Portuguese vs Catalan: which should you learn?

Estimates for a native English speaker, following the US Foreign Service Institute’s groupings. Languages the Institute does not rank are placed beside their closest relatives. Your own pace will differ.

• You want Brazil's huge market and culture, and a strong base for reading Spanish.
• You will use it in Brazil, Portugal and several countries in Africa.

Watch out for: nasal vowels and the difference between Brazilian and European pronunciation.

• You want life in Barcelona and a bridge between Spanish and French.
• You will use it in Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearic Islands and Andorra.

Watch out for: most speakers also speak Spanish, so you have to ask to practise in Catalan.

Portuguese. Easier if you already know Spanish or French. Pronunciation is the harder part, especially the nasal vowels and the way unstressed vowels shrink.

Catalan. most speakers also speak Spanish, so you have to ask to practise in Catalan

In both, the quickest fix for pronunciation is the same: hear a whole sentence, say it out loud and check how close you were. That is the loop 4ToSpeak runs on every sentence.

Portuguese and Catalan are close relatives, so a lot carries over. Learn one, and the second takes noticeably fewer hours than starting from scratch. Start with whichever you will use sooner.

If you cannot decide, start both for a week at 15 minutes a day. After seven days you will know which one you look forward to, and motivation matters more than the difference in hours.

Start Portuguese or start Catalan, both free with no card.

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