Common Portuguese writing mistakes when translating from English

Introduction

Translating from English to Brazilian Portuguese is tempting for learners, but direct translations often produce mistakes in everyday writing. This article explains the most common pitfalls and gives practical sentence patterns, realistic examples for messages, emails, notes, and simple paragraphs to help beginner and intermediate learners write more naturally.

False friends and vocabulary traps

Many English words look similar to Portuguese words but have different meanings. These false friends lead to embarrassing or confusing messages.

Common false friends to watch for:

actual → atual (actual in English means real; atual in Portuguese means current)

sensible → sensível (sensible in English means reasonable; sensível means sensitive)

assist → assistir (assist means help; assistir means to watch)

pretend → pretender (pretend means to fake; pretender means to intend)

college → colégio (college in English is higher education; colégio in Portuguese usually means school)

Practical examples

English: I actually like this restaurant.
Portuguese learner literal: Eu atual gosto deste restaurante.
Correct Brazilian Portuguese: Eu realmente gosto deste restaurante.

English: Can you assist me with the computer?
Learner literal: Você pode assistir-me com o computador?
Correct: Você pode me ajudar com o computador?

Word order differences

Portuguese word order is flexible, but several patterns differ from English. Placing adjectives after nouns is common, and pronoun placement can change meaning.

Adjective placement: In general, put descriptive adjectives after the noun: casa bonita, carro novo. Some adjectives go before the noun for emphasis or style: feliz dia.

Direct and indirect object pronouns: In Brazilian Portuguese, pronouns usually come before the verb in written formal language, but in everyday speech and casual writing they follow the verb attached as clitics: me liga, me manda. For beginners, use subject + verb + object patterns: Eu te chamo amanhã.

Examples of word order mistakes

English: A big red house
Literal wrong order: Um grande vermelho casa
Correct: Uma casa grande e vermelha

English: I will send you the document tomorrow
Wrong: Eu vou enviar te o documento amanhã
Correct: Eu vou te enviar o documento amanhã or Eu te enviarei o documento amanhã

Articles and gender agreement

Portuguese nouns have gender and articles must agree. Many English speakers forget to change adjectives and articles to match gender and number.

Always check the gender of the noun and make adjectives agree in gender and number: o carro pequeno, a casa pequena, os livros novos, as mesas grandes.

Common mistakes and fixes

Wrong: O problema são as solução
Correct: O problema são as soluções

Wrong: Ela é um amiga muito bom
Correct: Ela é uma amiga muito boa

Verb conjugation and tense choice

Using the infinitive or the wrong tense is a widespread issue. English uses auxiliary verbs and simpler tense structures; Portuguese has many conjugated forms that change with person, number, and mood.

Beginner tip: Start with present, simple past (pretérito perfeito), and simple future (vou + infinitive). Learn common irregular verbs: ser, estar, ter, ir, fazer, poder.

Examples of tense mistakes

English: I lived in Rio last year
Literal wrong: Eu vivi no Rio ano passado (this is acceptable but often uses pretérito perfeito: Eu morei no Rio no ano passado)

Correct common form: Eu morei no Rio no ano passado

English: I will call you later
Wrong literal: Eu chamar você mais tarde
Correct: Eu vou te ligar mais tarde or Eu ligarei mais tarde

Pronouns and formality

Portuguese has different pronouns for formality and direct address. English speakers often misuse você, tu, o senhor, and a senhora. In Brazil, você is common in most contexts. Use tu only where regional speech requires it, and use o senhor / a senhora for formal or respectful contexts.

Writing examples for tone

Informal message to a friend: Oi, tudo bem? Vou chegar às 19h. Me manda a chave quando puder.

Polite email to a landlord: Boa tarde, senhor Silva. Poderia confirmar o pagamento do aluguel até dia 5? Obrigado.

Accents and diacritics matter

Portuguese uses accents that change stress and sometimes meaning. Beginners often omit them, which can create misunderstandings or make text look non-native. Key accents: á, é, í, ó, ú, â, ê, ô, ã, õ, ç.

Common pairs where accents change meaning:

avó (grandmother) vs avo (not a word but could be confusing without accent)

maior (bigger) vs maior (same) — context matters; example: ele é mais velho que eu vs ele é o maior

pôr (to put) vs por (for)

Beginner practice

Write short phrases and check accents: Eu preciso pôr o livro na mesa. Ela é minha avó. Você vai por aqui?

Punctuation differences and questions

Portuguese punctuation is similar to English, but question marks and exclamation points behave the same. Avoid literal translations of English punctuation conventions like capitalizing every noun or using quotes incorrectly. Commas are used often in Portuguese, but comma rules can differ; when learning, follow native examples.

Common punctuation errors

Do not translate English title capitalization rules into Portuguese sentences. Use sentence case: Hoje eu comprei pão no mercado.

For polite requests, avoid indirect punctuation that sounds rude: Instead of Me manda preço? write Você pode me enviar o preço?

Useful sentence patterns for everyday writing

Short, practical templates beginners can use and adapt:

Greeting + reason + question/request: Oi, tudo bem? Preciso confirmar o horário da reunião amanhã.

Apology + explanation + offer: Desculpe pelo atraso. Tive um problema no trânsito. Posso remarcar para sexta?

Asking for information: Você poderia me informar o valor do produto e o prazo de entrega?

Polite reminder: Bom dia, só lembrando da entrega marcada para hoje às 15h.

Common translation mistakes and how to fix them

List of typical errors and quick corrections:

Literal translation of idioms: English idioms rarely translate directly. Learn Brazilian expressions: instead of It’s raining cats and dogs, use Está chovendo muito.

Word-for-word grammar transfer: English SVO order works, but prepositions and articles differ. Check prepositions: think of the verb and what preposition normally follows it in Portuguese: precisar de, gostar de, chegar em/chegar a.

Overuse of passive voice: Portuguese uses passive voice less often. Prefer active constructions: O gerente aprovou o pedido instead of O pedido foi aprovado pelo gerente when writing simple messages.

Practical correction examples

Wrong literal: Eu tenho 30 anos de idade ago
Correct: Eu tenho 30 anos or Tenho 30 anos.

Wrong: Estou com fome agora, I will eat
Correct: Estou com fome agora, vou comer.

Editing checklist for learners

Before sending a message, check these items briefly:

1. Did I use the correct verb tense for time references?

2. Are articles and adjectives matching gender and number?

3. Did I choose the correct preposition (de, em, por, para)?

4. Are accents present on stressed vowels and ç where needed?

5. Is the tone appropriate: você vs o senhor / a senhora?

6. Did I avoid literal idiom translations?

Practice exercises

Convert these English prompts into Brazilian Portuguese using patterns above. Then compare with model answers and correct errors.

Prompt 1: Please confirm the meeting time tomorrow at 10 AM.
Model: Por favor, confirme o horário da reunião amanhã às 10h.

Prompt 2: I will send the invoice by email.
Model: Vou enviar a fatura por e-mail.

Prompt 3: Sorry for the delay. I had traffic problems.
Model: Desculpe pelo atraso. Tive problemas no trânsito.

Conclusion

Translating word-for-word from English leads to predictable mistakes in vocabulary, word order, verb forms, and accents. Use the practical patterns, sentence templates, and checklist in this article to write clearer, more natural Brazilian Portuguese messages, emails, and notes. Regularly compare your writing to native examples and focus on specific problem areas like false friends, agreement, and pronoun use.