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Portuguese Phrase

Espero aprender um novo idioma.

/esˈpeɾu apɾẽˈdeɾ ũ ˈnovu iˈdʒi.ma/
Meaning"I hope to learn a new language."
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Meaning

The sentence means ‘I hope to learn a new language.’ It expresses a personal desire or expectation about future language study. The structure ‘Espero + infinitive’ is a common way to talk about hopes or intentions in Portuguese.

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When to use

Use this phrase when you’re talking about your language‑learning goals, whether in a classroom, a language‑exchange meetup, or a casual conversation about personal projects. It works well in both formal and informal settings.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Esperoaprenderumnovoidioma

1

Esperar (Espero)

‘Esperar’ conjugated in the present indicative, 1st person singular, means ‘I hope’ or ‘I expect’. It is followed directly by an infinitive without a preposition.

2

Infinitive (aprender)

The infinitive form of a verb follows ‘esperar’ to express the action you hope will happen.

3

Indefinite article (um)

‘Um’ is the masculine singular indefinite article, matching the gender of ‘idioma’.

4

Adjective agreement (novo)

Adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify; ‘novo’ matches the masculine singular ‘idioma’.

5

Noun (idioma)

‘Idioma’ is a masculine noun meaning ‘language’; it is a slightly more formal synonym of ‘língua’.

🗨In Conversation

A

Você tem algum plano para este ano?

Do you have any plans for this year?

Sim, espero aprender um novo idioma.

Yes, I hope to learn a new language.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Espero de aprender um novo idioma.

    ‘Esperar’ does not take the preposition ‘de’ before an infinitive.

  • Espero aprender uma novo idioma.

    The article and adjective must agree in gender with ‘idioma’ (masculine).

  • Espero aprendo um novo idioma.

    After ‘espero’, use the infinitive ‘aprender’, not the conjugated form ‘aprendo’.

↔Alternatives

  • Quero aprender um novo idioma.

    I want to learn a new language.

  • Desejo aprender um novo idioma.

    I wish to learn a new language.

  • Pretendo aprender um novo idioma.

    I intend to learn a new language.

pt

Cultural Tip

In Brazil, multilingualism is increasingly valued, especially English, Spanish, and Mandarin. When expressing goals, Brazilians often use ‘Espero + infinitive’ to sound optimistic yet modest. Remember that ‘idioma’ sounds a bit formal; in everyday speech many prefer ‘língua’. Also, Brazilians love to share their language‑learning journeys on social media, so you might hear this phrase in posts about study groups or online courses.