Brazilian Portuguese voice overs: what you need to know

Brazilian Portuguese is a group of Portuguese dialects native to Brazil. Brazilian Portuguese, the same as European Portuguese, belongs to the Western Romance language family. More than 200 million people speak this Portuguese variety, mostly in Brazil where it’s the official language.

Despite the name, Brazilian Portuguese is also spoken all around the world, mainly by Brazilian emigrants. Brazilian Portuguese-speaking communities are prominent in the United States, Japan, Paraguay, and the United Kingdom.

Language History

The Portuguese language in Brazil emerged during the Portuguese colonization era. Portuguese colonialists claimed Brazil in 1500 — and so began the spread of the new language.

Portuguese wasn’t a widespread language until around the 17-18th century. Up until then, local Língua Geral was the lingua franca of Brazil. Because of the growing number of Portuguese settlers, Portuguese became the national language by the end of the 18th century.

Naturally, the language evolved and obtained some regional features that make it different from the Portuguese spoken in Europe. To this day, Portuguese is the main language of Brazil. Almost all inhabitants speak this as a main language, with the exception of small foreign communities.

Close Relations

Since Brazilian Portuguese belongs to the Romance language family, it shares some similarities with Italian, French, and Romanian. However, Spanish is the closest language to Portuguese. While the two languages are not entirely mutually intelligible, they have a very high intelligibility rate.

Because of the shared common ancestor, Galician is also very closely related to Portuguese. Some linguists claim that Galician is a Portuguese dialect, while others — that it’s an independent language.

The biggest part of the Brazilian Portuguese vocabulary comes from Vulgar Latin. However, Portuguese extensively borrows from foreign languages as well. The most common foreign words are of German, Greek, and Arabic origin.

Brazilian Portuguese vocabulary slightly differs from the European one. The Brazilian Portuguese lexicon was significantly influenced by the languages it came in contact with. Most notably, the words from African languages (spoken by the slaves in colonial times) and Amerindian languages (spoken by the native inhabitants of Brazil) are very common.

Accents and Voice Over Tips

Brazilian Portuguese is mutually intelligible with Portuguese spoken in Europe. However, Brazilian Portuguese has regional varieties of its own. Brazilian Portuguese is divided into two dialect groups: Northern and Southern. Both of these groups contain dozens of local varieties.

Several important differences between European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese are important to note when recording a voiceover.

European Portuguese

1. Faster and more compact: European Portuguese tends to be spoken at a quicker pace, with syllables often elided or reduced. This can make it sound more condensed and harder for learners to follow.
2. Muffled vowels: Many unstressed vowels are reduced or nearly omitted, contributing to the “closed” sound of the language.
3. Sharper articulation: Consonants like “s” and “r” are pronounced with more friction, and there’s less variation in tone compared to Brazilian Portuguese.

Brazilian Portuguese

1. Slower and more open: Brazilian Portuguese generally has a slower, more deliberate rhythm, particularly in casual conversations.
2. Open vowels: Vowel sounds are pronounced more fully and distinctly, making it easier for learners to catch individual words.
3. Melodic intonation: Speech has a more musical, rhythmic quality, with significant tonal variations that give it a lively feel.

These differences mean that European Portuguese can sound more clipped and formal, while Brazilian Portuguese feels more fluid and expressive. Regional accents in both varieties can also affect the pace and style of speech.

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