Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

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

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

sempre is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written [ˈsẽpɾɨ]. It means “always.” Say "SAYM-pruh" with a nasal vowel — stress the first syllable and let the final "e" fade to almost nothing.

Say "SAYM-pruh" with a nasal vowel — stress the first syllable and let the final "e" fade to almost nothing.

sempre [ˈsẽpɾɨ]

Stress is on the first syllable, which is nasalized by the following "m"; the final "e" reduces to a whisper.

Listen: sempre

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Sound it out

sem A nasal vowel close to "saym", produced with air passing through the nose, not a plain oral "sem" like English "stem".

pr A consonant cluster pronounced together, like the start of English "pray", with a light tapped "r".

e Unstressed final syllable, reduced to a very faint "uh" or nearly silent.

Hear it in a sentence

Chego sempre a horas.

I always arrive on time.

Listen: Chego sempre a horas.

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"Chego sempre a horas" (I always arrive on time) places "sempre" (always) right after the verb, its typical position in Portuguese, unlike English where "always" often comes before the verb. "A horas" is a fixed expression meaning "on time", worth memorizing as a chunk since it doesn't translate word-for-word.

Where English speakers slip

English speakers often pronounce "sem" as an oral vowel followed by a clear "m" consonant, like the English word "sem"-inar, instead of nasalizing the vowel itself and letting the "m" merge into that nasal quality. They also tend to fully voice the final "e", when native Lisbon speech reduces it almost to silence.