GCSE Portuguese Vocabulary List

Preparing for the GCSE Portuguese exam can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to memorising the vocabulary youll need for the reading, writing, listening and speaking sections. This page gives you a clear, organised overview of the most important word groups, tips on how to study them efficiently, and a few useful resources to support your revision.

Why Vocabulary Matters in GCSE Portuguese

The GCSE assessment framework rewards fluency and accuracy. Even if you have a solid grasp of grammar, limited vocabulary will restrict your ability to express ideas, answer questions fully, and demonstrate comprehension. A strong lexical repertoire helps you:

• Describe people, places and events with detail.
• Talk about everyday topics such as family, school, leisure and health.
• Understand the subtleties of questions in the listening paper.
• Write cohesive paragraphs and short essays in the writing paper.

Core Word Groups

The exam board divides the syllabus into thematic units. Below is a concise list of the most frequently tested lexical fields, together with example words and phrases.

1. Personal Information & Daily Life

English	Portuguese
Name	nome
Age	idade
Birthday	aniversrio
Address	endereo
Telephone	telefone
School	escola
Classroom	sala de aula
Homework	deveres de casa
Friend	amigo / amiga
Family	famlia

2. Food & Drink

English	Portuguese
Breakfast	pequeno-almoo
Lunch	almoo
Dinner	jantar
Snack	lanche
Fruit	fruta
Vegetable	legume
Meat	carne
Fish	peixe
Water	gua
Juice	sumo

3. School Subjects & Activities

English	Portuguese
Mathematics	matemtica
Science	cincias
History	histria
Geography	geografia
English	ingls
Physical Education	educao fsica
Music	msica
Art	arte
Homework	deveres de casa
Project	projecto

4. Health & Wellbeing

English	Portuguese
Doctor	mdico / mdica
Hospital	hospital
Illness	doena
Headache	dor de cabea
Exercise	exerccio
Sleep	sono
Stress	estresse / stress
Medication	medicao
Healthy	saudvel
Unhealthy	no saudvel

5. Leisure & Hobbies

English	Portuguese
Music	msica
Film	filme
Reading	leitura
Sport	desporto
Football	futebol
Basketball	basquetebol
Swimming	natao
Gaming	jogos
Travel	viagem
Holiday	feriado / frias

Study Strategies

Knowing the words is only half the battle. Here are proven techniques to turn passive recognition into active recall.

1. Spaced Repetition

Use a digital flashcard app (e.g., Anki, Quizlet) and schedule review sessions: the day you learn a word, then 2 days later, a week later, and finally a month later. The algorithm automatically presents the cards you struggle with more often.

2. Thematic Clustering

Instead of memorising random lists, group words by topic. When you study Food & Drink, also think of typical meals, cooking verbs (cozinhar, fritar) and adjectives (doce, salgado). This creates mental connections that aid recall during the exam.

3. Active Usage

Write short sentences or dialogues using the new vocabulary. Aim for at least three different contexts per word. For example, with futebol you could write a sentence about a match you watched, a practice session, and an invitation to a friend.

4. Listening Practice

Find a Portuguese song, podcast, or short news clip and write down every word you recognise. Afterwards, compare your list with a transcript and note any unfamiliar terms. Relisten and try to understand the whole segment without subtitles.

5. Speaking Aloud

Set a timer for one minute and talk about a topic (e.g., My weekend plans). Record yourself, then check the vocabulary you used against a checklist. This reveals gaps and builds confidence for the speaking paper.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

• Translating wordforword. Portuguese often uses different prepositions or verb structures. Practice whole phrases rather than isolated words.
• Confusing false friends. Actual means current, not real. Keep a small list of false cognates and review it weekly.
• Neglecting gender and plural forms. Write nouns with their articles (o carro, a casa) and always note the plural (os carros, as casas).
• Ignoring pronunciation. Mispronouncing a word can affect comprehension. Use online dictionaries with audio (e.g., Forvo) to mimic native stress patterns.

Helpful Online Resources

• Duolingo Portuguese Bitesize lessons that reinforce vocabulary through repetition.
• Quizlet Search for GCSE Portuguese vocab and use existing flashcard decks.
• Luso Portugal Offers listening exercises aimed at GCSE level.
• Memrise Communitymade courses focusing on thematic word groups.
• Cambridge International GCSE Portuguese Specification The official syllabus, useful for checking the required word list.

Sample MiniTest

Try this quick quiz to gauge your current level. Write the Portuguese equivalent of each English word or phrase. Check your answers at the bottom.

1. Homework
2. Healthy
3. Breakfast
4. Friends
5. Travel
6. Doctor
7. Maths
8. Swimming pool
9. Birthday party
10. Stress

Answers

• deveres de casa
• saudvel
• pequenoalmoco
• amigos / amigas
• viagem
• mdico / mdica
• matemtica
• piscina
• festa de aniversrio
• estresse / stress

Final Tips

Set a realistic goal e.g., master 15 new words per day.
Mix passive (flashcards) and active (writing, speaking) study.
Review the full list at least once a week, and test yourself under timed conditions as exam day approaches.
Keep a small notebook for problem words and revisit them regularly.

With consistent effort and the right strategies, youll move from recognising isolated words to using a rich vocabulary that impresses examiners. Boa sorte e bons estudos!