Most language enthusiasts know what the main language of Brazil is, but there are people who actually don’t know, because they’ve never heard of a language called Brazilian. Indeed, there is no such language as Brazilian. The main language of Brazil is Portuguese,  but specifically Brazilian Portuguese. It’s fairly different from the kind of Portuguese spoken in Portugal and other places like Angola. It differs so much in pronunciation that native speakers of Brazilian Portuguese often have trouble understanding other Portuguese speakers.

Why is Portuguese spoken in Brazil?

Portuguese is spoken in Brazil because it is a former Portuguese colony.  The Portuguese colonial period in Brazil lasted from 1500 until 1815. During that period of more than 300 years, the way people spoke Portuguese in Brazil changed somewhat, and the Portuguese spoken in Portugal changed somewhat, resulting in their current differences.

What other languages are spoken in Brazil?

Brazil actually has two official languages at the national level: Portuguese and Brazilian Sign Language. Portuguese is spoken as a native language by the vast majority of the country (around 98%), though there are also numerous indigenous languages of Brazil. These include: Apalaí, Arára, Bororo, Canela, Carajá, Carib, Guarani, Kaingang, Nadëb, Nheengatu, Pirahã, Terena, Tucano, Tupiniquim, and Ye’kuana. There are also numerous immigrant languages spoken in Brazil, such as German, Japanese, and Italian, spoken by immigrant communities that have been in Brazil for a decades.