Introduction
Learning the Portuguese months of the year is one of the first and most practical steps for beginners. Knowing month names helps with dates, travel plans, appointments, reading calendars, and understanding basic conversations. This guide teaches Brazilian Portuguese month vocabulary, pronunciation tips, common phrases, simple examples, and typical beginner mistakes.
- Month names in Brazilian Portuguese
- Using months in dates
- Common phrases using months
- Abbreviations and calendar labels
- Talking about seasons and months
- Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them
- Useful vocabulary related to months
- Quick memory tricks to learn the months
- Real-life situations where months matter
- Conclusion
Month names in Brazilian Portuguese
Portuguese month names are straightforward and similar to English in many cases. Below are the Brazilian Portuguese names and a short pronunciation hint using English sounds.
janeiro — pronounced roughly as zhah-NEH-roo
fevereiro — feh-vreh-AY-roo
março — MAR-soo (the ç makes an s sound)
abril — ah-BREEL
maio — MAH-yoo
junho — JOO-nyoo
julho — JOO-lyoo
agosto — ah-GOHS-too
setembro — seh-TEHM-broo
outubro — ow-TOO-broo
novembro — noh-VEHM-broo
dezembro — deh-ZEHM-broo
Quick pronunciation tips
Brazilian Portuguese has consistent vowel sounds. Emphasize the syllable shown in the hint. The letter j sounds like the zh in measure. The digraph lh or nh are not in month names but appear in other words; focus on the sounds of vowels and the clear s or z for ç and s between vowels.
Note that março has a cedilha (ç) which is pronounced like s. Dezembro has a voiced z sound at the start of the stressed syllable.
Using months in dates
Dates are one of the most common places you’ll see month names. Brazilian date formats vary: day before month is common in everyday use. Here are practical examples you will encounter on forms, tickets, and calendars.
1 de janeiro — first of January
15 de agosto — fifteenth of August
31 de dezembro — thirty-first of December
In written Brazilian Portuguese you often see the preposition de between day and month. On official forms the numeric format DD/MM/YYYY is common, for example 05/09/2026 for 5 September 2026.
Sample sentences with dates
Meu aniversário é em julho.
My birthday is in July.
Temos uma reunião em 3 de março.
We have a meeting on March 3.
O evento é dia 20 de novembro.
The event is on November 20.
Common phrases using months
Months appear in everyday phrases for planning, weather, holidays, and schedules. Learn these short, useful expressions that you’ll hear from friends, on signs, and in messages.
em janeiro — in January
no verão (em julho) — in the summer (in July) — note verão means summer
próximo mês — next month
mês passado — last month
até o fim do mês — until the end of the month
Example conversational lines
Você pode ir no início de maio?
Can you go at the beginning of May?
Vou viajar em outubro.
I’m going to travel in October.
Temos promoções só em dezembro.
We have promotions only in December.
Abbreviations and calendar labels
On calendars, websites, and apps you will often see abbreviations. Here are standard Brazilian Portuguese abbreviations for months, useful for reading schedules and timetables.
jan — janeiro
fev — fevereiro
mar — março
abr — abril
mai — maio
jun — junho
jul — julho
ago — agosto
set — setembro
out — outubro
nov — novembro
dez — dezembro
Practical example on a calendar
Horário: 10:00 — 11:00, 12 jul
Schedule: 10:00 — 11:00, July 12.
Feira: 23 nov — Local: Praça Central
Fair: November 23 — Location: Central Square.
Talking about seasons and months
A basic skill is linking months to seasons or weather. In Brazil seasons differ by region, but many learners use general associations for simple conversation. Below are seasons with example months and common phrases.
verão (december, january, february) — summer
outono (march, april, may) — autumn/fall
inverno (june, july, august) — winter
primavera (september, october, november) — spring
Example sentences about seasons
No inverno costuma chover menos aqui.
In winter it usually rains less here.
Prefiro viajar na primavera, em outubro.
I prefer to travel in spring, in October.
Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them
Beginners make predictable errors with months. Here are frequent mistakes and quick fixes so you sound natural sooner.
Mistake: Using English month spelling. Always use the Portuguese form on forms, tickets, and when speaking to Brazilians.
Fix: Memorize the Portuguese list and practice saying them aloud in order.
Mistake: Forgetting the preposition de in dates. Native speakers often use de between day and month.
Fix: Use the pattern dia + de + mês for full dates: 10 de abril.
Mistake: Pronouncing nasal endings like English n. Portuguese nasal sounds are different.
Fix: Listen to native audio and imitate. Focus on vowel sounds and syllable stress.
Mini practice activity
Write the date of an appointment using the Portuguese month. Example: 22 de maio. Say it aloud: vinte e dois de maio.
Try filling a simple schedule: Segunda, 5 de julho — Reunião às 14:00.
Useful vocabulary related to months
ano — year
mês — month
dia — day
hoje — today
amanhã — tomorrow
ontem — yesterday
semana — week
calendário — calendar
Practical examples with these words
Qual é a data de hoje?
What is today’s date?
Hoje é 9 de junho.
Today is June 9.
Meu cartão está vencendo em novembro.
My card is expiring in November.
Quick memory tricks to learn the months
Use simple associations and short spoken drills to memorize month names quickly. Techniques below are tailored for beginners learning Brazilian Portuguese.
Group months in threes to create small chunks: janeiro-fevereiro-março, abril-maio-junho, julho-agosto-setembro, outubro-novembro-dezembro.
Create a short song or rhythm: say the months to a simple melody you know. Repetition with rhythm helps retention.
Label a physical calendar in your study area with Portuguese month names and say the current month aloud every day.
Mini drill
Say months in order three times each morning. Then use them in one sentence, for example: Vou viajar em agosto.
Real-life situations where months matter
Knowing months helps in many everyday contexts. Here are realistic scenarios where you will use month vocabulary.
Making appointments: Quero marcar uma consulta em setembro.
I want to schedule an appointment in September.
Buying tickets: Ida e volta em julho e agosto.
Round trip in July and August.
Filling forms: Data de nascimento: 12 de abril de 1990.
Date of birth: April 12, 1990.
Reading menus or seasonal promotions: Oferta válida até 31 de março.
Offer valid until March 31.
Conclusion
Mastering the Portuguese months of the year gives you immediate practical skills for travel, scheduling, and everyday communication in Brazilian Portuguese. Practice pronunciation, use dates with the preposition de, and memorize common abbreviations. With simple drills, realistic sentences, and calendar practice you will recognize and use month names confidently.
