Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

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

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

quente is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written ˈkẽ.tɨ. It means “hot.” Say "KENG-tuh", with a nasalized "e" and an almost-swallowed final syllable.

Say "KENG-tuh", with a nasalized "e" and an almost-swallowed final syllable.

quente ˈkẽ.tɨ

Stress is on "quen"; the nasal vowel is the key feature, and the final "e" nearly disappears.

Listen: quente

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Sound it out

qu A hard "k" sound, as "qu" before e/i always is in Portuguese — never "kw".

en A nasal "e", said through the nose, similar to the nasal vowel in French "vin" but with an e-quality.

te The t stays a true dental "t" (not an English "ch" sound), and the final e is reduced to a light "tuh" or nearly silent.

Hear it in a sentence

O sol está muito quente.

The sun is very hot.

Listen: O sol está muito quente.

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"O sol está muito quente" uses "estar" since heat here describes a current, changeable condition rather than an inherent trait. "Quente" has the same form for masculine and feminine nouns, so no agreement change is needed. This is a very common everyday adjective for weather, food, and drinks alike.

Where English speakers slip

The trap for English speakers is softening the "t" before the final e into something like "cheh" (as heard in Brazilian Portuguese, where "te" often becomes "tchee"). In European Portuguese, the "t" stays crisp and dental throughout — "KENG-t(uh)", not "KENG-chee".