Portuguese

Portugal is located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula, bordered by Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital is Lisbon, and it was once the center of a powerful maritime empire during the Age of Exploration. The region was known as Lusitania in Roman times, named after the Lusitanians, an ancient people who resisted Roman conquest. Portuguese culture is rich in Fado music, azulejos (painted tiles), and maritime traditions. Today, Portugal is a popular tourist destination known for its mild climate, scenic landscapes, and historic architecture.

The Portuguese Language

Portuguese is a Romance language that evolved from Latin, brought to the Iberian Peninsula by Roman settlers in the 3rd century BCE. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Germanic and later Moorish influences shaped the language. The first known Portuguese texts date from the 12th century, and the language was standardized in the 16th century. Portuguese spread globally through exploration and colonization, becoming the official language of countries such as Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, and East Timor. Today, Portuguese is the sixth most spoken language in the world, with over 250 million speakers.

European vs. Brazilian Portuguese

European and Brazilian Portuguese differ in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Brazilian Portuguese tends to have a more open and melodic tone, with distinct vowel sounds and more frequent use of the pronoun você for “you.” European Portuguese uses more complex verb tenses and often drops vowels in casual speech, creating a more closed sound. Brazilian Portuguese has also absorbed more indigenous and African influences, while European Portuguese retains more Latin-based structures. Though speakers from Portugal and Brazil can generally understand each other, slang and regional idioms can cause confusion.

Asterix in Portuguese

All Asterix albums have been translated into European Portuguese and most into Brazilian Portuguese. In Portugal, translations were published by Meribérica/Liber and Edições ASA, while Brazilian versions were published by Editorial Bruguera, Cedibra, and Record Distribuidora.