In this lesson, we will talk about how to tell the time in Portuguese (with audio), it’s one of the skills that we practice daily in our conversations, so we will see how to talk about time, and learn some useful vocab, let’s get started!
How To Tell The Time In Portuguese
How to ask what time is it?
Here are the most common ways to ask the time in Portuguese:
Que horas são? = What time is it?
Que horas? = What time?
Que horas são agora? (What time is it now?)
Tem horas? = Do you have the time?
Você sabe que horas são? (Do you know what time it is?)
Você poderia me dizer que horas são, por favor? (Could you tell me what time it is, please?)
Note 1: You can always add “por favor” (please) in front or at the end of your question.
Note 2: We use the word “horas” (hours) in the plural and the verb “Ser” (to be) conjugated in the third person plural.
How to say the time in Portuguese
From one o’clock to twelve o’clock:
| English | Portuguese |
| it’s one o’clock | É uma hora |
| it’s two o’clock | São duas horas |
| it’s three o’clock | São três horas |
| it’s four o’clock | São quatro horas |
| it’s five o’clock | São cinco horas |
| it’s six o’clock | São seis horas |
| it’s seven o’clock | São sete horas |
| it’s eight o’clock | São oito horas |
| it’s nine o’clock | São nove horas |
| it’s ten o’clock | São dez horas |
| it’s eleven o’clock | São onze horas |
| it’s twelve o’clock | São doze horas |
| it’s 12:00 pm | É meio-dia |
| it’s 12:00 am | É meia-noite |
Note: you can practice what you’ve learned here, and learn how to pronounce each of the words in our Memrise course here, don’t know how to use the platform or sign up? we’ve got you covered in this easy-to-follow tutorial here.
Notes:
- Since “hora” is a feminine noun, we used the words “uma” and “dua”
- We use the verb “Ser” in the third person singular “é” only to say “é uma hora” (it is one o’clock) because “hora” is singular, same with “é meio-dia” (noon) and “é meia-noite” (midnight), for the other ones we use the verb “Ser” in the third person plural “São“
- We only use “horas” when it is the exact time
Related: Numbers in Portuguese
How to tell the hours and minutes
- 4:15 – São quatro e quinze.
- 4:20 – São quatro e vinte.
- 4:30 – São quatro e trinta.
- 4:30 – São quatro e meia.
- 4:45 – São quatro e quarenta e cinco.
- 4:45 -São quinze para as cinco.
- 4:50 – São quatro e cinquenta.
- 4:50 – São dez para as cinco.
- 3:10 = São três e dez.
- 1:10 = É uma e dez.
- 1:10 pm – é uma e dez da tarde
- 1:10 pm – é uma e dez da manhã
Tips:
- We do not use the word quarter to say the time in Brazil.
- To say AM = da manhã. For example: São 9 da manhã.
- To say PM= da tarde (afternoon) and da noite (evening). For example: São 4 da tarde. São 11 da noite.
- When it is between 1 and 5am: da madrugada. So, 3am = três da madrugada.
Telling Time in Brazilian Portuguese Review
Short-Answer Quiz
Instructions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences in English.
- What are two ways to ask “What time is it?” in Portuguese?
- How is the verb “to be” used when telling time in Portuguese? Provide an example.
- Explain how to say “It is 5:30” in Portuguese.
- What is the difference between “São dez para as cinco” and “São quatro e cinquenta”?
- How would you say “It is 2:15 in the afternoon” in Portuguese?
- When is “da madrugada” used when telling time?
- Translate the following into Portuguese: a) 8:00 AM, b) 9:45 PM.
- Why is it important to pay attention to the gender of the word “hora” (hour)?
- What is the significance of using “uma” in “É uma hora”?
- How would you ask someone if they know the time in a polite manner?
Answer Key
- Two ways to ask “What time is it?” are “Que horas são?” and “Que horas?”.
- The verb “to be” is conjugated as “é” when referring to one o’clock (“uma hora”) and “São” for all other hours. For example, “É uma hora” (It’s one o’clock) and “São duas horas” (It’s two o’clock).
- “It is 5:30” can be expressed in two ways: “São cinco e meia” or “São cinco e trinta.”
- Both expressions indicate the same time (4:50), but “São dez para as cinco” means “Ten minutes to five” while “São quatro e cinquenta” means “Four and fifty.”
- “It is 2:15 in the afternoon” translates to “São duas e quinze da tarde.”
- “Da madrugada” is used to specify the time between 1 AM and 5 AM, indicating the very early morning hours.
- a) 8:00 AM is “São oito da manhã.” b) 9:45 PM is “São nove e quarenta e cinco da noite.”
- The gender of “hora” is important because it affects the articles and adjectives used with it. For example, “uma hora” uses the feminine article “uma,” while “dois homens” uses the masculine plural “dois.”
- The use of “uma” in “É uma hora” is significant because it agrees in gender and number with the feminine singular noun “hora.”
- To politely ask someone if they know the time, you could say: “Você sabe que horas são, por favor?” (Do you know what time it is, please?)
Happy learning!
Oualid Cheddadi is a language enthusiast who created Lingualid with the mission to inspire independent language learners worldwide, regardless of the language they are learning. The name “Lingualid” is derived from the Portuguese word for “language,” “língua,” and the last three letters of Oualid’s name, “Lid.”
