How to Talk About Music You Like in Brazilian Portuguese — Practice

Say what kind of music you enjoy

Use gosto de música followed by a genre or artist. Brazilian Portuguese genre names include rock, samba, sertanejo, pagode, funk, and música clássica, but a genre label does not describe every artist in the same way.

Add a specific reason when you can: the lyrics, rhythm, voice, or memory connected to the song. This gives a conversation more to work with than a list of names.

Talk about when you listen

Use ouvir música to say that you listen to music. Add a time or activity to explain when it fits your routine: no caminho para o trabalho (on the way to work) or quando estou cozinhando (when I’m cooking).

If you want to say that you are listening right now, use estar + gerund: estou ouvindo. Our guide to the present continuous explains that pattern in more detail.

Ask for a recommendation

Ask what someone has been listening to or which song they recommend. When they answer, ask one follow-up about the artist or the lyrics to keep the exchange moving.

For a real event plan, use our concert Portuguese guide. This article focuses on everyday music conversations that can happen anywhere.

Remember: Prepare one sentence about a genre, one about when you listen, and one recommendation question for a conversation partner.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. I like samba and jazz.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Gosto de samba e de jazz.

2. I’ve been listening to this singer a lot.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Estou ouvindo muito essa cantora.

3. I like the lyrics of this song.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Gosto da letra dessa música.

4. I listen to music when I’m working.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ouço música quando estou trabalhando.

5. I’m listening to a new album.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Estou ouvindo um álbum novo.

6. Do you usually listen to music in the car?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Você costuma ouvir música no carro?

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Prepare one sentence about a genre, one about when you listen, and one recommendation question for a conversation partner.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our How to Talk About Music You Like in Brazilian Portuguese lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.