What Languages Are Spoken in Brazil? 2026 Guide
Brazil is the largest country in South America — and its language story is just as big. While Brazilian Portuguese is the official and dominant language, Brazil is home to more than 238 languages, including indigenous tongues, immigrant dialects, and a national sign language.
Whether you are a traveller, a student, or a business looking to expand into the Brazilian market, understanding the country’s linguistic landscape is essential. This guide covers everything you need to know about the languages spoken in Brazil in 2026.
Table of Contents
Brazilian Portuguese
Brazilian Portuguese is the official language of Brazil and the primary language used in schools, media, government, and business. It is spoken by the vast majority of the country’s population, making Brazil the most populous Portuguese-speaking nation in the world.
Brazilian Portuguese developed its own path over centuries. It was shaped by contact with indigenous languages, African languages brought by enslaved people, and later by waves of European and Asian immigrants. Words like abacaxi (pineapple), pipoca (popcorn), and catapora (chickenpox) all come from Tupi, an indigenous language once spoken along the Brazilian coast.
The differences between Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese are notable. They include differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, and even grammar. Linguists often compare the gap between the two varieties to the difference between British English and American English. With the implementation of the Orthographic Agreement of 1990, spelling norms between Brazil and Portugal were largely unified — Brazil enacted these changes in 2009 and Portugal in 2012.
If your business is targeting Brazilian audiences, using localised Brazilian Portuguese content is critical. Explore Elite Asia’s full range of language solutions to connect with Portuguese-speaking markets effectively.
You can also explore our guide on the most spoken languages in the world to see where Portuguese ranks on a global scale.
Brazilian Sign Language
Brazilian Sign Language, known as Libras (Língua Brasileira de Sinais), is the official sign language of the Brazilian deaf community. It was legally recognised as a means of communication and expression in 2002.
Libras is not simply a signed version of Portuguese. It is a fully independent language with its own phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. It developed from both an autochthonous (native) sign language and French Sign Language, making it similar to other European and American sign languages. In Portugal, a completely different sign language — Portuguese Sign Language (LGP) — is used.
Like spoken languages, Libras also has regional variations across Brazil’s federal states. At the municipal level, Libras has been made official in Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Ouro Preto, and Salvador. In Rio de Janeiro, its teaching was made compulsory within the municipal school system. April 24 is officially recognised as the National Day of Brazilian Sign Language.
Minority Languages
Despite Portuguese being the dominant language, Brazil is home to a rich array of minority languages. According to the president of IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics), there are an estimated 210 languages spoken in Brazil — 154 of which are Amerindian languages, with the rest brought by immigrants.
These minority languages are most concentrated in the rural south — where immigrant communities have preserved their heritage — and in the north, where indigenous populations maintain their native tongues.
Immigrant Languages
Brazil received large waves of immigration from the 19th century onwards. Many of these communities retained their languages for several generations, especially when they settled in close-knit rural communities in southern Brazil.
Understanding how languages survive across generations is key to appreciating Brazil’s linguistic diversity. Our article on language vs. dialect helps clarify the fine distinctions between a full language system and a regional speech variety — a distinction that is very relevant in the Brazilian context.
European Immigrant Languages
According to the 1940 census, German was the second most widely spoken language in Brazil after Portuguese. This may seem surprising given that Italian immigration far outnumbered German immigration — approximately 1.5 million Italians came to Brazil compared to only around 250,000 Germans by World War II.
The explanation lies in assimilation rates. Italian is much closer to Portuguese than German is, so Italian-speaking immigrants adopted Portuguese more quickly. German immigrants also maintained organised German-language schools for their children, while Italian communities centred their cultural life around the church and often sent their children to public Portuguese-speaking schools. The 1940 census showed 644,458 German home speakers compared to 458,054 Italian home speakers.
Key European immigrant languages in Brazil include:
- German and its dialects — including Hunsrik (Riograndenser Hunsrückisch), East Pomeranian, and Plautdietsch, spoken mainly in southern Brazil
- Italian and its dialects — including Talian (italiano riograndense, based on Venetian), spoken in the Serra Gaúcha region
- Polish — preserved in rural communities in Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Paraná
- Ukrainian — spoken by smaller communities mainly in Paraná
- Spanish — despite over 700,000 Spanish immigrants arriving between 1880 and 1930, only 74,000 people reported speaking Spanish at home in the 1940 census, due to rapid assimilation
One particularly notable language is Hunsrik, spoken by roughly 3,000,000 native speakers in Brazil. It derives from the Hunsrückisch dialect of German and is most prevalent in the rural south. More than 90% of residents of the small city of Presidente Lucena in Rio Grande do Sul speak Hunsrik.
