French vs Portuguese: Which Is Easier, and How Similar Are They?

Key takeaways

• French and Portuguese are in the same Foreign Service Institute difficulty group (Category I).
• Their everyday vocabulary overlaps in places: roughly 3 in 10 everyday words look alike, so some French words will feel familiar if you know Portuguese, but most will not.
• Study time will not decide it, so start with the one you will actually use.

How hard is each one?

For an English speaker the two sit in the same difficulty group, so neither is officially easier: the Foreign Service Institute puts both at 552–690 class hours. These are the figures behind the how long does it take to learn a language calculator, from the US Foreign Service Institute's published language training times.

The hours are for a native English speaker in full-time classes aiming at professional working proficiency. Useful everyday conversation comes sooner, and the calculator breaks the time down by level.

How much do the words overlap?

Their everyday vocabulary overlaps in places: roughly 3 in 10 everyday words look alike, so some French words will feel familiar if you know Portuguese, but most will not.

A few everyday words that look alike in French and Portuguese:

And a few everyday words that look completely different:

Writing system and grammar

• Both use the Latin alphabet, so neither asks you to learn a new script, though each has its own spelling rules and special letters.

Which should you learn first?

Study time will not decide this one, because the two ask for about the same. If you want to reach a particular place, a person or a job, start with the one you will actually use: steady motivation counts for more than the difference in hours.

Frequently asked questions

Is French easier than Portuguese?

For an English speaker the two sit in the same difficulty group, so neither is officially easier: the Foreign Service Institute puts both at 552–690 class hours. Hours are for a native English speaker reaching professional working proficiency in full-time classes; casual learning gets you to useful conversation well before that.

How similar are French and Portuguese?

Their everyday vocabulary overlaps in places: roughly 3 in 10 everyday words look alike, so some French words will feel familiar if you know Portuguese, but most will not. They are both Romance languages, both descended from Latin.

Should I learn French or Portuguese first?

Study time will not decide this one, because the two ask for about the same. If you want to reach a particular place, a person or a job, start with the one you will actually use: steady motivation counts for more than the difference in hours.

Can speakers of French and Portuguese understand each other?

Some can, to a degree, but it varies a lot from person to person and with practice. Written text is usually easier to follow than fast speech.

Keep going

• How long does it take to learn French?
• Free French vocabulary lists
• French vocabulary test
• French quiz
• How long does it take to learn Portuguese?
• Portuguese vocabulary test

See all language comparisons