Language: Portuguese or Spanish

Eswee

Active Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Camino Portuguese - Coastal (2017)
Primitivo (2019)

• Mar 13, 2017

• #1

I am walking the Camino Portuguese from Porto to Santiago in October 2017 and want to learn one of the two languages, Portuguese or Spanish before I go. Which of the two languages will be the best to learn to be helpful on the route.

 

JohnnieWalker

Nunca se camina solo

Donating Member

• Mar 13, 2017

• #2

In Portugal many people speak English. Less so in Spain. In bars, restaurants and albergues staff are well able to communicate with you. It would be polite to be able to say hello, goodbye, goodmorning, please etc in both languages

Buen Camino

John

 

SYates

Camino Fossil AD 1999, now living in Santiago de C

Time of past OR future Camino

First: Camino Francés 1999
...
Last: Santiago - Muxia 2019

Now: http://egeria.house/

• Mar 13, 2017

• #3

The one, short stay I had in Portugal I actually asked people if they prefer to speak with me in English or Spanish - the overwhelming response was ENGLISH. I suggest you learn some polite phrases in Portuguese like "Hello", "Good Bye", "Thank You" and "Sorry, I don't speak much Portuguese, may I speak English with you?". And learn a bit more Spanish than that. BUT, these are well traveled routes, people are used to the basic needs of pilgrims (bed, food, drink, church times) so they do know what you need even if you speak very little of their native tongue. BTW duolingo.com is a great resource for learning languages - free and fun!

Buen Camino/Bon Camiño, SY

 

Mike Savage

So many friends to meet . . . so little time

Time of past OR future Camino

Camino Francés,Inglés
Muxia/Finisterre
Português Coastal
Português Central
Sanabrés

• Mar 13, 2017

• #4

English works very well for me in Portugal and on the rare occasion I can't communicate in English then Spanish works. I do know common phrases in Portuguese but just the basics.

 

JP

Active Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Camino Frances 2014 & 2017
Camino Portuguese 2016
Camino Del Norte 2019.

• Mar 13, 2017

• #5

We were hopeless in Portugese, but we used French or English quite often to get directions with no problem.

 

notion900

Veteran Member

Time of past OR future Camino

>

• Mar 13, 2017

• #6

Spanish is more useful globally and if you want to walk more Caminos in future.

 

Pelegrin

Veteran Member

Donating Member

Time of past OR future Camino

2019

• Mar 14, 2017

• #7

Yes, Spanish is more useful globally and I think is easier .
But if you want to learn Portugues do it, Portugues is also an important language in the world and is similar to Galego.

 

Rick of Rick and Peg

Veteran_Member

Donating Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Us:Camino Frances, 2015 Me:Catalan/Aragonese, 2019

• Mar 14, 2017

• #8

notion900 said:

Spanish is more useful globally and if you want to walk more Caminos in future.

Click to expand...

There are about twice as many native Spanish speakers in the world than there are native Portuguese speakers and there are more countries where Spanish is spoken. There are more native Spanish speakers in the US than there are in Spain. I say learn Spanish first.

 

Stephen Nicholls

Steve Nicholls, Suffolk, U.K.

Donating Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Too many caminos to list in the permitted 100 characters!!

• Mar 14, 2017

• #9

When in Portugal: English is preferred to Spanish [remember the Spanish are the ancient "enemies"!!] And Portugal is the only European country with whom England has never been at war.
But most of your journey will be in Spain.
So if it's a choice between learning Portuguese or Spanish for the Portuguese camino from Porto, I would personally learn some Spanish!
Buen camino! or
Bom caminho!

 

Rainerbernd

Active Member

Time of past OR future Camino

On St James ways since 1971

• Mar 14, 2017

• #10

Olá

on the Caminho Português , Portuguese is language number one! Stephen wrote, most of your journey will be in Spain. That´s not true! On the other side of the border you are in Galicia. Well, Galicia is part of Spain, but the Galegos are very proud of their language and their culture.
Galego is very close to Portuguese. So I never had problems of understanding with my Português. In albergues I often had to translate because nobody spoke English. Allright, in Galicia nearly everybody speaks Spanish, but Portuguese is well understood all around.

Bom caminho

Rainer

 

Eswee

Active Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Camino Portuguese - Coastal (2017)
Primitivo (2019)

• Mar 14, 2017

• #11

Thank you all for your response. Look like Spanish is the winner.

 

notion900

Veteran Member

Time of past OR future Camino

>

• Mar 14, 2017

• #12

Stephen Nicholls said:

Portugal is the only European country with whom England has never been at war.

Click to expand...

Wow is that true? Surely a few must have escaped, like Andorra and Lichtenstein?