Portuguese

Native Speakers: 232 Million

Portuguese is the sixth most spoken language especially in the east and western hemispheres like Brazil, Angola, Portugal, and other countries around the region with 232 million native speakers. Also, the Portuguese translation has a huge rise in the western hemispheres and is used regularly as the most translated language especially on store products.

This is another language whose reach owes much to its colonial past. Starting in the 15th century, avid Portuguese traders and conquerors brought their language to Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The spread of Portuguese may have initially been tied to European colonization, but the colonized countries developed their own vibrant cultures that transformed the language forever. Portuguese is a language related to Spanish and it is spoken in Portugal and Brazil. The name of the language comes from a word meaning “port”.

A few facts about the Portuguese language:

• Brazil has the largest number of Portuguese speakers in the world.
• Portuguese has official status as a language in nine different countries.