I have been learning Portuguese for a number of years now, but still find it almost impossible to understand it when spoken by native Portuguese. The problem is that the actual words bear almost no resemblance to the sounds as spoken.
To illustrate this I have chosen a few extracts from a recent Shortie (Jantar Na Nova Casa) which i have transcribed phonetically. I have used only ordinary letters, not the official phonetic signs.
- ‘Peco-te que deixas os teus sapatos’
This is how it sounds:
PESST K DESHESH TADSAPATCH. - ‘Claro que sim. Se soubesse tinha trazido as minhas melhores meias’.
Sounds like:
CLARKSI. SESOBESSE NYETRAZIDESH MYESH MYORESHMAYASH. - ‘Ele nao traz aquela colega dele’
Sounds like
EEL NAOO TRAZ AKIELA CLEGA DEEL. - ‘Sabes que eu preciso de espaco’
Sounds like
SABSHKEOO PSIDSPASSOO.
I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point.
This not only creates big problems for anyone trying to learn this language and being able to communicate with others, but I also wonder how Portuguese primary school children learning how to write their language manage to cope, having previously only experienced listening to it.