For businesses needing content translated into European languages for Brazilian immigrant communities, understanding these nuances is important. Our piece on translation and localisation explains why true localisation goes far beyond word-for-word translation.
Asian Languages
In the city of São Paulo, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese languages can be heard in immigrant districts such as Liberdade. Brazil is home to the world’s largest Japanese-descendant community outside of Japan, numbering approximately 1.5 million people.
Japanese immigration to Brazil began officially on 18 June 1908, when the ship Kasato-Maru arrived at the Port of Santos carrying the first 781 Japanese immigrants. There are significant Japanese-speaking communities in São Paulo, Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará, and Amazonas. A Japanese-language newspaper, the São Paulo Shinbun, had been publishing print editions since 1946 — up until January 2019.
Some Chinese Brazilians, especially those from Macau, also speak Macanese (patuá), a Portuguese-based creole language, alongside Hakka, Mandarin, and Cantonese.
Given how deep Asia’s linguistic presence is in Brazil, businesses expanding into both markets would benefit from reading our overview of the most difficult languages in the world, which covers Japanese, Mandarin, and other complex language systems.
Bilingualism
Bilingualism is common in several regions of southern Brazil, where Portuguese and immigrant languages coexist on a daily basis. In some small towns in Rio Grande do Sul, German or Italian functions effectively as a second community language.
Spanish is understood to varying degrees by many Brazilians due to the two languages’ similarities. However, it is rarely spoken fluently by those who have not studied it specifically, as the phonological differences between the languages are substantial. On the border regions with Argentina and Uruguay, Brazilian students are increasingly being introduced to Spanish in schools.
Brazilian Roma also speak Caló, a mixed language that draws from both Portuguese and Romani. In Foz do Iguaçu, close to the borders with Paraguay and Argentina, Arabic is widely spoken — mostly by immigrants from Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.
To understand how multilingual societies handle communication across languages, our guide on interpreter vs translator provides helpful context on the professionals who bridge these language gaps.
Language Policy
Brazil’s 21st century has seen a significant growth in the movement to officially recognise minority languages at both the state and municipal level. The first municipality to adopt a co-official language was São Gabriel da Cachoeira in 2002, which gave official status to Nheengatu, Tukano, and Baniwa alongside Portuguese.
In 2010, the National Inventory of Linguistic Diversity was created to analyse proposals for revitalising minority languages. The Technical Commission of this body was established in 2019. In 2019, Bill No. 489 was also drafted to provide linguistic rights for Brazilians who use minority languages as their mother tongue.
For a broader look at how language policies shape communication across cultures, our article on cross-cultural interaction is a helpful read for anyone working across linguistic boundaries.
Classification of Languages as Linguistic or Cultural Heritage
Several Brazilian states and municipalities have taken formal steps to classify minority languages as part of their intangible cultural heritage.
Brazilian states with linguistic heritages officially approved statewide:
- Espírito Santo — Pomeranian and German
- Mato Grosso do Sul — Guarani Kaiowá, Terena, Kinikinau, Kadiwéu, Guató, and Ofayé
- Rio de Janeiro — Yoruba, Bantu, and Ewe
- Rio Grande do Sul — Talian and Riograndenser Hunsrückisch
- Roraima — Hixkaryána, Ingarikó, Jukude (Máku), Makuxí, Ninám, Pa tamóna (Kapóng), Sanumá, Taulipáng (Pemong), Waiwái, Wapixána, Yanomámi, Yekuána (Mayongóng)
- Santa Catarina — Talian and Riograndenser Hunsrückisch
Brazilian municipalities that have a language as intangible cultural heritage:
- Anta Gorda, Rio Grande do Sul — Talian
- Blumenau, Santa Catarina — German language
- Bom Despacho, Minas Gerais — Tabatinga language
- Capinzal, Santa Catarina — Talian
- Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul — Talian
- Harmonia, Rio Grande do Sul — German language
- Lajeado, Rio Grande do Sul — German language
- Mallet, Paraná — Polish and Ukrainian languages
- Marechal Floriano, Espírito Santo — Talian and Friulian
- Nova Hartz, Rio Grande do Sul — German language
- Salvador, Bahia — Yoruba language
- Santa Cruz do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul — German language
- São Pedro de Alcântara, Santa Catarina — Hunsrik language
- Venâncio Aires, Rio Grande do Sul — German language
- Veranópolis, Rio Grande do Sul — Talian
Language Co-officialisation
Beyond cultural heritage recognition, many Brazilian states and municipalities have gone further by officially co-officialising minority languages alongside Portuguese. This gives these languages a legal status in public life, including education and administration.
