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Is the word zero the same in Brazilian and European Portuguese?
Yes
The spelling, meaning, and grammatical function of the word "zero" are identical in both Brazilian and Continental Portuguese. The only difference lies in pronunciation.
In Brazilian Portuguese, the "e" is typically more open or clearly articulated, and the "o" at the end of the word is almost always pronounced as a closed "u" (/’ze.ru/). In Continental Portuguese, the vowels tend to be more reduced or closed, and the "e" may be much more subtle, often resulting in a more clipped sound (/’ze.ɾu/).
Brazilian Portuguese Examples
- Eu tirei zero na prova de matemática. (I got a zero on the math test.)
- A temperatura caiu para zero grau hoje. (The temperature dropped to zero degrees today.)
- O saldo da minha conta está em zero. (My account balance is at zero.)
- Ele tem zero de paciência com atrasos. (He has zero patience with delays.)
- O placar do jogo terminou em zero a zero. (The game score ended in zero-zero/a draw.)
Portuguese (Portugal) Examples
- Eu tirei zero ao exame. (I got a zero on the exam.)
- A temperatura desceu para os zero graus. (The temperature went down to zero degrees.)
- O saldo da conta está a zero. (The account balance is at zero.)
- Não há zero de probabilidade de isso acontecer. (There is zero probability of this happening.)
- O resultado do jogo foi zero a zero. (The result of the game was zero-zero/a draw.)
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· BR vs PT Word Differences