Portuguese and Spanish: 167 words that are the same
Among the two thousand words each language uses most, these are written identically and carry the same meaning in both. If you have one of the two, this is the part you do not have to learn.
Portuguese Spanish
A shared word is not proof of a shared root. Two languages can land on the same spelling by borrowing from a third — that is all tren and bomba are — and a word that looks the same can still be said quite differently. What this list is good for is the head start.
| Word | In English | Portuguese | Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|
| que | that | #1 | #2 |
| e | and | #7 | #435 |
| está | to be | #12 | #21 |
| mas | but | #19 | #411 |
| vamos | to go | #39 | #47 |
| porque | because | #50 | #76 |
| estás | to be | #58 | #54 |
| esta | this | #77 | #45 |
| este | this | #88 | #60 |
| nunca | never | #93 | #98 |
| ir | to go | #104 | #128 |
| estamos | to be | #124 | #139 |
| estar | to be | #137 | #131 |
| menos | less | #217 | #189 |
| amigo | friend | #218 | #191 |
| contigo | with you | #219 | #229 |
| lado | side | #226 | #284 |
| lugar | place | #239 | #176 |
| dentro | inside | #245 | #318 |
| fui | to go | #251 | #429 |
| hora | hour | #257 | #244 |
| atrás | behind | #265 | #474 |
| amor | love | #269 | #249 |
| ok | OK | #271 | #455 |
| desde | since | #274 | #162 |
| horas | hour | #277 | #360 |
| tarde | late | #281 | #242 |
| tal | such | #283 | #157 |
| amigos | friend | #290 | #269 |
| encontrar | to meet | #291 | #371 |
| minutos | minute | #334 | #341 |
| juntos | together | #367 | #329 |
| última | final; last | #369 | #418 |
| semana | week | #383 | #325 |
| cinco | five | #389 | #373 |
| dólares | dollar | #409 | #524 |
| agente | agent | #421 | #648 |
| marido | husband | #424 | #558 |
| estado | to be | #429 | #169 |
| segundo | second | #432 | #478 |
| meses | month | #439 | #458 |
| número | number | #445 | #457 |
| perder | to lose | #466 | #646 |
| idiota | idiotic | #479 | #560 |
| tomar | to take | #506 | #386 |
| sala | room | #514 | #858 |
| seis | six | #518 | #525 |
| culpa | fault | #519 | #460 |
| paz | peace | #536 | #559 |
| cama | bed | #538 | #537 |
| seguir | to follow | #562 | #510 |
| semanas | week | #563 | #609 |
| local | premises, rooms | #569 | #1,816 |
| especial | special | #583 | #610 |
| hospital | hospital | #595 | #591 |
| minuto | minute | #600 | #574 |
| irá | to go | #601 | #1,282 |
| luz | light | #612 | #548 |
| música | music | #614 | #572 |
| beber | to drink | #624 | #1,032 |
| toma | to take | #625 | #415 |
| tratar | to treat | #628 | #1,184 |
| existe | to exist | #641 | #1,083 |
| último | final; last | #644 | #539 |
| comprar | to buy | #656 | #808 |
| sistema | system | #659 | #744 |
| amiga | friend | #665 | #680 |
| futuro | future | #692 | #704 |
| ambos | both | #698 | #719 |
| grupo | group | #704 | #681 |
| salvar | to save | #706 | #1,072 |
| mesa | table | #750 | #816 |
| fantástico | fantastic | #792 | #1,340 |
| hotel | hotel | #825 | #754 |
| carta | letter | #834 | #819 |
| barco | boat | #836 | #834 |
| voz | voice | #842 | #703 |
| estúpido | stupid | #848 | #801 |
| banco | bank | #868 | #1,082 |
| papel | paper | #884 | #916 |
| base | basis | #905 | #1,086 |
| comandante | commander | #909 | #1,220 |
| segundos | second | #922 | #1,053 |
| apartamento | flat, apartment | #940 | #1,237 |
