Practice Portuguese

Joel sits down with João, a fellow musician and also a music teacher. Explore music-related vocabulary as João related to his passion for music, shares his first steps into the music world, and even gives a brief theory lesson!

By popular demand, Rui and Joel return to one of their classic podcast formats. They feature one of the 600+ “Shorties” available on our platform and explore vocabulary and expressions. Later, Rui helps Joel fix some of his more subtle pronunciation errors in European Portuguese – are you making the same mistakes?

Damiana and Rui chat about what they like to do during different seasons of the year in Portugal. (Recorded in September 2024)

Happy International Podcast Day! It's a podcast about podcasts!

Rui and Joel talk about their experiences and personal preferences when it comes to camping in Portugal.   *A note to clarify the difference between pilha and bateria: pilhas: Usually smaller/simpler batteries like AA, AAA, 9V, or coin-shaped batteries. Used in things like remote controls, watches, flashlights, toys, etc. May or may not be rechargeable. baterias: Usually larger, more complex batteries. Used for more sophisticated devices that need consistent/higher power, such as laptops, smartphones, smartwatches, digital cameras, electric vehicles, portable power tools, external power sources, etc. Almost always rechargeable.

Damiana and Joel discuss the 2024 Olympics!

Rui and Joel discuss the cultural differences in conversation styles between Portugal and North America. Help them resolve their “argument” so that they don't have to go to couples therapy.

Joel and Rui discuss some of Joel's views on adapting to life in Portugal, from the lack of “real salads” to the differences in work culture.

Joel talks about career choices and adapting to life in Portugal. (Listeners: Rui & Joel are outside filming, so the sound in the background is a nearby water feature.)

Damiana's advice on how to be a good Portuguese student!

Rui and Joel discuss how their lives have changed after kids.

A special guest from our Practice Portuguese team, Joana, talks to Joel about her Alentejo culture and traditions. Discover essential vocabulary related to regional differences and expressions unique to the Alentejo region.

Joel and Rui discuss their social media habits and entertainment choices. Who is more addicted to Instagram? Reddit? Do they prefer in-depth documentaries, or trash TV?

Rui and Joel explore the pros and cons of living in Lisbon, their favourite areas to live and where to find the best places in Portugal to actually Practice Portuguese with natives!

Do you prefer dining out or ordering in? Join us for a conversation about food, drinks, and dining in Portugal, with a special appearance from Rui's mom who shares a story about the ultimate Portuguese food faux pas.

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, […]

(Original posted as video) 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 […]

(Originally posted as video) Did you know the verb “dar” has at least 60 different meanings in Portuguese?

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. Help us with our holiday episode! Send us your video recording, showing us your favourite or most interesting holiday decorations: https://www.practiceportuguese.com/recording/?t=natal2021 (Deadline is Sunday at noon, […]

(Video version available on our website and YT/FB/IGTV) 2021 has already been off to a busy start! Rui & Joel update you on everything that’s going on, (all in Portuguese): • Rui & Joel get COVID swabs jammed up their noses… for TV • Rui quits something and joins something else within the same week […]

(NEW: Video and audio-only versions available) 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 […]

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 […]

‘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.

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)

While making her way through her lengthy shopping list (containing useful food vocabulary, of course), Sra. Rosa shares her elderly wisdom with a young employee who is eager to help. Special Guest: Eliana Silva

This holiday season, a Practice Portuguese TV reporter takes to the streets to hear directly from Portuguese natives about their family Christmas traditions… until a particularly talkative woman steals the show!

With the holiday season approaching, Rui and Joel announce a special early gift for members of Practice Portuguese! Listen and find out exactly what is on “the Way”… Updated December 1, 2018: It’s launched!

Salvador and Mariana (– no, Adriana! –) visit a hair salon to freshen up their looks, but quickly find themselves in a hairy situation! In this episode, you’ll learn lots of new vocabulary and expressions that should come in handy the next time you find yourself going under the scissors…

Today we revisit Diálogo 29 to discuss some of the vocabulary and expressions surrounding the Portuguese housing market. There’s also an extra listening challenge waiting for you in the second half, so stick around!

In this episode, we explore the Portuguese apartment rental market with James, a young adult of Portuguese descent looking for a new place. To find some leads, he recruits the help of his friend, Luís. However, Luís happens to be going through a bit of drama with his ex-girlfriend, so let’s see if he’s able […]

After listening to our last podcast on foreign words derived from Portuguese, a Japanese member, Ryoko, came to our rescue with recordings of every Japanese word we mentioned, plus a bunch of new ones for good measure. Join us as we explore surprising similarities between Japanese and Portuguese in this bonus episode! (“Arigato” once again […]

In this unscripted dialogue between Rui and Joel, we discover words in English, Spanish, French and Japanese that apparently derived from Portuguese vocabulary… Come for the comprehension practice, stay for the butchered non-Portuguese pronunciations!

Hoping for a calm, vegetarian dining experience at a local Portuguese restaurant, Sr. John gets thrown off guard by unprofessional service and a problem with his order! Find out how he deals with these challenges, and learn lots of vocabulary and expressions to use the next time you’re dining out.

“Ronaldo” is one of the first names that pop up when discussing Portugal, wherever you are in the world. Regarded as one of the most important football/soccer players of all time, he’s earned his place as not only a top Portuguese celebrity, but also as an important symbol of the country. Neither Rui nor Joel […]

Today we learn about one of the most important symbols of Portuguese culture, found all over the walls and buildings throughout the country – azulejos (tiles). As always, we explore new vocabulary and grammar, and correct more of Joel’s “pronúncia de estrangeiro!”

Our fabulously fictional Portuguese family is back (with peculiarly different voices

In this episode, we learn about one of Portugal’s most important symbols and main exports: cork! We explore tons of new vocabulary, and later, for your benefit, Rui humbles Joel by tearing apart his pronunciation skills!

Today, our fictional Portuguese family is subjected to some of the grammar you’ll find around the B2 Intermediate level, including the “conjuntivo” verb mood. Since the mother is sick, the father has to improvise with preparing dinner himself, all while taking care of the kids. Will it be as easy as he thinks, or will […]

Update: April 10, 2018 – As a gift to us and all Practice Portuguese fans, our friend Wayne Wilson has turned this episode into a fully-animated cartoon. The video is free for everyone to watch, plus our supporting Members get access to a special version with subtitles for improving comprehension. Telephone and Internet service companies […]

When we launched Diálogo 24 Um Café Em Lisboa (with our special guest, Tatiana from Brazil), it understandably created some controversy with our audience, who normally looks to us for European Portuguese content! While most members loved exploring the differences between the two dialects, a few members were worried that we were losing our European […]

After our very challenging Diálogo, dedicated to the Algarvian dialect, we decided to record a follow-up discussion with Eliana, (who voiced the Algarvian characters). She will help us understand a bit better some of the difficult terms and expressions that came up in that episode, and how they’re typically used in the region.