Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

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

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

cheio is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written ˈʃɐj.u. It means “full (satiated).” Say "SHAY-oo", but with that same central "ay/eye" quality as "feio" — think "SHY-oo" rather than a crisp "shay".

Say "SHAY-oo", but with that same central "ay/eye" quality as "feio" — think "SHY-oo" rather than a crisp "shay".

cheio ˈʃɐj.u

Stress is on the first syllable; "ch" is always pronounced "sh" in Portuguese, and the "ei" diphthong takes the same distinctively European quality seen in "feio".

Listen: cheio

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Sound it out

ch Always a "sh" sound in Portuguese, as in English "shoe" — never "ch" as in English "cheese".

ei Pulled toward a central vowel plus "y" glide in European Portuguese, distinct from a clean "ay" — the same quality as in "feio".

o A short, tight final "oo".

Hear it in a sentence

Estou cheio, não quero mais.

I'm full, I don't want more.

Listen: Estou cheio, não quero mais.

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"Estou cheio, não quero mais" uses "cheio" to mean satiated after eating, a common, informal way to decline more food — note it can sound blunt, so "estou satisfeito" is a slightly more polite alternative in mixed company. "Não quero mais" (I don't want any more) is a simple negation pattern using "querer" (to want). Like "cansado", "cheio" must agree in gender with the speaker.

Where English speakers slip

The two traps here are the initial "ch", which English speakers instinctively want to pronounce as in "cheese" rather than the correct "sh" sound, and the "ei" diphthong, which should lean toward that central "ay/eye" European quality rather than a flat, Brazilian-style "ay". Together these make "cheio" sound quite different from an English speaker's first instinct.