logo
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class

855-997-4652LoginTry a Free Class

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
logo
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class

855-997-4652LoginTry a Free Class

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
January 25, 2022 by Faustina Mulnik Hispanic Culture 0 comments

What Language Do They Speak in Brazil? [Hint: It’s Not Spanish]

Do you know what language Brazilians speak?

Although Brazil is the largest country in Latin America, the people there don’t speak Spanish! Rather, Portuguese is the most widely spoken language in Brazil. However, as the world’s 5th largest country, Brazil has more than enough room for additional languages! 

Many indigenous languages still exist in Brazil, along with several immigrant languages. And, although Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas, the surrounding Spanish language still sneaks in along its borders. 

This giant country is bursting with foreign words and unique cultures! It’s time to dive into the question: What does Brazil speak?

Although Brazil is the largest country in Latin America, the people there don’t speak Spanish!

Brazil Official Language: Portuguese

What language do they speak in Brazil? Primarily, Brazil speaks Portuguese along with seven other countries in the world. 

Countries that speak Portuguese include Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea Bissau, Macau, Mozambique, and Portugal.

Despite Brazil being a part of Latin America, Portuguese, not Spanish, is its official language.

Brazilian Portuguese is different from the Portuguese spoken in Portugal. Brazilian Portuguese has hints of African and indigineous languages mixed in, giving it a unique sound.

Since it’s Brazil’s official language, all of the country’s government documents, public education, and media communications are in Portuguese. 

Languages spoken in Brazil infographic

How Many Brazilians Speak Portuguese

Nearly 99% of the Brazilian population speaks Portuguese!

Brazil has a huge population of approximately 207 million people. Brazilians alone make up nearly half of South America’s population! 

This means that there are a lot of Portuguese speakers in Brazil. It’s estimated that over 205 million Brazilians speak this language! For perspective, Portugal, the original Portuguese-speaking country, has around 11 million speakers. 

Brazilian Portuguese has hints of African and indigineous languages mixed in, giving it a unique sound.

The History of What Brazilians Speak

Why does Brazil speak Portuguese and not Spanish? What made Brazil a single island of Portuguese among a sea of Spanish?

The short answer is that Portugal, not Spain, colonized Brazil. Naturally, however, the whole history is slightly more complicated. 

Ultimately, the Treaty of Tordesilla is the reason why Brazilians speak Portuguese. Spain and Portugal were the major players in the 15th century. Each country sought to conquer new territory. 

Eventually, disagreements broke out about how to divide the new land. The Treaty of Tordesilla neatly divided these new areas among the arguing nations by using meridian lines. As a result of the treaty, Portugal received Brazil on its half of the invisible line.  

the Treaty of Tordesilla is the reason why Brazilians speak Portuguese

Indigenous Languages

While Portuguese clearly dominates Brazil, this wasn’t always the case! 

Before the colonists arrived, hundreds of indigenous languages thrived in early Brazil. These numbers have dramatically dwindled down since then. Nevertheless, indigenous languages still exist in some parts of the country.

What Are the Indigenous Languages of Brazil?

While indigenous languages are much less commonly spoken than the dominant Portuguese, they are no less important. They tell the story of Brazil’s history and culture of the indigenous peoples who once lived here. 

Before colonial times, there were around six to 10 million indigenous peoples living in current day Brazil. More than 1,000 indigenous languages existed in this area alone!

Sadly, this is no longer the case. Now, there are less than one million indigenous people left and fewer than 300 languages among them. 

As Portugal spread its territory, it also spread its language and indigenous languages began to die out. Marquês de Pombal, a Portuguese statesman, even banned indigenous languages in 1775. 

Marquês de Pombal, a Portuguese statesman, even banned indigenous languages in 1775. 

Which Brazilians Speak Indigenous Languages?

Despite history working against them, several indigenous languages refused to be squashed.

Some of Brazil’s most widely spoken indigenous languages include Arára, Canela, Carib, Buroro, Tucano, Tupiniquim, Caraja, Nadeb, Nheengatu, Guarani, Apalaí, Piraha, Terena, and Kaingang. 

While Portuguese is the country’s only official language, some cities have adopted additional languages. The city of São Gabriel da Cachoeira, for example, has three indigenous languages among its official languages. Meanwhile, there are around 19,000 native Nheengatu speakers living in the Rio Negro region.  

It’s important for Brazil to not forget these important languages as they continue to be in danger of dying out. If more cities, schools, and government agencies adopt these languages, then there is hope of them living to be spoken for another day. 

Do Brazilians Speak Spanish?

You already know that Brazilians speak Portuguese and not Spanish. But do any Brazilians speak Spanish?

Which Brazilians Speak Spanish?

About 4% of Brazilians speak Spanish. This is equal to about 8.4 million Spanish speakers. 

However, people often confuse Spanish and Portuguese since these languages are closely related. These detailed guides help you distinguish the two:

  • Portuguese vs Spanish: Similarities and Differences
  • The History and Origin of the Spanish Language
  • 10 Differences Between Castilian Spanish and Latin American Spanish
About 4% of Brazilians speak Spanish.

Other Languages Spoken in Brazil

It’s clear that Brazil is more than just Portuguese speakers. But, how many languages are spoken in Brazil? What do Brazilians speak besides Portuguese?

