A1 · Alphabet and pronunciation
Nasal vowels: ã, õ, ão
The vowel goes through the nose — with no n to be heard.
Portuguese has vowels that sound through the nose. English only has them in borrowed words such as « croissant ». They are written in two ways: with the tilde — lã, irmã — or with m or n at the end of a syllable: sim, bem, um, ponte.
The m or n is not pronounced as a sound of its own. It only shows that the vowel in front of it goes through the nose. Sim does not sound like « seem », with the lips closing at the end, but like an « ee » through the nose, with the lips staying open.
Then there are the nasal diphthongs ão, ãe and õe: pão, mãe, limões. Each is a single syllable. Ão is one of the commonest endings in the language — não, são, informação — and sounds roughly like « ow » in « now », pushed through the nose.
The verb ending -am sounds like an unstressed ão: falam. And -em at the end of a word sounds in Portugal like a nasal « eye »: bem, também.
The form
| bread | pão |
| no, not | não |
| yes | sim |
| mother | mãe |
| sister | irmã |
| lemons | limões |
| well, good | bem |
| a, one | um |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
The tilde makes the vowel nasal.
A minha irmã mora em Braga.My sister lives in Braga.
An m or n at the end of a syllable is not heard itself; it makes the vowel before it nasal.
Sim, está bem.Yes, that's fine.
ão, ãe and õe are each a single syllable.
A mãe compra pão.The mother buys bread.
The verb ending -am sounds like an unstressed ão.
Eles falam português.They speak Portuguese.
How to spot it
- ã
- õ
- ão
- ãe
- õe
Example sentences
Não, obrigado.No, thank you.
Compro pão todas as manhãs.I buy bread every morning.
As mães estão no jardim.The mothers are in the garden.
Tenho um irmão e uma irmã.I have a brother and a sister.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English pronounces every written n and m, so sim turns into « seem » and bem into « bem » with a closing m. In writing, on the other hand, the tilde is easy to forget — and without it you have another word or none at all: pãois breadpaua sticklãwoollámeans there
An m or n after a vowel is not heard; it points to the nose.
Your turn
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