States that have co-official indigenous languages:
- Amapá — Kheuol Karipuna, Kheuól Galibi-Marworno, Parikwaki, Kali’na, Wajãpi, Tiriyó, Kaxuyana, Wayana, and Aparai
- Amazonas — Apurinã, Baniwa, Dessana, Kanamari, Marubo, Matis, Matses, Mawe, Mura, Nheengatu, Tariana, Tikuna, Tukano, Waiwai, Waimiri, and Yanomami
- Roraima — Hixkaryána, Ingarikó, Jukude (Máku, extinct), Makuxí, Ninám, Pa tamóna (Kapóng), Sanumá, Taulipáng (Pemong), Waiwái, Wapixána, Yanomámi, Yekuána (Mayongóng)
Municipalities that have co-official indigenous languages:
- Santo Antônio do Içá, Amazonas (Ticuna)
- São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Amazonas (Nheengatu, Tukano, and Baniwa)
- Porto Seguro, Bahia (Patxôhã)
- Santa Cruz Cabrália, Bahia (Patxôhã and Pataxó Sign Language)
- Crateús, Ceará (Kariri)
- Monsenhor Tabosa, Ceará (Nheengatu)
- Barra do Corda, Maranhão (Guajajara)
- Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso (Boe Bororo)
- Amambai, Mato Grosso do Sul (Guarani Kaiowá)
- Coronel Sapucaia, Mato Grosso do Sul (Guarani)
- Dois Irmãos do Buriti, Mato Grosso do Sul (Terena)
- Miranda, Mato Grosso do Sul (Terena, Kinikinau, Terena Sign Language)
- Tacuru, Mato Grosso do Sul (Guarani)
- Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais (Maxacali)
- São Félix do Xingu, Pará (Kayapo)
- João Câmara, Rio Grande do Norte (Tupi-Nheengatu)
- Bonfim, Roraima (Macushi and Wapishana)
- Cantá, Roraima (Macushi and Wapishana)
- José Boiteux, Santa Catarina (Xokleng)
- Itacajá, Tocantins (Krahô)
- Tocantínia, Tocantins (Xerénte)
Municipalities that have co-official East Pomeranian language:
- Afonso Cláudio, Espírito Santo (in the district of Mata Fria)
- Canguçu, Rio Grande do Sul (under approval)
- Domingos Martins, Espírito Santo
- Espigão d’Oeste, Rondônia
- Itarana, Espírito Santo
- Itueta, Minas Gerais
- Laranja da Terra, Espírito Santo
- Pancas, Espírito Santo
- Pomerode, Santa Catarina
- Santa Maria de Jetibá, Espírito Santo
- Vila Pavão, Espírito Santo
Municipalities that have co-official Friulian language:
- Ivorá, Rio Grande do Sul
Municipalities that have co-official German language:
- Blumenau, Santa Catarina
- Campina das Missões, Rio Grande do Sul
- José Boiteux, Santa Catarina
- Pomerode, Santa Catarina
- Santo Ângelo, Rio Grande do Sul
- São Bento do Sul, Santa Catarina
- São João do Oeste, Santa Catarina
- Ubiretama, Rio Grande do Sul
Municipalities that have co-official Italian language:
- Encantado, Rio Grande do Sul
- José Boiteux, Santa Catarina
- Santa Tereza, Espírito Santo
- Santo Ângelo, Rio Grande do Sul
- São Bento do Sul, Santa Catarina
- Venda Nova do Imigrante, Espírito Santo
Municipalities that have co-official Plattdüütsch language (or Plattdüütsch dialect):
- Palmeira, Paraná
- Westfália, Rio Grande do Sul
Municipalities that have co-official Polish language:
- Áurea, Rio Grande do Sul
- Campina das Missões, Rio Grande do Sul
- Carlos Gomes, Rio Grande do Sul
- Casca, Rio Grande do Sul
- Centenário, Rio Grande do Sul
- Dom Feliciano, Rio Grande do Sul
- Guarani das Missões, Rio Grande do Sul
- Horizontina, Rio Grande do Sul
- Ijuí, Rio Grande do Sul
- Itaiópolis, Santa Catarina
- Mallet, Paraná
- Nova Prata, Rio Grande do Sul
- Papanduva, Santa Catarina
- Paula Freitas, Paraná
- Santo Ângelo, Rio Grande do Sul
- São Bento do Sul, Santa Catarina
- Sete de Setembro, Rio Grande do Sul
- São Mateus do Sul, Paraná
- Ubiretama, Rio Grande do Sul
- Vista Alegre do Prata, Rio Grande do Sul
Municipalities that have co-official Riograndenser Hunsrückisch language:
- Antônio Carlos, Santa Catarina
