Learn Portuguese with music

Portuguese has the vocabulary of Spanish and the sound of something else entirely. Choosing Brazilian or European first — and sticking to it in your playlist — is the decision that determines how quickly your listening improves.

Watch for: nasal vowels, and 'saudade', which is exactly as untranslatable as everyone says.

1. 1Connect Spotify and press play on any Portuguese track.
2. 2The lyric line lights up in time with the vocal, with the English right below it.
3. 3Tap a word to keep it. It lands in your vault for review later — the song never stops.

• Anitta

  Brazilian Portuguese, current and fast.

• Caetano Veloso

  Slow, careful phrasing.

• Marisa Monte

  Warm, clear Brazilian diction.

• Salvador Sobral

  European Portuguese with closed vowels.

• Djavan

  Complex vocabulary for advanced learners.

A song repeats the same phrase four or five times and you don't mind. Melody carries the words into memory the way rote repetition never does, and because you chose the track, you'll play it again tomorrow.

Free: one language, 20 saved words, 3 songs a day.

Pro from $1.99/month: unlimited words and songs. Pro Unlimited adds every language.

Can I really learn Portuguese from songs?

Not on its own — but as the listening and vocabulary half of your study it beats any app, because you repeat willingly. Singuistic adds the reading and review half.

Do I need Spotify Premium?

You need a Spotify account so we can read what's playing. Playback works with what your account already allows.

Which songs have synced lyrics?

Most popular tracks. When a song has no synced version we show the plain lyric, still translated.