Neymar Júnior is a Brazilian footballer who plays currently for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. He started his career at Santos and registered total goals 107 for the club. Having previously played for Barcelona and Santos FC, Neymar is known for his skills on the field, but his language abilities are equally noteworthy.
Neymar speaks Portuguese, Spanish, French, and English. He is very fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, but not that fluent in French and English. He was able to learn Spanish during his time in Barcelona, and he’s very fluent in it because Portuguese and Spanish are similar. Portuguese and Spanish share a strikingly high lexical similarity, approaching nearly 90%. So if you’re fluent in Portuguese, learning Spanish wouldn’t be that hard, and vice-versa. This linguistic resemblance allowed Neymar to swiftly adapt to Spanish and become fluent in it.
Neymar’s Native Language
Neymar was born in Mogi das Cruzes, State of São Paulo, Brazil. His native language is Portuguese. The language was Brazil’s official language, so there’s no surprise that the Brazilian is very fluent in that.
Languages Neymar Speaks Fluently
Neymar speaks Portuguese and Spanish fluently, and he has demonstrated this fluency several times in interviews.
Why is Neymar fluent in Portuguese and Spanish?
- Portuguese: Neymar speaks Portuguese fluently because the language was Brazil’s official language. And as stated above, it’s no surprise that the Brazilian superstar is very fluent in that. It is the language of his home country and he’s clearly fluent in it.
- Spanish: He’s also fluent in Spanish because he was able to learn the language during his time at his former club Barcelona. This is also likely because Portuguese and Spanish are very similar as they share a strikingly high lexical similarity.
Languages Neymar is Learning
Neymar is learning French and English currently. He’s learning French because he currently plays for a French club Paris Saint-Germain. He needs to learn French to be able to communicate effectively with his teammate and referees while on the pitch.
Neymar is also learning English because the language is spoken worldwide. And when he’s on the pitch, his English skills can help him to communicate with the officials easily since it is mandatory for most of the officials to be fluent in English to eliminate language barriers between them and players.
Is Neymar fluent in English?
Neymar is not that fluent in English, but there have been instances where he showcased his English-speaking abilities on social media platforms such as Twitch and Instagram. Furthermore, Neymar was recently spotted at the 2023 Formula1 Spanish Grand Prix, conversing in English with Formula1 superstar Lewis Hamilton in the MercedesF1 garage.
FAQs
What languages does Neymar speak fluently?
Neymar speaks Portuguese and Spanish fluently.
Does Neymar speak any languages besides Portuguese?
Yes, Neymar can communicate in Portuguese, Spanish, French, and English.
What language is Neymar most comfortable speaking?
Neymar is most comfortable speaking in Portuguese and Spanish.
Do Neymar and Messi speak the same language?
Yes, Neymar and Messi can communicate effectively in Spanish.
What languages do top soccer players usually speak?
Most soccer players can communicate effectively in English. This is simply because English is the most spoken language in the world, and when they’re on the pitch, it’s easier to communicate with other players and officials since most of them do understand the language.
Final Thoughts
To summarize, Neymar is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish due to his Brazilian roots and his time in Barcelona, where he immersed himself in the Spanish language. He is currently learning French to adapt to his career at Paris Saint-Germain and English to facilitate communication with officials on the field.