- Ijuí, Rio Grande do Sul
- Ipumirim, Santa Catarina
- Harmonia, Rio Grande do Sul
- Horizontina, Rio Grande do Sul
- Treze Tílias, Santa Catarina (language teaching is compulsory in schools)
- Santa Maria do Herval, Rio Grande do Sul
- Barão, Rio Grande do Sul
Municipalities with co-official Russian language:
- Campina das Missões, Rio Grande do Sul
Municipalities that have co-official Talian language (or Venetian dialect):
- Anta Gorda, Rio Grande do Sul
- Antônio Prado, Rio Grande do Sul
- Barão, Rio Grande do Sul
- Bento Gonçalves, Rio Grande do Sul
- Camargo, Rio Grande do Sul
- Casca, Rio Grande do Sul
- Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul
- Chopinzinho, Paraná
- Coronel Pilar, Rio Grande do Sul
- Cotiporã, Rio Grande do Sul
- Doutor Ricardo, Rio Grande do Sul
- Fagundes Varela, Rio Grande do Sul
- Farroupilha, Rio Grande do Sul
- Flores da Cunha, Rio Grande do Sul
- Garibaldi, Rio Grande do Sul
- Gentil, Rio Grande do Sul
- Guabiju, Rio Grande do Sul
- Guaporé, Rio Grande do Sul
- Guarani das Missões, Rio Grande do Sul
- Horizontina, Rio Grande do Sul
- Ijuí, Rio Grande do Sul
- Ipumirim, Santa Catarina
- Ivorá, Rio Grande do Sul
- Marau, Rio Grande do Sul
- Monte Belo do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul
- Nova Bassano, Rio Grande do Sul
- Nova Erechim, Santa Catarina
- Nova Pádua, Rio Grande do Sul
- Nova Prata, Rio Grande do Sul
- Nova Roma do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul
- Paraí, Rio Grande do Sul
- Pinto Bandeira, Rio Grande do Sul
- Putinga, Rio Grande do Sul
- São Jorge, Rio Grande do Sul
- São Miguel do Oeste, Santa Catarina
- Serafina Corrêa, Rio Grande do Sul
- Silveira Martins, Rio Grande do Sul
- União da Serra, Rio Grande do Sul
- Venda Nova do Imigrante, Espírito Santo
- Veranópolis, Rio Grande do Sul
- Vila Flores, Rio Grande do Sul
- Vila Maria, Rio Grande do Sul
- Vista Alegre do Prata, Rio Grande do Sul
Municipalities that have co-official Trentinian language (or Trentinian dialect):
- Laurentino, Santa Catarina
- Rodeio, Santa Catarina
Municipalities that have co-official Ukrainian language:
- Itaiópolis, Santa Catarina
- Mallet, Paraná
- Papanduva, Santa Catarina
- Paula Freitas, Paraná
- Prudentópolis, Paraná
Officialisation in Education
Beyond co-official status, some municipalities have gone a step further by making specific minority languages mandatory subjects in local schools. This reflects a growing commitment to preserving linguistic heritage through formal education.
Municipalities in which the teaching of the German language is mandatory:
- Nova Petrópolis, Rio Grande do Sul
- Blumenau, Santa Catarina
- Treze Tílias, Santa Catarina
Municipalities in which the teaching of the Hunsrik language is mandatory:
- Nova Hartz, Rio Grande do Sul
Municipalities in which the teaching of the Italian language is mandatory:
- Venda Nova do Imigrante, Espírito Santo
- Francisco Beltrão, Paraná
- Antônio Prado, Rio Grande do Sul
- Brusque, Santa Catarina
- Criciúma, Santa Catarina
For a deeper understanding of how language education connects to cultural identity, our article on 50 most unique and beautiful cultures around the world offers a compelling global perspective.
43 Indigenous Languages
Brazil is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world when it comes to indigenous languages. As of 2023, approximately 217 indigenous languages are spoken across the country — though most have very small speaker populations. In 2005, no indigenous language in Brazil was spoken by more than 40,000 people.
