Portuguese (Portugal) · Pronunciation Guide

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

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

verde is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written [ˈveɾdɨ]. It means “green.” Say "VEHR-duh" — a closed "e" up front, a light tapped "r," and a final "e" that fades to almost nothing.

Say "VEHR-duh" — a closed "e" up front, a light tapped "r," and a final "e" that fades to almost nothing.

verde [ˈveɾdɨ]

Stress is on the first syllable; the final unstressed "e" reduces to a faint schwa, and the "r" is a quick tongue tap rather than an English "r."

Listen: verde

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Sound it out

ver A closed "e" (like in English "they," but shorter) followed by a light tap of the tongue for "r," not an English "r."

d A true dental "d," tongue at the teeth.

e This final unstressed "e" reduces to a barely-there "uh" sound.

Hear it in a sentence

A relva é verde.

The grass is green.

Listen: A relva é verde.

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"A relva é verde" means "The grass is green." "Relva" is the more distinctly European word for "grass" or "lawn" (Brazilian Portuguese typically uses "grama"), so this sentence doubles as a useful regional-vocabulary note alongside the color itself.

Where English speakers slip

The most common slip is pronouncing the final "e" clearly, as English spelling instincts suggest, producing something closer to "VEHR-deh." In natural European speech that vowel is almost swallowed — a much lighter ending than the fuller final "e" typical of Brazilian pronunciation.