Is the word consigo the same in Brazilian and European Portuguese?
No.
While the meaning and spelling of "consigo" are identical in both varieties of Portuguese, there is a significant difference in typical usage (register). In Brazilian Portuguese, "consigo" is considered a high-register, formal, or literary word. It is rarely used in everyday spoken conversation, where Brazilians much prefer using "com ele," "com ela," or "com você." In Continental Portuguese, however, "consigo" is a standard, natural, and frequent part of everyday speech when referring to the third person.
Brazilian Portuguese
In Brazil, "consigo" is used naturally in formal writing, journalism, or legal contexts.
- O réu trouxe as provas consigo. (The defendant brought the evidence with him.)
- O diretor não levou os documentos consigo. (The director did not take the documents with him.)
- Ela sempre traz a sua determinação consigo. (She always brings her determination with her.)
- O relatório traz novos dados consigo. (The report brings new data with it.)
- O líder apresenta a sua visão consigo. (The leader presents his vision with him/as part of his presentation.)
Portuguese (Portugal)
In Portugal, "consigo" is used naturally in both spoken and written everyday language.
- Ele trouxe as provas consigo. (He brought the evidence with him.) Note: A Portuguese person would naturally use the pronoun "ele" instead of the formal "o réu" in conversation.
- Ele não levou os documentos consigo. (He did not take the documents with him.)
- Ela traz sempre a determinação consigo. (She always brings determination with her.)
- O relatório traz os dados consigo. (The report brings the data with it.)
- Ele apresenta a visão consigo. (He presents the vision with him.)
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· BR vs PT Word Differences