Why I Mix Portuguese and Spanish at Home
Living in Brazil as an expat who speaks both Spanish and Portuguese has given my kids a unique language playground. At home, our days are mostly in Portuguese, but I’ve woven in Spanish through bedtime stories and weekend cartoons. It’s not about replacing one language with another—it’s about giving them a bridge between two cultures they’re growing up around.
When I started, I noticed something interesting: the Portuguese Vocabulary we already used at home became a tool for explaining new Spanish words. The kids didn’t see Spanish as a “foreign” language; they saw it as a cousin of what they already spoke. That closeness made them curious rather than intimidated.
How Cartoons Can Teach More Than Vocabulary
Spanish-language cartoons bring more than just dialogue—they’re a window into different rhythms, jokes, and cultural references. Shows from Mexico might have a slower, clearer delivery, while Argentinian animations come with unique slang and musical intonation.
For my kids, cartoons are where they first heard Spanish numbers in action, picked up gracias and por favor, and started recognizing that mamá and mamãe mean the same thing. By pausing an episode and asking them questions in Portuguese—“O que ele falou agora?”—I could make the link explicit without turning it into a lesson.
Cultural gem: Brazilian streaming services often offer Spanish audio tracks alongside Portuguese ones. Switching languages while keeping Portuguese subtitles can ease the transition for younger viewers.
Books as Bridges
Children’s books in Spanish offer a slower, more deliberate way to introduce language. My strategy is to read them first in Portuguese, then again in Spanish, pointing out familiar words and phrases. When a tricky word comes up, I relate it to our Portuguese Vocabulary—sometimes it’s nearly identical, sometimes the similarity is a clue that leads them to guess correctly.
Over time, my kids began to ask for la historia del dragón instead of a história do dragão. The change wasn’t forced—it grew naturally from hearing the same stories told in both languages.
Portuguese Vocabulary — Useful for Explaining Spanish to Kids
| Portuguese | English | Usage Tip |
|---|---|---|
| palavra parecida | similar word | Use when Spanish and Portuguese words look alike. |
| som diferente | different sound | Point out changes in pronunciation. |
| história | story | Works in both languages with minor changes. |
| personagem | character | Identify familiar characters across versions. |
| frase | sentence | Compare Spanish and Portuguese sentence structure. |
| significado | meaning | Ask kids to guess before explaining. |
| palavra nova | new word | Keep a list of new Spanish terms learned. |
| entender | to understand | Check comprehension in both languages. |
| repetir | to repeat | Encourage repeating phrases in Spanish. |
| comparar | to compare | Prompt them to spot similarities/differences. |
Conversations
Português: Você entendeu o que o personagem disse agora?
English: Did you understand what the character just said?
Português: Essa palavra em espanhol é parecida com qual palavra em português?
English: This Spanish word is similar to which Portuguese word?
Português: Vamos repetir juntos: “Buenas noches.”
English: Let’s repeat together: “Good evening.”
Português: Tá vendo? É igual, só muda o som. (Informal, friendly)
English: See? It’s the same, only the sound changes.
Português: O que você acha que essa frase significa?
English: What do you think this sentence means?
Blending Cultures in a Bilingual Home
By using Portuguese as the base for explaining Spanish, I’m not just teaching a language—I’m showing how the two cultures overlap and differ. When my kids watch a Spanish cartoon and hear helado, they instantly think of sorvete. When a storybook says caminar, they remember caminhar. The familiarity builds confidence, and that confidence makes them more willing to speak up and try.
Insider tip: Make it playful. Create a “word of the day” from the cartoon or book, and challenge your kids to use it at least three times in conversation that day.
Making It a Family Habit
The real magic happens when the whole family participates. Switching from Portuguese to Spanish at storytime becomes normal, not a special event. Asking about characters’ choices in both languages keeps everyone engaged. And because the base language at home is Portuguese, the kids never feel like Spanish is replacing anything—it’s just another layer in the way we connect.
Introducing kids to Spanish cartoons and books while living in Brazil is more than a language project—it’s a cultural investment. It sharpens their ears, broadens their worldview, and strengthens the link between two languages that will open doors for them in the future.
If you’re blending Portuguese and Spanish at home, I’d love to hear which shows, books, or little tricks have worked for you. Drop your experiences in the comments—we can all build a richer Portuguese Vocabulary for raising multilingual kids.