| tribunal | court | #957 | #1,971 |
| explicar | to explain | #980 | #1,909 |
| prometo | to promise | #988 | #894 |
| coronel | colonel | #996 | #1,097 |
| alma | soul | #997 | #937 |
| diferentes | different | #998 | #1,217 |
| últimos | final; last | #1,001 | #1,123 |
| planeta | planet | #1,002 | #1,139 |
| destino | destiny, fate | #1,015 | #1,085 |
| vender | to sell | #1,038 | #1,477 |
| bomba | bomb | #1,050 | #1,260 |
| humano | human | #1,066 | #1,133 |
| trata | to treat | #1,076 | #499 |
| estará | to be | #1,077 | #542 |
| inteligente | intelligent | #1,080 | #999 |
| drogas | drug | #1,081 | #1,008 |
| público | public | #1,086 | #1,069 |
| pobre | poor | #1,109 | #746 |
| entrada | entrance | #1,119 | #1,283 |
| código | code | #1,128 | #1,498 |
| totalmente | totally | #1,132 | #820 |
| sargento | sergeant | #1,153 | #1,078 |
| humanos | human | #1,156 | #1,273 |
| oficial | official | #1,179 | #778 |
| repente | attack, upsurge | #1,189 | #1,278 |
| negro | black | #1,203 | #730 |
| perdido | to lose | #1,221 | #586 |
| agentes | agent | #1,222 | #1,936 |
| junto | together | #1,254 | #940 |
| ido | to go | #1,257 | #463 |
| trato | to treat | #1,282 | #658 |
| departamento | department | #1,286 | #1,014 |
| azul | blue | #1,300 | #1,216 |
| restaurante | restaurant | #1,306 | #1,444 |
| duro | hard | #1,318 | #613 |
| cartas | letter | #1,322 | #1,259 |
| parque | park | #1,349 | #1,595 |
| paciente | patient | #1,350 | #1,188 |
| arte | art | #1,356 | #1,191 |
| visita | to visit | #1,357 | #1,353 |
| cantar | to sing | #1,359 | #1,570 |
| encontrado | to meet | #1,381 | #670 |
| enviar | to send | #1,401 | #1,872 |
| recuperar | to recover | #1,416 | #1,944 |
| valor | value | #1,420 | #1,275 |
| soldado | soldier | #1,427 | #1,439 |
| lÃder | leader | #1,442 | #1,708 |
| inocente | innocent | #1,447 | #1,360 |
| disparar | to shoot, to fire | #1,472 | #1,953 |
| flores | flower | #1,487 | #1,313 |
| nariz | nose | #1,493 | #1,640 |
| encontramos | to meet | #1,504 | #933 |
| unidos | united | #1,518 | #1,136 |
| gato | cat | #1,523 | #1,486 |
| lugares | place | #1,527 | #1,591 |
| estilo | style | #1,537 | #1,255 |
| números | number | #1,559 | #1,923 |
| verde | green | #1,561 | #1,561 |
| tv | TV | #1,570 | #1,905 |
| ridÃculo | ridiculous | #1,599 | #1,411 |
| humana | human | #1,623 | #1,739 |
| princesa | princess | #1,642 | #1,647 |
| calor | heat | #1,643 | #1,333 |
| colega | colleague | #1,646 | #1,559 |
| espada | sword, which is designed to cut, stab, slash and/or hack | #1,660 | #1,796 |
| iremos | to go | #1,661 | #1,135 |
| estúpida | stupid | #1,670 | #1,602 |
| polÃtica | politics | #1,675 | #1,553 |
| oferta | offer | #1,679 | #1,685 |
| tome | to take | #1,681 | #1,291 |
| absolutamente | absolutely; completely; entirely; totally; utterly; wholly | #1,701 | #1,342 |
| militar | military | #1,706 | #1,851 |
| prÃncipe | prince | #1,713 | #1,560 |
| encontraste | to meet | #1,722 | #1,855 |
| oeste | west | #1,777 | #1,696 |
| corte | to cut | #1,781 | #1,005 |
| universo | universe | #1,809 | #1,637 |
| internet | internet | #1,822 | #1,928 |
| bebe | to drink | #1,824 | #1,543 |
| imagino | to imagine | #1,864 | #1,786 |
| sexual | sexual | #1,906 | #1,777 |
| escrito | to write | #1,956 | #1,446 |
| completo | full, complete | #1,969 | #1,204 |
The overlap is the easy part.
The rest comes from using it with someone who speaks it.