To dictate in Portuguese on a Mac, open System Settings → Keyboard, go to Dictation, click Edit next to Languages, and select Portuguese (Brazil) or Portuguese (Portugal). Start Dictation and choose Portuguese from the language shown next to the cursor. Two things set Portuguese apart: Apple does not list automatic punctuation for either variant, so you say "vírgula" and "ponto final" yourself, and only Brazilian Portuguese is listed for on-device dictation.
The steps come from Apple's Dictate messages and documents on Mac in the Mac User Guide for macOS 27. If your screen differs, search System Settings for "Dictation".
How do you add Portuguese to Mac Dictation?
- Choose Apple menu → System Settings, then click Keyboard in the sidebar.
- Go to Dictation and turn it on.
- Click Edit next to Languages and select Portuguese (Brazil) or Portuguese (Portugal). Choose the one you speak; the two have different command words, shown below.
- Stay online while the language is set up.
- In a text field, start Dictation with the Microphone key, your shortcut, or Edit → Start Dictation, and check that the language next to the cursor is Portuguese.
Your keyboard layout does not decide the dictation language. Apple's Write in another language on Mac explains that adding an input source such as Portuguese also adds the language to "your list of Dictation languages (if available)", but you still choose the active dictation language next to the cursor.
Which Portuguese variants does Mac Dictation support?
From Apple's macOS feature availability page, checked on 1 October 2026:
| Portuguese variant | Dictation | On-device dictation | Auto-punctuation | Dictate emoji | More advanced Dictation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | Yes | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
| Portugal | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
"Not listed" means the variant was absent from that feature's list on the day we checked. Three consequences:
- No auto-punctuation. Apple's guide says Dictation inserts commas, periods and question marks automatically "in supported languages". Portuguese is not on that list, so plan to speak every mark.
- Portugal is not on the on-device list. The general Dictation guide says to check the text below the Dictation switch in Keyboard settings to see whether your dictation is processed on your Mac. Do that if you work with confidential text in European Portuguese. Is Mac Dictation private? explains the difference.
- No newer Apple Intelligence dictation. Apple lists "More advanced Dictation" for English regions only.
How do you say punctuation in Portuguese?
Apple publishes separate command pages for Brazil, Comandos para ditar texto no Mac (Brasil), and Portugal, Comandos para ditar texto no Mac (Portugal). Many words match, but several do not:
| Result | Say in Brazilian Portuguese | Say in European Portuguese |
|---|---|---|
| . | ponto / ponto final | ponto final |
| , | vírgula | vírgula |
| ? | ponto de interrogação | ponto de interrogação |
| ! | ponto de exclamação | ponto de exclamação |
| : | dois pontos | dois pontos |
| ; | ponto-e-vírgula | ponto e vírgula |
| … | reticências | reticências |
| “ ” | abrir aspas / fechar aspas | citação / terminar citação |
| ( ) | abrir parêntese / fechar parêntese | abrir parêntesis / fechar parêntesis |
| [ ] | abrir colchete / fechar colchete | abrir parêntese reto / fechar parêntese reto |
| { } | abrir chave / fechar chave | abrir chaveta / fechar chaveta |
| – | travessão | traço |
| new line | nova linha | nova linha |
| new paragraph | novo parágrafo | novo parágrafo |
| next word in capitals | tudo em maiúsculas | todas maiúsculas |
Because punctuation is not automatic, a typical Portuguese sentence sounds like this: "Bom dia vírgula Ana ponto final Podemos falar amanhã ponto de interrogação". Use the column for the variant you selected. If a command is typed out as a word, check that you are using that variant's wording.
What about accents and ç?
Apple's command lists have no commands for accented letters, ç or the til. Dictation writes whole words, so ã, õ, é and ç come with the word it recognizes. Apple says ambiguous text is underlined in blue: click it to choose an alternative.
To fix a single letter, Apple's accent marks page says to press and hold a letter key and pick from the accent menu. Its own example is a dead key: with the ABC layout, press Option-N for a tilde, then a, to get ã.
Can you mix Portuguese and English?
You can set up both and switch while dictating: click the language next to the cursor, or press the Globe key and choose. Apple's Dictation guide, checked on 1 October 2026, describes switching by hand and does not describe automatic detection of a language change. Switch to English for English sentences, and check how English names come out inside Portuguese ones. Mac dictation shortcut covers the Globe key if it is set to something else.
What about other dictation apps?
Apple's Dictation costs nothing and is the sensible first test, especially in Brazilian Portuguese, which is on Apple's on-device list.
SuprFlow's requirements page lists 19 languages, including Portuguese, and its setup asks you to choose a speech-recognition language. The page lists Portuguese without naming a variant. We have not tested accuracy per language and make no accuracy claim for Portuguese. How to test SuprFlow with another language gives a short test you can run. SuprFlow costs $125 once and has no free tier, so run Apple's Dictation through the same test first.
A 10-minute test for your Portuguese
- Write four made-up sentences: two ordinary, one with an English name, one with a date, an amount and a negation. For example: "A reunião com Jordan Chen é no dia 14 de maio. O valor é de 2.750 reais, não 2.570."
- Dictate them into Notes, saying each punctuation mark with your variant's wording.
- Check accents, ç, the name, the figures and the "não".
- Dictate one quotation using your variant's quotation commands.
- Switch to English with the cursor menu, dictate a sentence, and switch back.
Questions people ask
How do I dictate in Portuguese on a Mac?
Add Portuguese (Brazil) or Portuguese (Portugal) under System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation → Languages → Edit, then choose it from the language shown next to the cursor.
Why does Mac dictation not add punctuation in Portuguese?
Apple's feature page does not list Portuguese for auto-punctuation, for Brazil or Portugal. Say the marks, for example "vírgula" and "ponto final".
Does Portuguese dictation work offline on a Mac?
Apple lists Portuguese (Brazil) for on-device dictation, with a speech model download. Portuguese (Portugal) was not on that list when we checked. Keyboard settings will tell you how your Mac processes it.
Is "ponto" or "ponto final" the command for a period?
Apple's Brazilian page lists "ponto/ponto final". The Portugal page lists "ponto final".
Related guides
- How to use voice to text on a Mac
- Mac dictation commands and punctuation
- Dictate in Spanish on a Mac
- How to test SuprFlow with another language
- Is Mac Dictation private?
- Mac Dictation not working? Causes and fixes
Sources
- Apple — Dictate messages and documents on Mac
- Apple — macOS feature availability: Dictation
- Apple — Comandos para ditar texto no Mac (Brasil)
- Apple — Comandos para ditar texto no Mac (Portugal)
- Apple — Write in another language on Mac
- Apple — Enter characters with accent marks on Mac
- SuprFlow — System requirements