Speak Brazilian Portuguese fluently.

For learners of any level or age, Semantica replaces books, classrooms and bad apps with stories that will teach you Portuguese. These are video stories of real life in Brazil made with actors speaking the language slowly and clearly. If you dream of really speaking Portuguese naturally & fluently, let us show you how. It's a better and more engaging way to learn.

Semantica Portuguese

Learn Brazilian Portuguese through Storytelling.

A better method for

Learning Portuguese

Every picture tells a story

Learning Portuguese via stories is such a powerful method because it links language to context with images & sounds.

A better method for Learning Portuguese
the most important and useful grammar and vocabulary Brazilians actually use.
Learning Portuguese via stories is such a powerful method because it links language to context with images & sounds.

Master what's important

Each chapter teaches you the most important and useful grammar and vocabulary Brazilians actually use.

You're in control

You decide where to jump in. You're free to study any of the stories - at any level. Pause your account easily, and resume when you're ready to.

Stress less, learn better

You'll build real confidence by making your mistakes in front of your screen - not a live person. Portuguese speech recognition now works so well that you'll soon be talking to it like a friend with feedback in real-time.

Brazil is waiting for você!

Make 2024 the year you finally learn Portuguese.

We're better, and we're less expensive.

Learn Portuguese with Stories of real-life situations.

James

I’m James. Through years of teaching Portuguese, one thing stands out: We’re hardwired to find stories more memorable than plain facts. When we hear a story being told our brains light up. Suddenly, we’re processing emotions and images, trying to make sense of it all. We’re learning!

Our not boring story-based program will will teach you Portuguese quickly and effectively and do so with a minimum of grammar teaching.

The best way to learn Portuguese is through stories.

Get started today.

Your life. It has a beginning, a long middle, and an end. There are many heroes,
sometimes villains, and multiple plot twists along the way. We tell each other stories with
language. A well told story is extremely memorable. Did you know you will learn a
language faster using storytelling techniques?

Research shows us the 3 keys to learning a second language:

Context + Purpose & Connections

* Storytelling brings all three of this together.

Can you remember the last time you told someone a story? You added context and details about your life. You were telling the story for a reason. And, you were probably talking to a person. We’ve developed, tested, and refined a natural approach to teaching Portuguese through storytelling. You can learn Portuguese using the system we’ve used to help thousands. I’m convinced that if you can learn a story, you can learn the language. It’s a radical approach, and it works. Take my course. Learn Brazilian Portuguese with Semantica, and love the process.

If you’re looking for a free Portuguese course, or just want to pick up some vocabulary,
I recommend Duolingo for that.

Memberships
Don't take our word for it.
  • Hi James, 
    I used semantica when I first started learning Portuguese - it was my miracle. I instantly brought a 6month subscription. I adore your program and I’ve been waiting for the chance to get it again and eventually move on to the advanced stories. Learning Portuguese is my dream, my goal of living in Brazil one day.

    Indigo Kelly Indigo Kelly
  • Love, love, love Semantica! I'm a visual learner and especially so with pictures. That makes this method perfect for me. Auditory-based programs just don't work for visual learners and other visual-based programs are boring. Semantica is AWESOME!

    Mary Lea Mary Lea
  • I'm sorry but I won't be renewing my Semantica subscription. Not because I'm unhappy, but because you succeeded - I am now fluent enough in Portuguese that I feel that the lessons are no longer a help! While I am waiting for covid to die down so that I can return to Brasil, I'm getting my daily dose of Portuguese listening to CBN, reading Folha de SP, and talking on WhatsApp with my Brasilian friends.

    The novella format lessons and the private tutoring I had through Semantica were fantastic. 

    Douglas Steele Douglas Steele
  • I just wanted to say that your course is very good. I started learning Portuguese there in 2016 and I bought your course at that time. I am American from Ohio and I moved to Rio de Janeiro at the end of 2018. I have lived here in the city since then. Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for your course. Just like Rio, it’s wonderful.

