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Is the word agrada the same in Brazilian and European Portuguese?
No
While the spelling and the core meaning of "agrada" (the third-person singular present indicative of the verb agradar) are the same, there are significant differences in grammar, usage, and pronunciation:
- Grammar (Clitic Placement): This is the most important difference. In Brazilian Portuguese, pronouns typically precede the verb (proclisis), such as "me agrada." In Continental Portuguese, the standard is to place the pronoun after the verb (enclisis), such as "agrada-me."
- Usage: In Brazil, agradar is almost exclusively used to mean "to please" or "to satisfy." In Portugal, the verb is also frequently used to mean "to caress" or "to pet" (e.g., agradar ao cão), whereas a Brazilian would more likely use the expression fazer carinho.
- Pronunciation: In Portugal, unstressed vowels are heavily reduced and often sound nearly silent or swallowed. In Brazil, these vowels are articulated much more clearly and openly.
Brazilian Portuguese Examples:
- Isso me agrada muito. (That pleases me a lot.)
- O que ele propôs me agrada. (What he proposed pleases me.)
- A nova cor me agrada. (The new color pleases me.)
- O plano me agrada bastante. (The plan pleases me quite a bit.)
- A ideia me agrada. (The idea pleases me.)
Continental Portuguese Examples:
- Isso agrada-me muito. (That pleases me a lot.)
- O que ele propôs agrada-me. (What he proposed pleases me.)
- A nova cor agrada-me. (The new color pleases me.)
- O plano agrada-nos bastante. (The plan pleases us quite a bit.)
- A ideia agrada-lhes. (The idea pleases them.)
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· BR vs PT Word Differences