European Portuguese shadowing
European Portuguese shadowing means repeating, then speaking along with, people from Portugal, copying how they shorten unstressed vowels and say a final s as “sh”. Begin with a short captioned line, after the speaker.
Try this line first
Nós complicamos tudo.
0:23–0:25 · Opens on “After the speaker” · Free, no account
“We complicate everything.” Before a consonant, the s of nós and complicamos comes out as “sh”, and tudo ends in a short “u”: “nosh com-pli-KA-mush TU-du”.
Every video and line on this page is European Portuguese, from speakers in Portugal: street interviews filmed in Portugal by Talk the Streets, and two TEDx talks given in Lisbon and Porto. Learning Brazilian Portuguese? Go to Brazilian Portuguese speaking practice.
Eight more lines, from short to long
Try the first line twice, then choose a longer line below. Return to this guide to choose the next exercise.
Next line
A química tem má fama.
5:46–5:48 · Opens on “After the speaker” · Free, no account
“Chemistry has a bad name.” The unstressed a at the end of química and fama is a short, dull “uh”; the stressed má is open and clear.
Next line
Tens muitos amigos, então?
0:06–0:08 · Opens on “After the speaker” · Free, no account
“So you have lots of friends?” muitos amigos links with a “z” (“MUI-tu-z-a-MI-gush”), amigos ends in “sh” before the pause, and the s of tens, before an m, is the soft “zh” of “measure”.
Next line
A natureza não é só paz e amor.
5:42–5:44 · Opens on “After the speaker” · Free, no account
“Nature isn’t only peace and love.” On its own, paz sounds like “pash”, but here a vowel follows, so it links with a “z”: “pa-zee”. The first a of natureza is short: “nuh-tu-RE-zuh”.
Next line
Sou simpática, bonita e inteligente!
1:33–1:37 · Opens on “After the speaker” · Free, no account
“I’m friendly, pretty and smart!” simpática keeps a plain t (in Brazil “sim-PA-chee-ka”), and the final e of inteligente nearly disappears: “in-t’li-ZHENT”.
Next line
Podia-se descrever em três palavras?
1:01–1:04 · Opens on “After the speaker” · Free, no account
“Could you describe yourself in three words?” descrever sounds like “d’shkr’VER”, Podia starts with a short “pu”, and três and palavras both end in “sh”.
Next line
A boa notícia é que podemos relaxar.
12:59–13:03 · Opens on “After the speaker” · Free, no account
“The good news is that we can relax.” notícia keeps its t: “nu-TEE-sya”, not the Brazilian “no-CHEE-sya”. The first o of podemos is a short “u”: “pu-DE-mush”.
Next line
Nós construímos um mundo triste e que está a ficar feio.
0:30–0:35 · Opens on “After the speaker” · Free, no account
“We have built a world that is sad and getting ugly.” está a ficar (“is getting”) is how Portugal says it; Brazil says está ficando. triste ends in “sht”: “TREESHT”.
Next line
Porque, se calhar, natural, natural é não lavar os dentes.
10:10–10:13 · Opens on “After the speaker” · Free, no account
“Because maybe the natural thing is not brushing your teeth.” se calhar (“maybe”) is everyday Portugal, and its lh sounds like the “lli” in “million”. The l of natural stays a dark l, and dentes ends in “DENTSH”.
How European Portuguese sounds different from Brazilian
The two varieties share their grammar and nearly all their words. What changes most is the sound, and these seven differences are the ones you will hear in the lines above. The spellings in quotes are rough guides for English speakers, not a standard.
| Sound | In Portugal | In most of Brazil |
|---|---|---|
| Unstressed vowels | Shortened or nearly dropped: an unstressed e almost vanishes and an unstressed o becomes “u”. This is the “swallowed vowels” sound. Hear it in: descrever (“d’shkr’VER”), podemos (“pu-DE-mush”) | Said in full: each syllable keeps its vowel. |
| s and z at the end of a syllable | “sh” before a pause or before p, t, k, f; the soft “zh” of “measure” before b, d, g, m, n, l, r, v; a plain “z” before a vowel. Hear it in: três palavras (“tresh pa-LA-vrush”), muitos amigos (“MUI-tu-z-a-MI-gush”), paz on its own (“pash”) | Mostly “s” (Rio de Janeiro also says “sh”). |
| t and d before an “i” sound | Always a plain t and d. Hear it in: notícia (“nu-TEE-sya”), simpática, Podia (“pu-DEE-uh”) | “ch” and “j”: “ti” sounds like “chee”, “di” like “jee”. |
| A final e | Very short or silent, so the word ends on its consonant. Hear it in: triste (“TREESHT”), inteligente (“in-t’li-ZHENT”), dentes (“DENTSH”) | A clear “ee”, which also turns a t or d before it into “ch” or “j”. |
| lh and nh | Full consonants made with the middle of the tongue on the roof of the mouth: lh like the “lli” in “million”, nh like the “ny” in “canyon”. Hear it in: se calhar (“s’ kuh-LYAR”); for nh, words such as banho and manhã | nh is often lighter, close to a nasal “y”; in some regions lh comes close to “li”. |
| A dark l at the end of a syllable | A “dark” l, with the back of the tongue raised, as in English “full”. Hear it in: natural (“nuh-tu-RAL”) | Usually a “w”: “na-tu-RAW”, “bra-ZEEW”. |
| Rhythm | The stressed syllables carry the line and the rest shrink, so speech sounds fast and full of consonants. Hear it in: Nós construímos um mundo triste e que está a ficar feio. | Each syllable gets a fuller, more even beat, with open vowels. |
Not every speaker fits every row: Lisbon, Porto, the Azores and Madeira differ among themselves, as Brazil’s regions do. Copy the speaker in front of you.