The most widely spoken indigenous languages include:
- Ticuna (language isolate)
- Kaingang (Gean family)
- Kaiwá Guarani
- Nheengatu (Tupian)
- Guajajára (Tupian)
- Macushi (Cariban)
- Terena (Arawakan)
- Xavante (Gean)
- Mawé (Tupian)
- Tucano (Tucanoan) — widely used as a second language in the Amazon
Nheengatu has a particularly fascinating history. Once the common tongue of indigenous, European, African, and mixed-heritage peoples along Brazil’s coast, it was banned by the Marquis of Pombal in 1758 for its association with Jesuit missions. It has since made a comeback and is today an official language in São Gabriel da Cachoeira. In July 2023, the Brazilian Constitution of 1988 was translated into Nheengatu for the first time.
Brazil’s indigenous language families span a vast typological range, including Tupían, Arawakan, Cariban, Macro-Jê, Tucanoan, Pano–Takanan, Yanomaman, and many more — with over 43 recognised language isolates and families.
There are also indigenous sign languages in Brazil, including Ka’apor Sign Language, Terena Sign Language, Marajo Sign Language, and Maxakali Sign Language.
To understand how ancient languages survive — and sometimes vanish — our guide on the oldest languages in the world puts Brazil’s indigenous tongues in a fascinating historical context.
FAQ: Languages Spoken in Brazil
The top three languages spoken in Brazil are Brazilian Portuguese (the official language, spoken by nearly all of the population), German (especially through dialects like Hunsrik and East Pomeranian in southern Brazil), and Italian (primarily in the form of Talian in the Serra Gaúcha region). Japanese and indigenous languages such as Nheengatu and Ticuna also have significant speaker communities.
Many Brazilians understand some Spanish due to its similarities with Portuguese, but relatively few speak it fluently without formal study. The phonological differences between the two languages make spoken Spanish much harder to acquire passively. In border regions with Spanish-speaking countries like Argentina and Uruguay, Spanish is more commonly spoken.
No — Brazil has one official national language, Portuguese. However, the country recognises dozens of co-official languages at the state and municipal level, and is home to over 238 languages in total. Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) is also officially recognised as a language of the Brazilian deaf community.
In Brazilian Portuguese, the most common way to say hello is “Olá” (formal) or “Oi” (informal). “Oi” is by far the most widely used greeting in everyday conversation across Brazil. You may also hear “Tudo bem?” (How are you?) used as a combined greeting and inquiry.
English is not widely spoken across Brazil as a whole, though it is more commonly found in large cities, tourist areas, and business contexts. Brazil ranks relatively low on the EF English Proficiency Index compared to other large economies. For international businesses communicating with Brazilian partners or consumers, professional Portuguese translation remains essential. Our languages page outlines the full range of language services available for the Brazilian market.
German became so prominent in Brazil due to the strong cultural cohesion of German immigrant communities, who established German-language schools and preserved the language across generations. The 1940 census found 644,458 German home speakers — more than the number of Italian speakers, despite far fewer German immigrants having arrived. German is closer to languages like Plautdietsch and Hunsrik that formed in isolation, helping those dialects survive even longer.
Our article on the most difficult languages in the world explores why German, as a highly structured language, has proven so resilient in community settings abroad.
As of 2023, approximately 217 indigenous languages are spoken in Brazil. Most are concentrated in the Amazon Basin and northern Brazil. The indigenous language families represented include Tupían, Arawakan, Cariban, Macro-Jê, Tucanoan, and many others. Despite this diversity, many of these languages are endangered, with some having only a handful of remaining speakers.
Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese are mutually intelligible, but they differ significantly in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. Brazilians and Portuguese speakers can understand each other in most contexts, but the differences are substantial enough that content made for one market is often unsuitable for the other without adaptation. Brazilian Portuguese also absorbed words from Tupi, African languages, German, and Italian — giving it a distinct character not found in European Portuguese.
This distinction is crucial for businesses. Using European Portuguese for a Brazilian audience — or vice versa — can come across as awkward or even incorrect. To understand how these regional differences affect content strategy, read our guide on translation and localisation.
Ready to Communicate in Brazilian Portuguese?
Brazil’s linguistic landscape is one of the richest in the world. From Brazilian Portuguese and Libras to Hunsrik, Talian, and 200+ indigenous languages, the country’s language story reflects centuries of migration, colonisation, and cultural resilience.
If you are a business looking to reach Brazilian audiences — whether for marketing, legal documents, websites, or customer support — professional, localised translation is the key to getting it right.
Explore Elite Asia’s language services today and connect with expert translators who specialise in Brazilian Portuguese and dozens of other languages across Asia and beyond.
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