    Justin Cartwright Justin Cartwright
  • Every course i'd attempted before this was just a slog through conjugations and grammar that i barely understood, and which seemed so unrelated to the spoken language i was hearing on my visits to Brazil.

    Nicolas Jones Nicolas Jones
  • I am married to a Brazilian, but it took years before she would speak Brazilian with me. She said what I was learning was not the way she spoke Portuguese. Then I started with Semantica Portuguese, and about two thirds of the way through O Encontro she started to speak Portuguese with me.

    Philip Lipetz Philip Lipetz
  • Muito Obrigado!

    I renewed primarily because I recently met a woman from Fortaleza. She just recently arrived in the U.S. Since she barely speaks any English, she and I are conversing primarily in Portuguese. Our Portuguese conversations are going quite well, in fact. And I’m even teaching her English!

    Thanks for helping me learn Portuguese, for my new friend!

    Alan Richardson
  • This is a FANTASTIC program!! The very best!! The explanations are super-clear, the introducing of idiomatic expressions is so useful, and the videos and sound-clips are amazing. The perfect balance between learning the language and the Brazilian culture as well!!

    Elizabeth Fraser Elizabeth Fraser
  • I love the new series. The best part is the breakdown where the American jumps in and recaps the lesson and when Monica speaks both English and Portuguese. Love it! These are great!!! Best series yet for teaching.

    Bill Cynecki Bill Cynecki
  • Que bom! At last this is the best!!I tried Rosetta but had to return it because it was boring and too slow moving. Semantica is entertaining and easy to follow. You don't lose focus because it's like watching a movie broken down into small clips. They teach you real life scenarios as opposed to learning phrases here and there that have no use in real life. I just wish they would hurry up and come out with more.

    Julio C. Andrade Julio C. Andrade
  • Semantica has helped exponentially with my listening! I spent my first couple of months in Brazil not studying but speaking daily. I learned nothing new and was disappointed by my lack of progress as everyone said immersion would work wonders. Not for me. After one week of returning to studies my listening comprehension improved drastically!

    Antoinette Guest Antoinette Guest
  • Gostei muito! I think your company is part of the "new wave" of language learning concepts such as the up and coming "Fluenz". What I like about your program is that it is an "enjoyable experience" as opposed to a "learning lesson". It puts you "there".

    James Best James Best
  • Very impressed - after doing Pimsleur I am needing to get access to more real-life scenarios and listen to conversations. This is great!

    Mairi
  • Love this course. I'm a total beginner with Brazilian Portuguese, yet in my language learning history I have purchased practically every course out there. The thing that puts Semantica above all the rest is simple. They understand that language is about sharing human interest and they do this through their story driven content. I literally couldn't wait to make time to watch the next video and find out what happens next - and of course, in doing so, you learn how to say it too. Such a great tool for keeping up motivation and interest. Full marks from me and I thoroughly recommend this to anyone who finds the usual robotic method of many of the other courses out there a little dull

    Jim Hoyle Jim Hoyle
  • I listened to series 1 a hundred times, and really got it. Then I tried series 2, listened to that one hundred times, and got that. I'll take part3 as soon as it's available!!

    SamTheHammer (youtube name)
  • Wow! Finally something much more fun to watch and learn. Does anyone know where the rest of the series can be found? I need this for my staff -- and of course myself. This is very well done and not "canned" like so many others. I travel to Brazil often and after using this DVD it was a whole lot easier to figure out the language and people skills!

    JacquelineAnne
  • Great Language course! Of all the Brazilian Portuguese Podcasts available on iTunes this was the best so far! What is good about this podcast is the VIDEO! I lived in Brazil two years and the video is realistic and greatly enhances the learning experience.

    Umjeito
  • I have been using your site for a couple of weeks now, and I have to say that I'm blown away by how fun and engaging the lessons are! One of my hobbies is learning languages and I've come across more language learning sites/platforms than I can count. Semantica is unique in using video and stories as a medium to teach Portuguese.

