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Is the word lendo the same in Brazilian and European Portuguese?
No
While the spelling and basic meaning of "lendo" (the gerund of the verb ler) are the same, there is a significant difference in typical usage. In Brazilian Portuguese, the gerund (gerúndio) is the standard way to express continuous actions (actions happening right now). In Continental Portuguese, the standard construction for the continuous aspect is the preposition a followed by the infinitive form of the verb (a ler). While a Portuguese person would understand "lendo," it is much less common in everyday speech than the "a + infinitive" structure.
Brazilian Portuguese Usage
- Eu estou lendo um livro muito legal. (I am reading a very cool book.)
- O que você está lendo agora? (What are you reading now?)
- Ela estava lendo na biblioteca quando eu cheguei. (She was reading in the library when I arrived.)
- Nós estamos lendo as notícias no celular. (We are reading the news on the cell phone.)
- Eles passaram a tarde inteira lendo. (They spent the whole afternoon reading.)
Continental Portuguese Usage
- Eu estou a ler um livro muito giro. (I am reading a very nice book.)
- O que é que estás a ler agora? (What are you reading now?)
- Ela estava a ler na biblioteca quando eu cheguei. (She was reading in the library when I arrived.)
- Nós estamos a ler as notícias no telemóvel. (We are reading the news on the mobile phone.)
- Eles passaram a tarde inteira a ler. (They spent the whole afternoon reading.)
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· BR vs PT Word Differences