Why Don't Brazilians Correct My Portuguese? (And How to Ask)

If you've ever thought "Brazilians don't correct me, so how am I ever going to learn?", you're not alone. Finding someone who will actually correct you in Portuguese is harder than it sounds: here in Brazil, we rarely point out your pronunciation or a word you used wrong, and it's not because we don't care. When you talk to us, we're busy understanding what you want to say, not hunting for your mistakes.

I'll be honest with you: as a Portuguese teacher, I don't see any problem with that. In this post I'll explain why, how I correct my own students without cutting the conversation short, when it's worth saying "me corrige se eu errar" (the way we say correct me if I'm wrong in Portuguese) and what you can do to correct yourself when nobody corrects your Portuguese.

You'll also learn how to say correct in Portuguese (corrigir), how to conjugate it, and the most useful phrases to ask for corrections at the right moment. Watch the video first and then keep reading: it'll change the way you look at your mistakes.

Why don't Brazilians correct you when you speak Portuguese?

Brazilians don't correct you because, when a native speaker listens to you, their brain is filtering your message to understand it, not checking your grammar. We're used to filling in the gaps, so we understand most of what you say, even with a strong accent or a few words borrowed from Spanish (the famous Portuñol), and the conversation just keeps going.

I often hear...

"If nobody corrects me, I'll never learn to speak Portuguese."

Here's why a native Brazilian will hardly ever correct your Portuguese.

Native speakers are focused on understanding your message

Think about what you do when a foreigner speaks to you in English: you listen, fill in what's missing and focus on what they're trying to tell you. It's exactly the same with Brazilians. In fact, even in your own language you sometimes say something wrong and the other person doesn't even notice, because they were paying attention to the idea, not to every single word.

Correcting all the time kills the conversation

When someone corrects you every few seconds, you lose track of what you were saying, and so does the other person, because they stop listening to your message to look for mistakes. That's why, when you ask a friend "me corrige se eu errar", something funny often happens: they switch into "mistake hunter mode", interrupt you after every sentence, and in the end neither of you enjoys the conversation.

Is it bad that nobody corrects your Portuguese?

No, it isn't bad that nobody corrects you: it means you're communicating and people understand you. The real problem is the fear of making mistakes, which almost always comes from the way we were taught languages at school.

The fear of making mistakes comes from traditional teaching

Conventional teaching focuses heavily on mistakes: "careful, that's wrong", "no, not like that", "wrong again". After years of that, you end up thinking you can never make a mistake. But you will make mistakes, because you make them even in your native language; imagine in one you're still learning. That's why my 4-step method to learn Portuguese faster focuses on communicating, not on being perfect.

Speaking with another learner is more awkward than with a Brazilian

Many students tell me they feel embarrassed speaking Portuguese with Brazilians, but if anything, it would make more sense to feel that way with someone who's also learning. That person usually has the same mistake-hunting mindset, so you end up speaking while feeling watched, just waiting for the moment they'll cut you off. If that sounds familiar, read these tips to get over the fear of speaking Portuguese.

How I correct my Portuguese students

I've been teaching Portuguese for many years, and in the beginning I corrected everything: "that's wrong", "we don't say it like that". The result? The person kept making the same mistake. So I changed my strategy: there's a time to be corrected and a time to practice, and it's better not to mix them.

In a conversation: the message comes first

Even though I'm a teacher, when I'm chatting with someone outside of class I don't sit there filtering mistakes to explain them later. If the person got their message across, communication worked, and that's what matters. I'd rather let students speak freely and build confidence.

In class: repeating the sentence the right way

In class I do take note of mistakes, but instead of correcting word for word, I repeat what the student said using the right word or pronunciation. A classic one is saying "ração" (pet food) when you mean "razão" (reason), because the Ç (an S sound) and the Z (a Z sound, like in "zoo") are easy to mix up when you speak fast. If that happens to you, check out how to pronounce the Z in Portuguese.

• Student: "Eu acho que você tem ração." Teacher: "Ah, você acha que eu tenho razão? Entendi!" (Student: "I think you have pet food." Teacher: "Oh, you think I'm right? Got it!")

This way the student hears the correct form without feeling interrupted. If you'd like this kind of guidance, I explain whether it's better to learn Portuguese with a native or non-native teacher.

When correcting is worth it: false friends

The exception is when you use a word that completely changes the meaning of the sentence, like a false friend, or when the other person didn't understand anything. That's when it makes sense to say "me corrige", just like you would with friends in your own language. To avoid those awkward moments, go over these Portuguese false friends that trip up so many learners.

How to ask for corrections in Portuguese without killing the conversation

The best way to ask for corrections in Portuguese is to do it at specific moments: when you have a concrete question, when you're reviewing something you wrote, or when you feel you weren't understood. These phrases are made for that; if you're not sure how formal to be, see when to use tu, você and o senhor.

Here's a quick summary of the phrases to ask for corrections in Portuguese and the best moment to use each one:

Me corrige se eu errar

"Me corrige se eu errar" means "correct me if I'm wrong" and it's the most natural way to ask for corrections among friends. Use it in moderation: it's perfect for a short practice chat, but in a long conversation it can turn your friend into a proofreader and take all the flow out of it.

• "Vou tentar falar só em português nos próximos dez minutos, então me corrige se eu errar, tá?" (I'm going to try to speak only Portuguese for the next ten minutes, so correct me if I'm wrong, okay?)

Falei certo?

