Portuguese Nasal Sounds: Practice -em, -ens, and ão
Portuguese nasal vowels use airflow through the nose; endings such as bem, também, and corações are useful words to train by ear.
Real Life Portuguese · 4 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
A Portuguese nasal vowel is not simply an oral vowel followed by a fully pronounced English n. Let air pass through the nose while you sustain the vowel, then move smoothly into the next sound. For a first attempt, gently hum an English ‘mm’ and notice the vibration before saying a Portuguese word.
Let the vowel carry the nasal sound
The written endings -em and -ens often have a nasal quality in Brazilian Portuguese. The exact sound depends on the word and accent, so pair spelling with audio rather than relying on an English approximation. Common examples include bem, também, and parabéns.
Tudo bem?
How are you? / All good?
Eu também quero ir.
I want to go too.
Parabéns pelo seu aniversário!
Happy birthday!
Connect nasal endings to familiar words
The tilde in ão and ã marks nasal vowels, as in pão and amanhã. Some plural forms change the ending: pão becomes pães, while coração becomes corações. Listen for the vowel quality and the syllable sequence, not for a new n consonant at the end.
Practice a small set in short phrases. Say the phrase once slowly, then once at a comfortable conversational pace. If a recording is available, compare the overall sound and rhythm rather than forcing your mouth into a perfect English-like letter sequence.
Quero um pão, por favor.
I’d like a bread roll, please.
Amanhã a gente conversa.
We’ll talk tomorrow.
Esses corações são diferentes.
These hearts are different.
Put it into practice
Train the vowel quality in bem, também, pão, and amanhã. Keep the nasal airflow smooth and use native audio to learn each word’s local realization.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “Happy birthday”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.