Tokyo In Japan
Tokyo is one of the central cities of Japan and serves as the nation's capital.
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If you need to take a break from memorizing vocabulary lists of common Portuguese phrases, or are having a hard time understanding Portuguese slang, you should try watching a Portuguese TV show.
Watching TV shows in another language is a great way to familiarize yourself with how native speakers really speak. It can help you perfect your accent and pronunciation. It is also a great way to pick up slang terms and common idioms.
You can incorporate watching TV series into your language learning routine, by following Portuguese TV shows that are streamed or uploaded online. Here are some good ones that you can start with.
7 Portuguese TV Shows From RTP That You Can Access Online
Portugal’s public broadcasting organization, Rádio e Televisão de Portugal or RTP, operates four of the national television channels in the country.
On the company’s website, they offer streams of many of their popular television series, and they even have an app where you can access their programs, including live broadcasts, radio programs, and podcasts.
Here are a few shows that we know are available on RTP’s website that you can watch to help you learn Portuguese.
1. Os Nossos Dias
This telenovela has 310 episodes that RTP makes available for free here.
The title translates to “Our Days” and it began running on RTP in 2013 and is still ongoing. The show follows the “daily lives” of its characters as they tackle typical “soap opera” going on.
Since this is a relatively “modern” show, “Os Nossos Dia” frequently features storylines that are “relevant” in modern-day Portugal. They tackle issues such as domestic violence and even homophobia. The “modern” setting of this telenovela ensures that you’re going to be hearing “up-to-date” dialogue that will improve your ability to hold daily conversations in Portuguese. It will also give you some insight into current Portuguese society as well as relevant social and political issues.
2. Literatura Agora
This is a literature show produced and broadcast by RTP that they make available here.
Every week, the host and a few guests analyze a piece of prose and poetry in an effort to “bring literature closer to the public.”
Watching this show is a great way to not only learn Portuguese but also a little more about Portuguese speakers think about and discuss literature.
3. Água de Mar
Another popular telenovela that RTP makes available here, translates to “Sea Water”.
The series follows a group of people who study at the Arts Academy. It chronicles not just their daily lives but also how they struggle with secrets and deal with crimes as they struggle to realize their life ambition.
This series loves to end in cliffhangers, so it’s sure to have you hooked and eagerly looking forward to what happens next.
4. Na Cozinha com Henrique Sá Pessoa
Love cooking shows? You should definitely check this offering from RTP here.
Translated to “In the Kitchen with Henrique Sá Pessoa,” this show is only five episodes but it’s a great show to not only teach you culinary terms in Portuguese but also give you some insight on Portugues attitudes towards food.
Simple answer? They love good food and they take great pride in their cooking, as you will see from how Chef Henrique walks you through the preparation of some great Portuguese dishes.
5. Bem-vindos a Beirais
This “dramedy” from RTP has over 260 episodes that are available here.
Follow along with Diogo, a formerly overworked IT person who – after a heart attack decides he needs a change. In search of a less stressful existence, he moves to the village of Beirais, where he tries to fit in and make a new life for himself as an “agricultor” or farmer.
As the setting of this show is “rural” you’re going to get a glimpse of life outside of Portugal’s main cities. You also going to learn some interesting expressions that are more commonly used by those living in the Portuguese countryside.
6. Aqui Tão Long
RTP has made all episodes of this drama here.
Translated as “Here So Far”, the series begins with an accident that seems to be a terrorist attack. Follow along with the protagonists as they attempt to navigate a world that is now forever changed by this one incident.
7. O Sábio
The episodes of this RTP show can be found here.
It’s a “mystery” set in a small town, where the main character finds himself returning to the place of his birth after being away for 20 years.
5 Brazilian Portuguese TV Shows That Can Help You Learn The Language
While the “original” Portuguese language was developed in the European continent, it has since spread around the world.
Truth be told, the largest population of native Portuguese speakers isn’t found in Portugal. Rather, they are found in the South American country of Brazil, which was colonized by the Portuguese in the 16th century.
