· 7 min read
French vs Portuguese: Which Should You Learn?
By Language Lab editorial team
French vs Portuguese compared: 30 weeks against 24 by US State Department figures, sounds, where each is spoken, official exams and free courses.
French and Portuguese are both Category I languages for English speakers, the easiest official group, with Portuguese listed a little shorter: 24 weeks of classes against 30 for French, by US State Department figures. Both come from Latin, both have nasal sounds to master, and both ask you to learn verb conjugations. The choice is about where you are going. French has 396 million speakers and 170 million learners, according to the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, and is used in Europe, Canada and parts of Africa. Portuguese is the language of Brazil and Portugal and of six other countries in Africa and Asia. Each has lifelong official diplomas and a free course from a public body. Choose the map that matches your plans.
Side by side
| French | Portuguese | |
|---|---|---|
| State Department category | Category I | Category I |
| Class time | 30 weeks | 24 weeks |
| Sounds to work on | Nasal sounds; u and ou; the letters h and r | Some harder sounds; accents and nasal sounds |
| Grammar to work on | Genders, verb conjugation, irregular common verbs | Six different endings in each tense |
| Where it is spoken | France, parts of Belgium and Switzerland, Québec, parts of North and Central Africa and more | Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé, East Timor |
| Official exams | DELF, DALF and TCF | CAPLE exams in Portugal; Celpe-Bras in Brazil |
| Certificate validity | DELF and DALF are valid for life | CAPLE certificates and diplomas have no limit of validity |
| Free public course | TV5MONDE; RFI's Le français facile | AIMA's Plataforma de Português Online |
Which is easier?
By class time, Portuguese: 24 weeks against 30. Both figures sit inside the State Department's Category I range of 552 to 690 class hours, so the gap is small next to, say, German at about 828 hours. Neither is an easy ride on pronunciation. The BBC's guide to French says you will have to get your head around nasal sounds, and its guide to Portuguese says some sounds can be harder to pronounce and points learners to accents and nasal sounds. The Portuguese guide adds a comfort: mistakes generally will not change what you meant.
How alike are they?
They are Romance languages, descended from Latin. The BBC says that if you know French you will notice similarities with Portuguese, and that learning French gives you a head start with Portuguese among others. Both guides stress verbs: French verb conjugation, and six different endings in each Portuguese tense.
| English | French | Portuguese |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | oui | Sim |
| No | non | Não |
| Thank you | Merci | Obrigado, obrigada |
| Have a great trip | Bon voyage ! | Boa viagem |
| Good luck | Bonne chance | Boa sorte |
| a beer | une bière | uma cerveja |
| Is it far? | C'est loin ? | É longe? |
Bon voyage and Boa viagem, Bonne chance and Boa sorte: the family resemblance is plain. Everyday words such as thank you and beer show how far the two have also drifted apart.
Where each will take you
- French: the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie counts 396 million French speakers and ranks French the fourth language worldwide, the fourth on the internet and the third language of the economy and business.
- French geography: France, Monaco, Luxembourg, parts of Belgium and Switzerland, Québec, and parts of North and Central Africa.
- Portuguese geography: Portugal and Brazil, plus Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and East Timor, with official status in Macau.
- Portuguese comes in two main varieties, European and Brazilian, and courses and exams follow one or the other.
Exams
| French | Portuguese | |
|---|---|---|
| Diplomas | DELF, A1 to B2, and DALF, C1 and C2 | CAPLE: six exams from A1 to C2, from ACESSO to DUPLE |
| University level | DELF B2 allows entry into French universities | Portuguese universities ask for DIPLE, B2, to complete undergraduate courses |
| Nationality | Check the level with the French authorities | CIPLE, A2, is the minimum for Portuguese nationality |
| Sessions | Set by exam centres; TCF sessions run throughout the year | May, July and November; Celpe-Bras every semester |
How to choose
- Your plans are in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada or French-speaking Africa: French.
- Your plans are in Brazil, Portugal, Angola or Mozambique: Portuguese.
- You want the larger international network of speakers and learners: French.
- You want the shorter official learning time: Portuguese, by six weeks of classes.
- You already speak Spanish or Italian: either will come faster, since all are Romance languages.
Language Lab offers both. Its French and Portuguese courses are built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor.
Frequently asked
Is French or Portuguese easier to learn?
Portuguese, slightly, by official figures: the US State Department lists it at 24 weeks of classes and French at 30. Both are Category I languages.
Which is more useful, French or Portuguese?
It depends on the region. French has 396 million speakers, in Europe, Canada and parts of Africa. Portuguese is the language of Brazil, Portugal and six other countries.
Are French and Portuguese similar?
Yes. Both are Romance languages, and the BBC says knowing French helps you notice similarities in Portuguese. Compare Bon voyage and Boa viagem.
Do both have nasal sounds?
Yes. The BBC's guides mention nasal sounds for both French and Portuguese.
Which has free official courses?
Both. For French, TV5MONDE and RFI offer free exercises and podcasts. For European Portuguese, Portugal's AIMA offers the free Plataforma de Português Online.
Do the diplomas expire?
No. DELF and DALF are valid for life, and CAPLE's certificates and diplomas have no limit of validity.
Sources: US Department of State, National Foreign Affairs Training Center, Foreign Language Training; BBC Languages, A Guide to French and A Guide to Portuguese (10 facts), and French and Portuguese Quick Fix phrases (archived pages); Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, La langue française dans le monde; France Éducation international, DELF, DALF and TCF; CAPLE, University of Lisbon; Inep, Celpe-Bras; AIMA, Plataforma de Português Online; TV5MONDE; RFI. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: The Rua Augusta Arch on Praça do Comércio, Lisbon, Diego Delso / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