How to shadow European Portuguese with Sada
The lines above go from three words to ten, all from speakers in Portugal. Work through them in order, a few minutes a day, and listen for one sound per line.
- Start with “Nós complicamos tudo.” in “After the speaker”: listen, then record it twice. Choose 0.75× under “More options” if the words run together.
- Before each new line, read its note and listen for that one sound: a “sh”, a vowel that disappears, a plain t.
- Record, then open Compare and play your take against the original. If the speaker seems to skip a syllable, skip it too: European Portuguese is written in full but said short.
- When a line feels easy, choose “With the speaker” and say it along at their pace, keeping their rhythm rather than the spelling.
- For more, paste a video from Portugal on the start page: a TEDx talk from Lisbon or Porto, an RTP programme or a street interview. Check that the line on the practice screen is in Portuguese; some videos from Portugal offer English captions first.
Sada checks words, not your accent. It compares the words it heard with the captions, and its speech model writes European and Brazilian Portuguese the same way, so a take with a Brazilian accent can still score well. Judge the sounds by ear in Compare, against the speaker.
Video and caption sources
Exercise text and ranges checked against the captions Sada uses on 2026-10-12. Captions may change; automatic captions can contain errors.
- European Portuguese | Describe yourself in 3 words! [Portuguese with English Subtitles] — Talk the Streets · 6 min · level A2–B1 · hand-written captions · Checked caption track
- O sonho de florir Portugal | Tó Romano | TEDxLisboa — TEDx Talks · 8 min · level B1 · hand-written captions · Checked caption track
- O natural não é necessariamente bom. / Natural isn't necessarily good. | David Marçal | TEDxPorto — TEDx Talks · 14 min · level B1–B2 · hand-written captions · Checked caption track
- Surfing in Portugal | Portuguese Listening Exercise with Portuguese Surfer Inês Bispo! — Talk the Streets · 6 min · level B1–B2 · hand-written captions · Checked caption track
How to practise
- Open an exercise from this guide. The link selects the exact line, with “After the speaker” chosen. Read it once and check that you understand it.
- Press Record. Listen first, then say the line after the 3, 2, 1 count; recording stops automatically. Press Stop if you need to end early.
- Keep the speaker’s pauses and rhythm. Use a comfortable voice; headphones help keep the original out of your recording.
- Record a take, then open Compare and play your recording and the original. Review words and timing; Sada does not grade individual sounds.
- Record the same line again, changing one thing you heard. Return here for a longer line; choose “With the speaker” when you are ready to speak along.
How well does Sada hear this language?
Compare shows recognised and missed words against the captions, plus timing feedback when usable word timings are available. It does not grade individual sounds or certify your accent. Automatic captions and recognition can be wrong, including around accents, apostrophes and numbers: replay the original and your take before deciding what to change. Earlier synthetic-voice tests (2026-09-25) are not evidence of accuracy for learner recordings.
Other languages
Questions people ask
Does Sada work for European Portuguese?
Yes. These checked European Portuguese lines open with “After the speaker” selected: you hear the line, then record it and compare. Feedback depends on the captions and speech recognition; it is not a grade of individual sounds.
Are videos with automatic captions OK?
Yes, Sada works with YouTube’s automatic captions. Hand-written captions are more accurate, so start with those when a video has them.
What is the difference between European and Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation?
Portugal shortens or drops unstressed vowels, says an s at the end of a syllable as “sh”, keeps t and d plain before an “i” sound, nearly silences a final e and keeps a dark l. Most of Brazil says its vowels in full, turns “ti” and “di” into “chee” and “jee”, and turns an l at the end of a syllable into “w”. The table on this page gives each difference with a word from the lines.
How do I start European Portuguese shadowing as a beginner?
Start with a short line you understand, said after the speaker rather than with them, at 0.75× if you need it, three times before you move on. The first line on this page has three words. Speak along with the speaker once a line feels easy.
Should I learn European or Brazilian Portuguese?
Learn the one spoken by the people you want to talk to, and shadow only that one for a while so your ear settles. The two share their grammar and most words; the sounds in the table on this page are the biggest gap.
Does Sada score my European Portuguese accent?
No. Sada shows which words it recognised against the captions, and your timing. Its speech model writes both varieties the same way, so it cannot tell a Portugal accent from a Brazilian one. Use Compare and your ears for the sounds.
Where can I find European Portuguese videos to shadow?
This page has nine lines from a street-interview channel filmed in Portugal and from two TEDx talks given in Lisbon and Porto, all with captions written by people. You can also paste other videos from Portugal on the start page, such as TEDx talks or RTP programmes, when their captions are in Portuguese.
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A slow line to begin with: listen to how “don’t need to” runs together, then say it at the speaker’s pace.
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