Brazil is no stranger to immigrants. As these arrivals from Europe and Asia came into the country they brought their own languages with them. As a result, you can find Catalan, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, German, Italian, Polish, and Ukrainian here. 

German and Italian are the most popular of these languages. Immigrants from these countries are concentrated in southern and southeastern Brazil. They even created their own unique dialects, like Brazilian German! 

Surprisingly, there are a large number of Japanese speakers in Brazil, as well. In fact, Brazil has one of the largest concentrations of Japanese descendants! Most of them reside in São Paulo, while Korean and Chinese speakers are located in Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Amazonas.

Brazilian Sign Language—LIBRAS—is another language you might come across in Brazil. 

Prepare For Your Trip to Latin America

Now that you know what Brazilians speak, it’s time to prepare for a visit!

While Brazil’s language is Portuguese, it’s still part of Latin America. Most Latin American countries speak Spanish instead of Portuguese. If you’re traveling all the way to Brazil, it makes sense to stop in some of the beautiful countries along the way. 

From Peru to Uruguay, Brazil is surrounded by gorgeous Spanish-speaking countries. Prepare for your trip to Latin America with a free trial class with Homeschool Spanish Academy. Learning Spanish opens the door to thousands of amazing travel opportunities! There are more than 20 Spanish-speaking countries and over 572 million Spanish speakers in the world. According to CNN, there are 41 million native Spanish speakers in the U.S. alone!

Join more than 24,000 Spanish learners by taking the advantage of HSA’s one-on-one lessons, great pricing, flexible scheduling, and tailored programs. 

certified teachers
free Spanish class button

Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these

- Melanie

“It’s great being able to interact with native speaking people and having a conversation with them not just doing all the work on paper. It’s also an amazing opportunity to speak with native Spanish-speaking people without having to travel to a native Spanish-speaking country.”

– Melanie

- Abby

“Getting to know wonderful teachers who care about me and my growth in language and education. Evelyn Gomez and Erick Cacao are two of the most extraordinary people I have ever met, and talking with them in Spanish at the beginning of classes is always so fulfilling and greatly contributes to my happiness, joy, and wellbeing.”

– Abby

Erica P. Parent of 1

“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”

– Erica P. Parent of 1

Want to learn more about Latin American culture? Check out our latest posts!

  • 10 Uplifting Shakira Songs That Will Teach You Spanish
  • 9 Powerful, Change-Making Hispanic Leaders in North America
  • 12 Ways Hispanic Culture Is Changing America
  • 10 Hilariously Unfortunate Names in Spanish
  • 45 Empowering Quotes by Frida Kahlo in Spanish
  • 12 Coolest Hispanic Holidays You Never Heard Of
  • 15 Mouth-Watering National Dishes of Latin America
  • Learn Spanish Faster! 10 Things Polyglots Do Differently
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Faustina Mulnik
Faustina Mulnik
Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy
As a native English speaker, I’ve spent over 6 years perfecting my Spanish. My studies have led me to major in Spanish, translate documents at a local museum, and communicate with people I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to know. I’ve studied abroad in Spain, lived in Yellowstone National Park for a summer, and volunteered in Costa Rica. I’m a passionate travel enthusiast seeking to share my love for all things Latin America.
Faustina Mulnik
Latest posts by Faustina Mulnik (see all)
  • Warning! These 7 Habits Are Sabotaging Your Spanish Learning Goals - June 10, 2022
  • 6 Tips for Speaking Spanish Without Anxiety or Hesitation - June 6, 2022
  • Learn Spanish with 4 Selena Quintanilla Pop Songs - May 7, 2022
trending topics
0

Related Posts

Key Benefits of Learning Soanish

3 Key Benefits to Being Bilingual in the Workforce

March 1, 2018
Read More
Spanish Foods

Food for Thought: 6 Spanish Foods to Learn About (and try!)

June 5, 2018
Read More
bilingualism in the US

Bilingualism: How the US Compares to Other Countries

June 14, 2018
Read More
bilingual

Ahead of the Pack: How Becoming Bilingual Now Can Leap your Child Ahead of Their Peers

May 12, 2018
Read More

Leave a Comment! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tell Your Stories in Spanish Using the Preterite and Imperfect Tense [Audio]Previous Post
How To Talk About Your Spanish Class in SpanishNext Post

About Us

With over 10 years of experience, HSA is where your goals merge with our teachers’ passion: to improve your Spanish fluency. Custom-tailored to fit your needs, you choose your program, schedule, favorite teachers, pace of learning, and more.. Learn More

Resources

  • About
  • Get a Transcript
  • FAQs
  • How it Works
  • Partners

Recent Posts

  • 100 Most Common Spanish Verbs for Beginners: An Easy Start
    100 Most Common Spanish Verbs for Beginners: An Easy Start
    June 19, 2022
    Do you wonder what the most common verbs in...
  • 10 Uplifting Shakira Songs That Will Teach You Spanish
    10 Uplifting Shakira Songs That Will Teach You Spanish
    June 18, 2022
    Shakira's songs in Spanish are memorable,...

Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Contact Us© 2022 HSA. All rights reserved.