Explore Portuguese in Mozambique

Mozambique is one of the world's main Portuguese-speaking countries, after Portugal and Brazil, but it is much less well known than many other countries.

Mozambique is located on the southeastern coast of Africa, between South Africa and Tanzania. It was a Portuguese colony for several centuries, much like Angola. As a result, Portuguese remains the country's official language and still plays an important role today, also serving as a tool for shaping national identity.

Is Portuguese really used?

Around half of Mozambicans speak Portuguese, but only about 16% speak it as their native language. Moreover, the language is much more common in cities, where the vast majority of the population uses it, compared with roughly 30% in rural areas. In the countryside, people still use their indigenous languages. There are dozens of them, but the most widely spoken are Makhuwa in the north and Tsonga in the south.

Main features

Pronunciation is similar to Portugal

Mozambican Portuguese is generally closer to European Portuguese than to Brazilian Portuguese. For example, the pronunciation of te and de resembles the pronunciation heard in Portugal (with a t sound and a d sound) rather than that used in Brazil, where they are pronounced as tchi and dji.

The use of pronouns

The use of pronouns is also similar to European Portuguese, with both tu and você being commonly used. Tu is often used among friends, family members, and people of the same age, while você is generally considered more formal.

Vocabulary and unique words

Like every Portuguese-speaking country, Mozambique has developed its own vocabulary, often influenced by local languages and history. Here are a few examples:

mata-bicho or pequeno-almoço – breakfast. The word mata-bicho literally means "kill the bug" or "kill the beast." The expression originally referred to having a small drink or bite early in the morning to kill the hunger supposedly gnawing at your stomach.

machimbombo – machimbombo refers to a large bus generally used for long-distance travel but also used inside big cities.

chapa – a shared minibus or shared taxi, one of the most common forms of public transportation in Mozambique.

chopela – a chopela is another common means of transportation and is a three-wheeled vehicle similar to a tuk-tuk.

sorvete – sorvete is the word used for ice cream, just like in Brazilian Portuguese. This differs from Portugal, where the word gelado is normally used.

Everyday slang words

Mozambican Portuguese also has some distinctive slang expressions:

maningue – is a very popular slang word in Mozambique and is used to express a large quantity or intensity. It can mean a lot, very much, or really.

eu gramo – I like it.

fixe – Fixe means cool, nice, or great. It is also common in Portugal, especially among younger speakers.

estar de babalaza – to have a hangover.

pita – an attractive or good-looking person.