"Falei certo?" means "Did I say that right?" and you use it right after a sentence you're not sure about. It's short, it doesn't interrupt the conversation and it gets you a clear answer about that one doubt.

• "Ontem eu fui ao mercado com a minha amiga. Falei certo?" (Yesterday I went to the grocery store with my friend. Did I say that right?)

Como se fala…?

"Como se fala…?" means "How do you say…?" and it helps you ask for the right word instead of making one up. It's perfect for when you feel you're about to fall for a false friend.

• "Como se fala spoon em português?" (How do you say spoon in Portuguese?)

Qual é o jeito certo de dizer…?

"Qual é o jeito certo de dizer…?" means "What's the right way to say…?" and it works really well when you're torn between two options. "Jeito" is a word we use all the time in Brazil to talk about the way something is done.

• "Qual é o jeito certo de dizer: eu gosto café ou eu gosto de café?" (What's the right way to say it: eu gosto café or eu gosto de café?)

Different ways to use JEITO in Portuguese

Tem algum erro aqui?

"Tem algum erro aqui?" means "Is there a mistake here?" and it's the perfect phrase for written texts, because a correction there doesn't interrupt anyone. If you're starting to write in Portuguese, use it whenever you can.

• "Escrevi meu currículo em português. Tem algum erro aqui?" (I wrote my résumé in Portuguese. Is there a mistake here?)

Tá certo assim?

"Tá certo assim?" means "Is this right?" and you use it to ask someone to check something you just wrote or said, like a message or an email. "Tá" is the short form of "está" that we use all the time in Brazil, and the phrase is really handy for checking texts at work in Portuguese.

• "Escrevi essa mensagem para o meu chefe. Tá certo assim?" (I wrote this message to my boss. Is this right?)

É assim mesmo?

"É assim mesmo?" means "Is that how it is?" or "Is that how you say it?" and it helps you confirm whether a word, a phrase or a way of doing something is correct. Careful: said as a statement, "é assim mesmo" means "that's just how it is", with a tone of resignation.

"Para pedir a conta no restaurante, eu falo a conta, por favor. É assim mesmo?" (To ask for the check at a restaurant, I say a conta, por favor. Is that how you say it?)

How to say correct in Portuguese: corrigir

To correct in Portuguese is corrigir, and a correction is a correção. It's a regular verb whose only quirk is that the "g" turns into "j" before "o" and "a" (eu corrijo, que eu corrija) to keep the same soft sound. If you want to compare it with verbs that really change their stem, take a look at this list of irregular verbs in Portuguese.

Corrigir conjugation in the present tense

In the present tense, only the first person takes a "j" (eu corrijo); every other form keeps the "g".

Me corrige, me corrija or corrija-me

All three mean "correct me", but the level of formality changes. "Me corrige" is the one you'll hear most in Brazil among friends; "me corrija" is more polite, so you use it with a teacher, a client or someone older; "corrija-me" sounds very formal and shows up almost only in writing.

• "Se eu falar algo errado, me corrija, por favor." (If I say something wrong, please correct me.)

Corrige or corrije?

It's spelled "corrige", with a "g", so "me corrije" is a spelling mistake (one that even native speakers make). The "j" only shows up in "corrijo" and in the subjunctive ("corrija", "corrijam"). If you like these little details, check out how the past participle in Portuguese works, with its regular and irregular forms.

How to correct yourself when nobody corrects you

To improve your Portuguese, you don't need someone correcting you all the time: you need to pay closer attention to what you hear, read, say and write. These are the techniques I use myself with Spanish, English and Portuguese.

Record yourself and listen back

Recording yourself speaking Portuguese and listening back later is the fastest way to notice what you can improve. It happens to me too: when I listen to myself in another language, I catch details I didn't notice in the moment. For the sounds themselves, here's a guide to improve your Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation.

Listen to native speakers and spot the differences

When you talk with a Brazilian, don't just listen to what they say: pay attention to the words, expressions and pronunciation they use and compare them with yours. If you notice they say something differently, write it down. Brazilian Portuguese podcasts are perfect for training that ear.

Turn your passive vocabulary into active vocabulary

Passive vocabulary is the words you understand but don't use. When you hear one of those words in a conversation, make a point of using it several times until it becomes part of the way you speak; that's how it works even in your native language. Here are more ideas to grow your Portuguese vocabulary.

Not sure how to spell it? Look it up before you hit send

If you're not a hundred percent sure how a word is spelled, google it inside a full sentence before you send the message. It's a simple habit that keeps you from repeating the same mistake for years, especially when you're texting in Portuguese.

Native speakers make mistakes too

Native speakers make plenty of mistakes when they speak and write, and almost nobody corrects them. Once, when I was living in Argentina, someone texted me "llendo" instead of "yendo" (Spanish for "going") and I even started doubting myself; I looked it up, and I, the non-native, was the one spelling it right. So don't assume everything a Brazilian says or writes is correct.

Study the most common mistakes

Many mistakes show up again and again among English speakers, no matter where you're from. Go over these 13 common mistakes in Portuguese and fix them before they become a habit.

The most important thing: make up your mind to learn

More important than having someone correct you is deciding that you're going to learn and paying attention to the details. So don't get upset because Brazilians don't correct you: we're simply more interested in what you have to say than in your level of Portuguese. And if you use a word that makes no sense at all, don't worry, that's when we'll let you know.

Tell me in the comments which techniques you use to improve your writing, pronunciation or vocabulary in Portuguese, so other people can learn from you too.