Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "antes" in Portuguese (Portugal)?

Q: How do you pronounce antes in Portuguese (Portugal)?

antes is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written [ˈɐ̃tɨʃ]. It means “before.” Say "UNG-tush" — a nasal first syllable, with the final "es" reducing to a soft "sh" ending.

Say "UNG-tush" — a nasal first syllable, with the final "es" reducing to a soft "sh" ending.

antes [ˈɐ̃tɨʃ]

Stress is on the first syllable, a nasal vowel; the final "es" shrinks to a quick, hissy "-tush" sound.

Listen: antes

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Sound it out

an A nasal vowel, similar to "ung", with air passing through the nose rather than a hard "n" consonant closing it.

t A true dental "t", tongue against the upper teeth.

es Unstressed final syllable; the "e" reduces and the "s" becomes a soft "sh", giving "-tush".

Hear it in a sentence

Chega antes das nove.

Arrive before nine.

Listen: Chega antes das nove.

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"Chega antes das nove" (Arrive before nine) uses "antes de" (before) contracted with the article "as" (the, feminine plural, referring to hours) to form "das" — a contraction pattern (de + as = das) that also applies to time expressions like this one, since clock times take the feminine plural article in Portuguese. "Chega" is an informal imperative form of "chegar" (to arrive).

Where English speakers slip

English speakers often pronounce the final "-es" as a full, clear "ess" syllable, when it should be a quick, reduced "-ush" with the softened EU "sh" sound. They may also miss the nasalization on "an", pronouncing it as a plain oral vowel closer to the English word "aunt" instead of a true nasal vowel.