Brazilians speak Spanish

Ian   Mon Nov 05, 2007 6:05 pm GMT
Hello!

I've heard several Brazilians told me themselves that most Brazilians can speak Spanish.
I am aware that understanding Spanish is relatively easy for Portuguese speakers in general, but is it true that most Brazilians can speak Spanish?

Thanks in advance!


Ian
Guest   Mon Nov 05, 2007 6:25 pm GMT
I don't think so. Generally Brazilians can speak Portunhol, a bad mixture between Spanish and Portuguese , only few brazilians can speak good Spanish
Guest   Mon Nov 05, 2007 10:21 pm GMT
Brazilians speak a chistoso-enganol; which sounds like a Spanish speaker having his nose plugged with mucus or pinched. Try it! Emphasis on the
-um- pronunciation and you'll come across as a brasileiro.

=D
Ian   Mon Nov 05, 2007 11:30 pm GMT
I just heard yesterday two Brazilians speaking Spanish. Sounded interesting. All in all it was well comprehensible.
furrykef   Mon Nov 05, 2007 11:35 pm GMT
<< Brazilians don't speak Portuguese properly >>

*rolls eyes*

As soon as you can demonstrate what exactly makes Brazilian Portuguese inferior, maybe I'll care. Until then, I'll think you're a snob worthy of contempt.

- Kef
Guest   Mon Nov 05, 2007 11:36 pm GMT
Probably they were old people who migrated from Spain, or had Spanish relatives. But it's not common to see people speaking Spanish in Brazil, and sometimes even Portuguese.
Guest   Mon Nov 05, 2007 11:59 pm GMT
Of course they speak Spanish if they are surrounded by Spanish speakers from Argentina and other countries from Latin America
Guest   Tue Nov 06, 2007 12:33 am GMT
<<As soon as you can demonstrate what exactly makes Brazilian Portuguese inferior, maybe I'll care. Until then, I'll think you're a snob worthy of contempt. >>

por la misma razón que los estadounidenses no hablan inglés de manera satisfactoria. que hablen su propio idioma en lugar de estropear las grandes idiomas del patrimonio humano.
K. T.   Tue Nov 06, 2007 1:01 am GMT
"Portunhol"

Is this an acceptable term to use or does it have a negative connotation?

Or is it just humourous?

Thanks!
furrykef   Tue Nov 06, 2007 2:07 am GMT
<< por la misma razón que los estadounidenses no hablan inglés de manera satisfactoria. >>

¿Quién dice eso? ¿Y qué razón es esa? Nunca se me dice que hablo mal el inglés. Además, que un idioma cambie no quiere decir que se pone inferior.

- Kef
Guest   Tue Nov 06, 2007 2:10 am GMT
Taking that reasoning to the extreme, the is not a bad usage of a language, you can always say that is simply "different".
Guest   Tue Nov 06, 2007 2:36 am GMT
<<¿Quién dice eso? ¿Y qué razón es esa? Nunca se me dice que hablo mal el inglés. Además, que un idioma cambie no quiere decir que se pone inferior.

- Kef>>

Porque me llamo Franco y me gusta decir tonterías!
Guest   Tue Nov 06, 2007 2:41 am GMT
jaja franco esta muerto, pero sus decendientes aun siguen rondando por estos foros.
furrykef   Tue Nov 06, 2007 3:58 am GMT
<< Taking that reasoning to the extreme, the is not a bad usage of a language, you can always say that is simply "different". >>

Pretty much. It's how language change happens in the first place... it has a lot more to do with imperfect language acquisition than with anything else. Before people say that Brazilian Portuguese is a "corruption" of Portuguese, they need to know that Portuguese is ultimately a "corruption" of Latin.

- Kef
Guest   Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:59 am GMT
Portuguese itself is a corruption of Portuguese. No one else speaks Old Portuguese anymore: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galician-Portuguese

The same happens with Spanish: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Spanish
or French: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_French


etc..etc..