Meaning & use
Business Portuguese
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
The variety of Portuguese used in professional and commercial contexts, with specialized vocabulary and formal style.
Grammar: Uncountable; used without 'a' or plural: 'She studies Business Portuguese.'
Patterns
- study Business Portuguese
- Business Portuguese for...
- in Business Portuguese
She took a course in Business Portuguese to prepare for her job in São Paulo.
The email was written in Business Portuguese, so it sounded very formal.
Learning Business Portuguese helped him negotiate contracts with Brazilian suppliers.
nouncountable
A course or textbook that teaches the Portuguese needed for business communication.
Grammar: Countable when referring to a specific course or book: 'a Business Portuguese'.
Patterns
- take Business Portuguese
- a Business Portuguese course
He signed up for Business Portuguese at the language school.
The university offers Business Portuguese as an elective.
Common combinations
- Business Portuguese course
- She enrolled in a Business Portuguese course at the university.
- fluent in Business Portuguese
- He is fluent in Business Portuguese and can lead meetings in Brazil.
- Business Portuguese vocabulary
- The textbook focuses on Business Portuguese vocabulary for finance.
- translate into Business Portuguese
- Could you translate this memo into Business Portuguese?
Synonyms and how they differ
- commercial Portuguese
- Less common; often used interchangeably but may emphasize trade rather than general business.
- professional Portuguese
- Broader; can include any workplace context, not just commercial.
Word family
- Portuguese noun
- The language of Portugal and Brazil.
- Brazilian Portuguese noun
- The variety of Portuguese spoken in Brazil.
Commonly confused: Business Portuguese or Brazilian Portuguese?
Business Portuguese vs Brazilian Portuguese
Brazilian Portuguese is the general language variety; Business Portuguese is a specialized register within it.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'Business Portuguese' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The uncountable use takes no article: 'studying Business Portuguese'. Option 1 is wrong because 'Business Portuguese' is uncountable here; option 2 is a wrong plural; option 3 is unnatural because 'Business Portuguese' already implies the language.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Business Portuguese”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.