Em vez de assistir ao filme, eu vou estudar português.

Em vez de is the normal expression for instead of in Portuguese.

• em vez de assistir ao filme = instead of watching the movie

A very common learner question is whether this should be em vez de or ao invés de.

• em vez de = instead of
• ao invés de literally means the opposite of, though in everyday Brazilian Portuguese many people use it like em vez de

If you want the safest, most standard choice, use em vez de here.

Because em vez de is a fixed expression, and it is followed by a noun or an infinitive verb.

So you get:

• em vez de + noun
• em vez de + infinitive

Examples:

• Em vez de café, eu quero chá.
• Em vez de sair, eu vou ficar em casa.

That is why the sentence has em vez de assistir...

In standard Portuguese, the verb assistir meaning to watch usually takes the preposition a.

So:

• assistir a algo
• assistir ao filme
• assistir à aula

That is why the sentence says assistir ao filme.

Important note for Brazilian Portuguese: In everyday speech, many Brazilians do say assistir o filme without the preposition. You will hear it a lot. But in more careful or standard grammar, assistir ao filme is the expected form.

Because Portuguese often contracts a preposition with the definite article.

Here:

• a = the preposition required by assistir
• o filme = the movie

So:

• a + o = ao

Other common contractions:

• a + a = à
• de + o = do
• de + a = da
• em + o = no
• em + a = na

So assistir ao filme is just the contracted form of assistir a o filme, which Portuguese does not normally leave uncontracted.

Yes, it could be omitted.

Portuguese often leaves out subject pronouns when the verb already shows who the subject is.

So both are natural:

• Em vez de assistir ao filme, eu vou estudar português.
• Em vez de assistir ao filme, vou estudar português.

Including eu can add a little emphasis or clarity, but it is not required here.

Vou estudar is the very common ir + infinitive future structure in Portuguese.

• vou = I go / I am going
• estudar = to study

Together:

• vou estudar = I am going to study / I will study

This is one of the most common ways to talk about the future in Brazilian Portuguese.

You could also use the simple future:

• estudarei português

But in everyday Brazilian speech, vou estudar is much more common and natural.

Because in Portuguese, names of languages are normally not capitalized.

So:

• inglês
• português
• espanhol
• francês

This is different from English, where Portuguese and English are capitalized.

The accent mark in português shows the stressed syllable and is part of the correct spelling.

• por-tu-GUÊS

The ê tells you that this syllable is stressed and that the vowel has a particular quality.

Accent marks in Portuguese are not optional decoration; they are part of the written word.

Because Em vez de assistir ao filme is an introductory phrase before the main clause.

The sentence is structured like this:

• Em vez de assistir ao filme, = introductory phrase
• eu vou estudar português. = main clause

The comma helps separate those two parts. In Portuguese, this comma is very natural and standard.

Not in this sentence.

After em vez, the correct expression is em vez de, not em vez para.

So:

• Em vez de assistir ao filme... ✅
• Em vez para assistir ao filme... ❌

The de belongs to the expression em vez de.

Yes, very often.

In Brazilian Portuguese, ver um filme is extremely common and natural.

So you could say:

• Em vez de ver o filme, eu vou estudar português.

This may even feel simpler to many learners because ver does not require the preposition a in this case.

Compare:

• ver o filme
• assistir ao filme

Both can mean watch the movie, though assistir is especially associated with watching something like a movie, show, or game.

No. It depends on whether you mention what is being watched.

• Vou assistir ao filme. = you say what you are watching
• Vou assistir. = the object is omitted because it is understood from context

So in this sentence, ao filme is there because the movie is explicitly mentioned.

When talking about studying a language in a general sense, Portuguese usually does not need an article.

So:

• estudar português
• aprender inglês
• falar espanhol

That is the normal pattern.

You may sometimes see an article in other contexts, but here estudar português is the most natural form.