vs · BR vs PT Word Differences

Look up any Duolingo word — find out how it differs between Brazilian and European Portuguese

Is the word varre the same in Brazilian and European Portuguese?

No.

Differences:

• Pronunciation: In Brazilian Portuguese, the final "e" is typically reduced to an "i" sound (e.g., vári). In Continental Portuguese, the final "e" is a closed, nearly silent unrounded vowel.
• Usage: In Brazil, "varre" is frequently used as an informal imperative for the pronoun você (even though varra is the grammatically correct conjugation). In Portugal, "varre" is the standard imperative for the pronoun tu.
• Vocabulary context: While the verb is the same, the nouns typically associated with the action often differ; Brazilians frequently use sujeira (dirt), whereas Portuguese people more commonly use sujidade.

Brazilian Portuguese Examples:

1. Ele varre a casa todo dia. (He sweeps the house every day.)
2. Varre a sujeira para fora, por favor. (Sweep the dirt outside, please.)
3. O vento varre as folhas do quintal. (The wind sweeps the leaves from the yard.)
4. Ela varre a sala com muita rapidez. (She sweeps the living room very quickly.)
5. O menino varre a sujeira do chão. (The boy sweeps the dirt from the floor.)

Continental Portuguese Examples:

1. Ele varre a casa todos os dias. (He sweeps the house every day.)
2. Varre a sujidade para fora, por favor. (Sweep the dirt outside, please.)
3. O vento varre as folhas do jardim. (The wind sweeps the leaves from the garden.)
4. Ela varre a sala com muita rapidez. (She sweeps the living room very quickly.)
5. O rapaz varre a sujidade do chão. (The boy sweeps the dirt from the floor.)