Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

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

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

mala is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ˈmalɐ/. It means “bag.” Say "MA-luh" — stress on the first syllable with a clear open "a", and the final "a" softens to a quick "uh".

Say "MA-luh" — stress on the first syllable with a clear open "a", and the final "a" softens to a quick "uh".

mala /ˈmalɐ/

Stress is on the first syllable; the only real trick is that the second, unstressed "a" reduces to a light "uh" rather than staying a full open vowel.

Listen: mala

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Sound it out

MA Stressed syllable — an open "a" as in English "ma" or "spa", held with normal length.

la Unstressed final syllable; the "a" is clipped down to a quick, weak "uh", not a full "lah".

Hear it in a sentence

A minha mala está pesada.

My bag is heavy.

Listen: A minha mala está pesada.

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"A minha mala está pesada" ("My bag is heavy") uses the feminine possessive "minha" agreeing with "mala", and "está pesada" with "estar" because heaviness here is being described as a current, checkable state of the bag's contents rather than a permanent trait. "Mala" covers suitcases and larger bags, distinct from "carteira" (wallet/handbag) or "saco" (smaller bag/sack).

Where English speakers slip

English speakers tend to give both a's in "mala" the same full, open pronunciation, saying "MA-lah". In European Portuguese only the stressed first "a" stays full; the second one shrinks to a fast "uh", giving "MA-luh" — flattening that final syllable is the detail that most separates a natural EU accent from a flat, spelling-based one.