    Patrick Odenborg Patrick Odenborg
  • Your series of videos are truly helping me.  Each short video is outstanding in quality; they are refined and polished.  Sometime ago, in the 1980's, there was a TV show in Japan called "Yan and the Japanese People".   It was designed to help native English speakers living in Japan to better communicate in Japanese and understand the culture.  Similar to your Series 1, the show taught by means of a story of an American, called Yan, who was new to the country.  Your videos are accomplishing for Brazilian Portuguese learners what that old show did for learners of Japanese.  Well, at least it is for me!  In fact, I think your videos are superior in several ways.

    Damon Young
  • I find that this program totally engaging, and my comprehension curve is climbing quite incredibly; really, congratulations for a really fine and affordable tool and especially the varied and practical exposure to aspects of actual life and situations (as opposed to the deadly "Lisa gets up at 8 a.m. and has breakfast" type of language course staples most systems feature).

    Thomas Petruso
  • I’ve been so impressed and engaged with what you guys have done. This is by far THE best language learning tool I’ve ever come across for helping maintain motivation and interest; and I’ve bought them all over the years =)

    Jim Hoyle
  • I just wanted to write that this first lesson was great! I’m through lesson 24 on the beginner and thought I’d check these out to see what’s waiting for me when I’m done with those. The breakdown was wonderful – and I love the grammar/vocab animations at the top. Really great job!!!

    Emily
  • Gostei muito os videos novos. The HD format is so clear and gives the feel of really being in Brazil. I loved Series 1 and now finally we have Series 2. The stories are all interesting and if I listen hard I can understand quite a bit of them the first time. It is quite fast and there are a lot of new words. Great, because I need to learn more! I’ve been to Brazil twice for several weeks each time and can’t wait to go back again.Thanks for making these videos!

    Steve Hale
  • Estou assistindo a lição sobre o Central de Atendimento. Nossa, MUITO UTIL! Um aspeto da língua muito difícil é conseguire falar e entender português no telefone. This series is great! Vocês estão de parabéns.

    Elena
  • I cant wait for this i love the series you’ve done so far, it so useful to learn this way, you guys are doing an amazing job! btw who sings that version of ‘mas que nada’ at the end of the first “eu vou” video? Thanks!

    riley1805
  • …the grammar topics have really helped me in a way that no teacher or grammar book has done before.

    Obrigada, Diana
  • just wanna say great program, went to Rio recently and the semantica web program helped me a lot!

    Jae Hun
  • Great! I Absolutely love it. My old girlfriend is a Carioca and she thinks this is the best tool she has seen.

    Wayne Burgess
  • I love these sessions! It’s awesome to see people speak Portuguese and then get the “breakdown”! I can’t believe how much more I’m picking up now than when I started. Thanks for a great program, and all your hard work.

    Pamela
  • Without even knowing you and your staff you seem like your hearts are really into it and you truly care. For me the program was/is a great refresher and motivator to start to learn more.

    C. J. Eccher
  • Language opens new doors of opportunity, and I owe it to Semantica.

    Sam Derzie
  • There is no other system that would have allowed me to learn all these tenses, as I just don’t have the capacity to memorize…but your system of the pronunciation videos, the telenovela part and the breakdowns, really holds a person’s interest. Weird thing is, I never watch telenovelas either in English or Portuguese. I wish you success!

    Ramona
  • Until I found Semantica Portuguese, I used the traditional rinse-and-repeat way of learning. Semantica completely kicked in the door with professional HD video, native speakers at speed, and amazing onsite locations with real life dialog.

    Mike Morgan
  • Hi James! I used the Semantica video for the third time teaching at Alma College. The course was super intensive. We had 14 students--six of which were native Spanish speakers. This time, I had them watch the video outside of class and I taught "straight up" grammar for the first 10-15 hours (3-5 hours per day of class for 3.5 weeks). At the end, they had learned more than what I teach in an entire year sequence during a normal semester of Spanish. It was great!