Portuguese is still the official and national language of Brazil, though many linguists make the distinction that it is “Brazilian Portuguese”. While most of the vocabulary and rules of grammar are the same, so European Portuguese speakers and Brazilian Portuguese speakers are able to understand one another, there are some differences in pronunciation and word usage as well as different idioms, expressions, and slang terms.
Learning to distinguish between Brazilian and European Portuguese can be an interesting “side quest” in your language learning journey. One of the best and most interesting ways to do so is to watch television shows from Brazil. Here are a few good ones.
1. 3%
Where is it available: Netflix
If you like dystopian sci-fi, you are going to love this Brazilian TV show about the lucky “3%” of the future Brazilian population who are given a chance to escape their impoverished circumstances. They must complete the mysterious and grueling “Process” which will allow them to advance to an affluent “paradise” known as Offshore.
The series concluded this year at four seasons, with the fourth and final season released in August. Since most of the characters are supposed to be young, in their 20sh, the dialogue is peppered with interesting slang terms and expressions you will be sure to hear on the streets of Brazil.
2. Samantha!
Where is it available: Netflix
Fancy a laugh? Why not follow this Brazilian comedy series about the misadventures of Samantha, a former child star who is trying to revive her career.
Samantha’s struggles to transition childhood fame to adult stardom are played for laughs but, the show also deals with some serious topics. There’s a lot of sexual innuendo and discussions of divorce and infidelity. So it might not necessarily be family-friendly fare.
3. O Mecanismo
Where is it available: Netflix
If you love crime investigation shows, with a dash of political drama, you are going to love watching this show.
Translated as “The Mechanic”, this show follows the investigation of “Operation Car Wash” a police task force that tackles corruption in Brazil. There have been two seasons of the show so far, the last season being released on Netflix in May of last year.
FYI, Operation Car Wash is a real Brazilian taskforce, so some of the plots are “ripped from the headlines”.
4. O Escolhido
Where is it available: Netflix
Translated as “The Chosen One” this drama thriller from Netflix imagines a world where the Zika virus that was such a health problem in Brazil just a few years ago has mutated.
Three doctors travel to a remote village on a vaccination mission and find themselves trapped in a secretive community led by a mysterious “faith healer.”
There are currently two seasons of this show available on Netflix.
5. Alice
Where is it available: HBO Latin America
This Brazilian show follows the adventures of “country girl” Alice who moves to the city of São Paulo to claim her inheritance after her father dies.
Alice’s journey to make a new life for herself is not only inspirational and heartwarming but also very fun to watch. You will surely pick up a lot of valuable lessons from this show, not just about Brazilian Portuguese, but about life in the cities of Brazil.
5. Mandrake
Where is it available: HBO Latin America
Do you like lawyer shows? Then check this show about a criminal attorney who tackles extortion and blackmail cases in Rio de Janeiro.
Mandrake works for the city’s wealthy, helping them keep their secrets safe from extortion and blackmail attempts. If you like watching shows with amoral characters who tend to deal with shades of grey, you will like this show.
Conclusion
You can get a lot out of watching Portuguese TV shows. First of all, if you can follow along and understand a TV show, there is a good chance you will be able to follow along and understand Portuguese speakers when they talk among themselves.
Secondly, Portuguese TV shows will use a lot of expressions and sayings that you need to learn in order to really keep up with daily conversations in Portuguese.
Finally, watching Portuguese TV shows will give you a better “ear” for the language. You will be able to hear how Portuguese speakers actually speak and get used to the different regional accents.
Aside from the shows that we listed above, a good way to find some great TV shows in Portuguese is to talk to your native Portuguese speaking tutor. They will be able to recommend some of their favorite shows. You should also ask them about Portuguese movies that they can recommend.
Talking about TV shows is also a great way to start and maintain a conversation, so asking your tutor about what they like to watch and telling them about what you watched is a great way to practice your spoken Portuguese.
