Latin Languages

Today I analized a portuguese flyer about the history of Corroios and its Natural Reserve. It was very intersting! And it was the first time that I read a long portuguese text.. Until now I read only Calvin&Hobbes: very “fofinho” but not so difficult :)

I never study Portuguese language before, but after only two months that I'm here, I can understand the 80% of the text... I was so happy! A lot of words are very similar to italian, and the structure of the sentences is the some. But it isn't so easy for other cultures... For example for our polish and tuskish flatemates it's very hard! Their language are totally different in the pronunciation, in the meaning of the words and in the way to write. But for the latin languages is very easy to communicate! The italian trick to speack portuguese, is to distorce the italian words in the “portuguese” way, and it works almost all the times :D

So the translation in italian of this flyer was not so difficult! But when I had to digitalize the Portuguese text.. So hard! Some sound are totally different from the pronunciation. But the biggest difference from Italian language is about the accents. We don't use them a lot! Only in the last vocal of the word and almost the acute accent.. Nobody knows the difference between acute and grave accent (I checked it on google). We use accents inside the word only if there are words written in the same way, but pronunciated in different way, with the accent in a different vocal – like “princìpi” () and “prìncipi” (princes) – but we are losing this tradition: we are not used to write them. But in portuguese.. There are a lot! Accento circonflesso, accento acuto, accento grave, ç, ondina.. I had to install the online keyboard and copy each minute a lot of letters that I have never seen before!

Lucky I have only to speack, not to write portuguese ;)