    Mary Ellen Brines
  • Acabou!!!! this was an incredible course guys. Great great job! I learned so much. My listening skills from nothing, to understanding a big portion of the conversations. I hope you guys keep adding to the library of videos. I plan on reviewing every single video once more…

    Bruno
  • Obrigada James, after going over the videos again and again, it starts to make sense. It’s a whole new ballgame trying to figure out the masculine & femine nouns. The practice modules are extremely helpful also! I’m really enjoying this program, it’s made learning Portuguese fun!

    Tammy
  • I have learned far more with your course than I ever did with my language teacher! it is perfectly paced for me as Portuguese is my third romance language! Muito obrigada Semantica! I would love to know the names of the actors for Paul and Raquel, if you could please tell me - they are great! :)

    Samantha
  • I really enjoyed the course and got quite involved with the characters in the lessons. By the time I finished I really felt I was moving up to the next stage of language learning, far beyond any level I’ve reached in any language before.

    Bryan Woodward
  • I love your format and multiple ways you teach (the pronunciation videos, videos with subtitles, breakdowns, grammar videos, mini tests) all great and well-structured. Keep up the good work.

    Tari T.
  • I just want to say thanks! I started watching your videos back in 2012 and have since then almost lived in São Paulo for two years, bouncing around back and forth from USA. May 7th I will be getting married in São Paulo to my beautiful Brazilian bride. A lot of gratitude goes to you and your team because of this. I was speaking semi-fluently when I met Camila. Otherwise I would have had no chance!!! :)

    Brandon Bell
  • Great course, super-helpful, I am making progress very quickly. Thank you for this!

    Jason Korte
  • I like the way this program has been developed. Besides the fun in learning a new language I keep coming back to see in which direction the “Paul & Raquel” relationship is headed.

    Bruce Sidwell
  • I LOVED the dialogue section! Great stories with awesome actors. It was so fun to watch the stories unfold! Thanks so much, Semantica, for this classy way to learn Portuguese! I look forward to future stories!

    K Mack
  • I get easily bored and then my mind wanders. I learn best by soaking up a language through my skin - through music, street dialogue, drama and animated voices. Semantica is the one course which hit the sweet spot! Great visuals and music. Captivating characters and stories.

    Stefan Freedman Stefan Freedman
  • Love, love, love Semantica! I'm a visual learner and especially so with pictures. That makes this method perfect for me. Auditory-based programs just don't work for visual learners and other visual based programs are boring. Semantica is AWESOME!

    M L Tucker
  • It’s crazy to think about, but I don’t know where my language proficiency would be without this course. Rosetta Stone and Duolingo helped me out so much, but just seeing the situational day to day talk really solidified my understanding and speaking ability. I’ve been to Brazil twice now and have gotten by almost completely sem problema. Nao posso esperar a voltar!

    Seth
  • Hi everybody from Semantica! I just want to let you know that you are doing a great job! Hands down the best learning experience for me personally 🙂 Hope to see more of these “streetdialogs” .

    Alan from Norway
  • I understood about 80%! Granted, I have been learning Portuguese for about 6 months now but let me tell you something, my listening comp was NOTHING like it is now after just 8 days of using Semantica Portuguese. Muito obrigada!

    Phaedra Phaedra
  • Semantica was an incredibly motivating tool when I took it into my head to learn PT-BR nearly two years ago. I can say that I have come to really love Portuguese,  though I have yet to visit Brazil.

    Mark Brest

Acabar in Portuguese vs. Acabar de

We’ve written about ACABAR de before — because it’s such a useful combination. When you place a de after acabar, it takes on the meaning of, to have just. ACABAR in Portuguese by itself means: to end, to end-up, to finish. Everyone gets these mixed-up (confundida) ~ That DE makes all the difference! Use ACABAR…

🇧🇷 Making Portuguese easy.

acabar

Free posts until you're done.