Understanding the Basics: Hours and Minutes in Portuguese
How to Ask for the Time
The most common way to ask for the time in Portuguese is:
Que horas são? – What time is it?
You might also hear:
Você sabe que horas são? – Do you know what time it is?
How to State the Time: The Structure
To answer, start with “São” (they are) for all hours except one o’clock, when you use “É” (it is), followed by the hour and minutes.
- É uma hora. – It’s one o’clock.
- São duas horas. – It’s two o’clock.
- São três horas. – It’s three o’clock.
Minutes are added after the hour, separated by “e” (and):
- São quatro e quinze. – It’s 4:15.
- É uma e vinte. – It’s 1:20.
Using “Meia” and “Meio” for Half Past and Quarter Past/To
Portuguese often uses specific words for “half past” and “quarter past/to”:
- Meia – half (used for 30 minutes past the hour)
São cinco e meia. – It’s 5:30. - Quarto – quarter (used for 15 minutes past or to the hour)
São duas e quinze. or São duas e um quarto. – It’s 2:15.
São três menos um quarto. – It’s a quarter to 3 (2:45).
Expressing Time Before the Hour (“To”)
To say it is a certain number of minutes to the next hour, use “menos” (minus):
- São oito menos dez. – It’s ten to eight (7:50).
- É uma menos vinte. – It’s twenty to one (12:40).
Using the 24-Hour and 12-Hour Clocks
In Portugal and Brazil, both the 12-hour and 24-hour clocks are used. In formal or written contexts, the 24-hour clock is preferred, while the 12-hour format is common in everyday conversation.
- 14:00 – quatorze horas (formal), duas da tarde (casual)
- 21:30 – vinte e uma horas e trinta minutos (formal), nove e meia da noite (casual)
To specify morning, afternoon, or night, use:
- da manhã – in the morning
- da tarde – in the afternoon
- da noite – at night
For example:
- São sete da manhã. – It’s 7 a.m.
- São oito da noite. – It’s 8 p.m.
Useful Vocabulary for Telling Time in Portuguese
- hora – hour
- minuto – minute
- segundo – second
- agora – now
- cedo – early
- tarde – late
- pontualmente – on time
Practice: Sample Time Questions and Answers
- Que horas são? – What time is it?
- São seis e dez. – It’s 6:10.
- O filme começa às oito? – Does the movie start at eight?
- Não, começa às oito e meia. – No, it starts at 8:30.
Tips for Mastering Time in Portuguese
- Listen to native speakers and practice repeating times aloud.
- Use language learning apps like Talkpal to reinforce your skills with interactive time-telling exercises.
- Write down your daily schedule in Portuguese to get comfortable with different expressions of time.
- Watch Portuguese movies or TV and pay attention to how time is mentioned in different situations.
Conclusion
Telling time in Portuguese is a practical and achievable skill. By mastering the vocabulary and patterns outlined above, you’ll feel more confident navigating daily life in a Portuguese-speaking environment. For more tips and interactive language learning, explore the resources and exercises available on Talkpal, your AI-powered partner on the journey to fluency in Portuguese!
