Pronunciation:
* Vowels: Portuguese has a wider range of vowel sounds than Spanish.
* Consonants: The "c" and "g" have different pronunciations in Portuguese depending on the following vowel. Portuguese also has the "lh" and "nh" sounds, which are absent in Spanish.
* Stress: Portuguese has more flexible stress rules than Spanish.
Grammar:
* Articles: Portuguese uses definite articles ("o", "a", "os", "as") more frequently than Spanish.
* Gender: Both languages have masculine and feminine nouns, but the gender agreement is more strict in Spanish.
* Verb conjugation: Portuguese verb conjugations are more complex than Spanish.
* Tenses: Both languages have similar tenses, but Portuguese uses the "future subjunctive" and the "conditional perfect" more often.
* Prepositions: While many prepositions are similar, there are some important differences, such as the use of "para" in Portuguese for expressing purpose.
Vocabulary:
* Cognates: Many words are similar, but there are also many words that have different meanings or are not shared at all.
* Borrowings: Both languages have borrowed words from other languages, but the sources differ.
Other differences:
* Writing system: Portuguese uses the "ç" and "ã" while Spanish doesn't.
* Regional variations: Both languages have significant regional variations.
Overall:
While Portuguese and Spanish share a common ancestor, they have evolved in different ways and have distinct pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. While speakers of both languages can sometimes understand each other to some extent, there are enough differences that fluency in one language does not necessarily translate to fluency in the other.
Interesting fact:
The Portuguese word "saudade" has no direct equivalent in Spanish. It describes a deep emotional state of melancholic longing for an absent something or someone that one loves. This highlights the unique cultural nuances that exist within the two languages.