In this lesson, we will talk about how to tell the time in Portuguese, 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 |
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 special, 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.
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Happy learning!