Layout comparison
Portuguese vs Brazilian Keyboard Layouts: Portugal and ABNT2
Find Ç, accents and punctuation on Portugal and Brazilian keyboards, and understand the ABNT2 name.
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Portuguese (Portugal) and Brazilian Portuguese keyboards both have QWERTY letters and a dedicated Ç key. Their accents, brackets, @ and punctuation are arranged differently. A Brazilian ABNT2 keyboard is not the same layout as a Portugal keyboard.
This guide compares the standard Windows Portuguese and Brazilian ABNT2 character mappings. Apple’s Brazilian – Pro input source is a different arrangement; a Portuguese-language computer does not necessarily use either diagram below.[1]
Use the keyboard layout detector to check the letters and symbols your current input source sends.
Portugal vs Brazil: where the symbols move
| Character or position | Portuguese (Portugal) | Brazilian ABNT2 |
|---|---|---|
| Ç | Immediately right of L | Immediately right of L |
| @ | AltGr + 2 | Shift + 2 |
| Last character key before Backspace | «; Shift produces » | =; Shift produces + |
| First key right of P | +; Shift produces * | Acute accent; Shift selects grave accent |
| Key immediately right of Ç | º; Shift produces ª | Tilde; Shift selects circumflex |
| Final regular bottom-row position | -; Shift produces _ | ;; Shift produces : |
| Slash and question mark | Shift + 7 for /; Shift + apostrophe for ? | Extra key near right Shift: / and Shift + / for ? |
On the Brazilian mapping, / and ? are also available through AltGr + Q and AltGr + W. These can help on hardware without the extra character key. The complete mapping depends on the selected input source, not just the language shown in the taskbar.[2]
Portuguese and Brazilian ABNT2 keyboard diagrams
Portuguese (Portugal)
Brazilian Portuguese (ABNT2)
The Brazilian diagram includes the extra / and ? position near right Shift. These are character diagrams, not drawings of a particular laptop: Enter, Shift and number-pad shapes vary. Accent legends indicate positions; some begin a dead-key sequence.
What does ABNT2 mean?
ABNT and ABNT2 are names you will encounter in Brazilian keyboard settings and hardware descriptions. Windows exposes separate layout identifiers, while the main character mapping is shared in KBDBR.DLL.[2]
That is why our detector reports Brazilian Portuguese (ABNT / ABNT2) from these character checks. It does not claim to distinguish number-pad behavior or physical hardware. For the exact installed name, open your operating system’s input settings.
Brazilian – Pro on a Mac is different. Its US-like letters, punctuation and dead keys can match the US International-style checks. Do not choose an ABNT2 typing diagram just because the input source or your system language says Brazilian.
Type ç, ã, õ, á and ê
For ç, use the dedicated key after L; add Shift for Ç. For accented vowels, press and release the accent first, then the vowel. For example, tilde followed by A produces ã, and tilde followed by O produces õ.
- Portugal: the acute/grave key is the second key right of P. The tilde/circumflex key is beside Enter.
- Brazilian ABNT2: the acute/grave key is the first key right of P. The tilde/circumflex key is immediately right of Ç.
- á: acute accent, then A. ê: Shift with the tilde key for circumflex, release, then E.
- A literal accent: press the accent, then Space. Use Shift on the final vowel for an uppercase accented letter.
A key waiting for the next character is usually expected dead-key behavior. If the accent is in the wrong place entirely, first check whether Portugal or Brazil is selected.
Select the right Portuguese keyboard layout
On Windows 11, open Settings → Time & language → Language & region → Language options. Under keyboards, add Portuguese for the Portugal mapping or Portuguese (Brazil ABNT2) for Brazilian hardware. Switch with Windows + Space and test Ç, @ and an accent.[3]
On macOS, open System Settings → Keyboard → Text Input → Edit. Add the intended Portuguese or Brazilian source and inspect Keyboard Viewer. Select a source that matches your hardware; the Windows shortcuts above are not universal Mac shortcuts.[4]
On GNOME Linux, add the appropriate Portugal or Brazil input source in Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources, then inspect its preview. Some distributions expose additional variants with different accent behavior.[5]
You can keep multiple sources installed without changing your display language. If you use a US keyboard and only need occasional Portuguese accents, compare US International before learning a different punctuation arrangement.