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Portuguese (Portugal) · Parents who don't speak it

How to teach your child Portuguese when you don't speak it

Lots of parents want their child to learn Portuguese without speaking it themselves. The good news: you don't have to be the teacher. Your job is to make Portuguese a regular, fun part of the week, and to learn alongside your child. Bilingual songs make that possible, because you always know what you're singing.

Is it a good fit? Made for exactly this: every Portuguese line in the songs comes with its English meaning, for ages 2–8.

Be a co-learner, not a teacher

Children love it when adults learn with them. Saying "I don't know that word, let's find out!" is a great example to set. You'll be surprised how quickly you pick up the songs too.

Let the audio be the model

Your accent doesn't need to be perfect. The songs give your child a clear model of the Portuguese sounds; your role is to sing along, show enthusiasm and use the words in daily life.

Start with words you'll use every day

Greetings, please and thank you, good night, a few foods. These come up so often that you'll both be using them within days.

Portuguese words to start with

Words from the songs below that fit this moment. Tap one for pronunciation help and practice ideas.

EnglishPortugueseSounds like ≈
hellooláoh-LAH
pleasepor favorpoor fuh-VOR
thank youobrigadooh-bree-GAH-doo
how are you?como estás?KOH-moo ish-TAHSH
good nightboa noiteBOH-uh NOYT
goodbyeadeusuh-DEH-oosh
Good to know about Portuguese: European Portuguese swallows unstressed vowels and turns a final s into "sh", so it sounds quite different from how it's written, and from Brazilian Portuguese. Lean on the audio more than the spelling.

Portuguese songs for parents who don't speak it

Hand-picked from the Portuguese library. Songs marked Free are part of the free first unit; the rest are Premium.

Quick tips

  • Start with the free greetings unit; it's free forever.
  • Read the English line, then sing the Portuguese line together.
  • Pick one phrase a week and use it in real life, not just in the song.
  • Don't worry about your accent; enthusiasm matters more.

Questions parents ask

Will my bad accent hurt my child's Portuguese?

Children listen to many voices, and the songs give them a clear model of the Portuguese sounds. Singing along with enthusiasm helps far more than staying quiet because you're worried about your accent.

How will I know what the words mean?

Every line in every song is shown with its English meaning, and the songs themselves go back and forth between English and Portuguese.

Sing it in Portuguese, free

The first unit, 6 greeting songs with lyrics and English translation, is free forever. No card needed. Premium unlocks all 134 songs.

Start free — no card