. Each line below is the one you'll need. GigaLearner writes the whole conversation around it, so you know what the other person will say back.
- FARMÁCIA, PORTO
A cough at the pharmacy
Rehearse this →Tem alguma coisa para a tosse?"Do you have anything for a cough?" - BEACH, RIO DE JANEIRO
Buying a coconut
Rehearse this →Quanto custa o coco?"How much is the coconut?" - TAXI, SÃO PAULO
Getting dropped off
Rehearse this →Pode me deixar aqui, por favor."You can drop me here, please." - HOTEL, SALVADOR
Checking in at the hotel
Rehearse this →Tenho uma reserva em nome de Smith."I have a reservation under the name Smith." - STREET, SÃO PAULO
Finding the metro
Rehearse this →Com licença, onde fica o metrô?"Excuse me, where is the metro?"
Portuguese in 30 seconds.
- Spoken in
- Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Mozambique and five more countries.
- Written in
- The Latin alphabet, with accents like ã, ç and é.
- The tricky bit
- Brazil and Portugal sound quite different, and some words change: a train is "trem" in Brazil and "comboio" in Portugal.
- Quick win
- "Com licença" ("excuse me") gets you past people, into queues and into conversations.
Three steps. Zero flashcard guilt.
Type the moment
Anything that's about to happen, like a cough at the pharmacy. No ideas? Tap a template like At the restaurant.
GL writes the script
Seconds later: the conversation that usually goes down, line by line in Portuguese and English.
Tweak it, then hear it
Harder, easier, or what happens next. Then add voice, slow it to 0.75× and parrot away. Nobody's listening. Probably.
Portuguese questions, answered.
How fast can I learn Portuguese?
Fluency takes years, and no app can honestly promise otherwise. Getting through the moments you're nervous about takes days: rehearse a scenario a few times before it happens and the lines stick. Start with the 6 on this page.
How do I get the Portuguese pronunciation right?
Words like "pão" and "não" use nasal vowels that English doesn't have. Hearing them at 0.75× and copying is the fastest way to get them right.
Which Portuguese does GigaLearner teach?
Both. Say Lisbon or São Paulo in your scenario and the lesson uses European or Brazilian Portuguese.
Is it free?
You start free with 3 minutes of lesson audio and 20 lessons, no card needed. Pro is $9.99 a month or $89.99 a year for 30 minutes of audio and up to 500 lessons every month, in every language.
Is there an app?
GigaLearner works in your browser on phone, tablet and computer today. The iPhone and Android apps are coming soon.