Common mistakes · Romance background

Mistakes Portuguese speakers make

Portuguese uses continuous tenses much more freely than English, has classic false friends, and uses articles with possessives. Brazilian Portuguese speakers especially carry these habits into English.

Pick one to practise

Gerund (-ing) overuse with stative verbs

✗I am liking this song.

✓I like this song.

Brazilian Portuguese uses continuous ("estou gostando") for things English would say in simple present. English avoids -ing forms with stative verbs: like, love, know, want, understand, believe.

False friend — "push" vs "pull"

✗Push the door — the sign says PULL.

✓Pull the door — the sign says PULL.

Portuguese "puxar" sounds like English "push" but means PULL — the opposite action. This is one of the most famous false friends.

"Will" + "to" insertion

✗Tomorrow I will to go to the gym.

✓Tomorrow I will go to the gym.

Portuguese uses "ir" + infinitive ("vou ao ginásio"). Translated literally, learners insert "to" between "will" and the verb. English: "will" + base verb (no "to").

Article before possessives

✗I love the my mother.

✓I love my mother.

Portuguese uses articles with possessives ("a minha mãe"). English doesn't — the possessive replaces the article.