Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "boa tarde" in Portuguese (Portugal)?

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

boa tarde is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written [ˈboɐ ˈtaɾðɨ]. It means “good afternoon.” BOH-uh TAR-d(uh) — stress the first syllable of each word; the final 'e' in 'tarde' is almost silent, just a light 'd' sound trailing off.

BOH-uh TAR-d(uh) — stress the first syllable of each word; the final 'e' in 'tarde' is almost silent, just a light 'd' sound trailing off.

boa tarde [ˈboɐ ˈtaɾðɨ]

Both words are stressed on their first syllable; 'tarde' ends in a near-mute unstressed 'e', and the 'r' is a light tap, not a strong English 'r'.

Listen: boa tarde

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Sound it out

boa Stressed 'bo' with a closed 'oh' vowel, followed by a quick unstressed 'uh' — said almost as one smooth glide, 'BOH-uh'.

tar Stressed syllable: 't' as a true dental stop (not aspirated like English 't'), an open 'ah', and a light tapped 'r'.

de Unstressed, reduced almost to nothing — a faint schwa after the 'd', trailing off rather than sounding like a full 'deh'.

Hear it in a sentence

Boa tarde, como estás?

Good afternoon, how are you?

Listen: Boa tarde, como estás?

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"Boa tarde" is used from roughly midday until dusk. "Como estás?" uses the informal 'tu' form of 'estar,' appropriate among friends or peers even though "boa tarde" itself is polite enough for formal contexts too.

Where English speakers slip

Learners often pronounce "tarde" with a full, clear final "e" ("TAR-deh"); in EP it should be nearly swallowed. Also watch the 't': EP keeps it a plain, unaspirated dental stop, avoiding the softer 'dj'-leaning quality some Brazilian accents bring to similar endings.