This tutorial was produced with the understanding that a solid grasp of the Portuguese language will assist in the development of good capoeiristas. You can study Karate and not learn to speak Japanese. You can be a great ballerina without being fluent in French or Russian. But without a solid grasp on Brazilian Portuguese, the capoeirista is missing out on half of what is happening in the roda. The more fluent the student is in Portuguese, the more literate they can be in the roda.

How to use this tutorial

Click on one of the links to the left to access the lesson. Study the lesson and memorize the vocabulary lists. When you feel like you're ready, move on to the workbook for that chapter.

When you successfully complete a workbook assignment you are given a code. This code should be writtten down because you'll need it to access the next workbook section.

What this tutorial is

This tutorial was designed to give a quick introduction to Brazilian Portuguese with specific emphasis on vocabulary common to Capoeira. Rather than focusing on verbage that will rarely if ever be used, it attempts to teach relevant content that can be immediately applied.

After finishing the entire tutorial students should have encountered the most important rules governing Portugese grammar. They will also have a vocabulary that has armed them with the ability to speak on many subjects in the context of capoeira. It is also a good platform on which to base a deeper study of the language.

What this tutorial is not

This tutorial was not designed to be an exhaustive course covering all aspects of Portuguese grammar, syntax, or slang. The author is a native English speaker that passes on many helpful hints and shortcuts while pointing out common mistakes and roadblocks to learning.

Vocabulary should be supplemented with your own study from a reliable Portuguese/English dictionary. We recommend you practice what you have learned by talking to native Brazilian, and by teaching what you know to others. Just like every other part of capoeira, the more you train, the better you get.