Introduction
This article teaches complete beginners how to ask simple date and time questions in Brazilian Portuguese. You will learn essential vocabulary, question structures, polite expressions, and useful examples for everyday situations like appointments, travel, schedules, and making plans.
- Why ask date and time questions first?
- Essential vocabulary for dates and times
- Basic question words for time and date
- How to ask about dates
- Polite ways to ask about time and date
- Practical dialogues for everyday situations
- Common mistakes beginners make
- Quick beginner tips
- Mini practice exercises
- Useful signs and messages you may encounter
- Putting it together in real life
- Conclusion
Why ask date and time questions first?
Knowing how to ask and understand dates and times is one of the most practical skills for a beginner. It helps you catch a bus, make an appointment, read a schedule, or agree on a meeting with friends. Brazilian Portuguese has some differences from English in how dates, times, and days are said, so clear practice is helpful.
Essential vocabulary for dates and times
Here are the core words you should memorize. Learn both the Portuguese and the English meaning.
dia — day
data — date (calendar date)
hoje — today
amanhã — tomorrow
ontem — yesterday
hora — hour, time
minuto — minute
meia-noite — midnight
meio-dia — noon
manhã — morning
tarde — afternoon
noite — evening, night
segunda-feira — Monday
terça-feira — Tuesday
quarta-feira — Wednesday
quinta-feira — Thursday
sexta-feira — Friday
sábado — Saturday
domingo — Sunday
Basic question words for time and date
Use these to build questions. They are small but vital.
que dia — what day
quando — when
a que horas — at what time
que horas são — what time is it
qual a data — what is the date
quanto tempo — how long
How to ask the time
Brazilian Portuguese often uses a 24-hour clock in formal contexts, but people commonly use a 12-hour clock in conversation with manhã, tarde, or noite to indicate period.
Common question forms:
a que horas é o evento? — at what time is the event?
que horas são? — what time is it?
a que horas você chega? — what time do you arrive?
Examples you might see or use:
Que horas são?
São 9 horas. — What time is it?
It’s 9 o’clock.
A que horas é a reunião?
É às 14h. — At what time is the meeting?
It’s at 2 PM.
Você pode dizer a hora?
São 7 e meia. — Can you tell the time?
It’s 7:30.
Saying minutes and half hours
Minutes are expressed similarly to English. For half past, Brazilians often say e meia. For quarter past or quarter to, use e quinze or menos quinze, or better yet quinze and menos quinze in casual speech.
Examples:
São 3 e 15. — It’s 3:15.
São 6 e meia. — It’s 6:30.
São 10 menos 10. — It’s 9:50 (10 to 10).
How to ask about dates
In Brazilian Portuguese the common date order is day-month-year. When asking the date, use qual a data or que dia.
Common question forms:
qual é a data de hoje? — what is today’s date?
que dia é hoje? — what day is it today?
em que dia é o evento? — on what day is the event?
Examples:
Que dia é hoje?
Hoje é segunda-feira, dia 12 de abril. — What day is it today?
Today is Monday, April 12.
Qual é a data do seu voo?
A data é 23/07. — What is the date of your flight?
The date is 23/07.
Em que dia nos encontramos?
Nos encontramos no sábado. — On what day do we meet?
We meet on Saturday.
Reading dates aloud
Say the day number, then de, then the month. Months are:
janeiro — January
fevereiro — February
março — March
abril — April
maio — May
junho — June
julho — July
agosto — August
setembro — September
outubro — October
novembro — November
dezembro — December
Example sentences to practice:
Meu aniversário é em 5 de maio. — My birthday is on May 5.
A prova é no dia 30 de novembro. — The exam is on November 30.
Polite ways to ask about time and date
Politeness helps in service situations, appointments, and when asking strangers. Use por favor and poderia or você poderia to be courteous.
Examples:
Por favor, que horas são? — Please, what time is it?
Você poderia me dizer a data da reserva? — Could you tell me the reservation date?
Poderia me dizer a que horas abre a loja? — Could you tell me what time the store opens?
Practical dialogues for everyday situations
Short dialogues help you see how questions and answers flow in real settings.
At a bus stop:
Passageiro: A que horas sai o próximo ônibus para o centro?
Motorista: Sai às 15h30. — Passenger: What time does the next bus for downtown leave?
Driver: It leaves at 3:30 PM.
At the doctor’s office:
Paciente: Qual é a data da minha consulta?
Recepcionista: Sua consulta é no dia 8 de junho, às 10 horas. — Patient: What is the date of my appointment?
Receptionist: Your appointment is on June 8 at 10 o’clock.
Making a plan with a friend:
Amigo A: Quando nos encontramos?
Amigo B: Podemos nos ver amanhã à tarde, às 16h? — Friend A: When do we meet?
Friend B: Can we meet tomorrow afternoon at 4 PM?
Common mistakes beginners make
Be aware of these typical errors and how to correct them.
Using English word order for dates — Say day then month: 12 de abril, not April 12.
Omitting a or às before times — Use às for specific times: às 9h, not 9h alone in a sentence.
Confusing manhã, tarde, noite — manhã = morning, tarde = afternoon, noite = evening/night. Use them to clarify AM/PM when necessary.
Mistaking hora for horaS — Use que horas são for asking the time (plural) and a que horas for at what time.
Quick beginner tips
Practice the numbers 1–60 in Portuguese until you can say minutes smoothly.
Learn the days of the week and months in short flashcards to recognize them quickly on schedules and forms.
When in doubt, add manhã/tarde/noite to avoid AM/PM confusion: às 7 da manhã, às 7 da noite.
Listen to short audio clips of native speakers asking and answering time and date questions to get natural rhythm and pronunciation.
Mini practice exercises
Convert each English question to Brazilian Portuguese. Try aloud.
What time is the meeting? — Que horas são? / A que horas é a reunião?
When is your birthday? — Quando é o seu aniversário?
On which day is the concert? — Em que dia é o show?
Answer these in Portuguese:
The class is at 8:30 AM. — A aula é às 8 e meia da manhã.
My flight is on July 15. — Meu voo é no dia 15 de julho.
Useful signs and messages you may encounter
These short phrases appear on schedules, tickets, and public signs.
Horário de funcionamento — opening hours
Saída às 18h — departure at 6 PM
Data: 10/10/2026 — Date: 10/10/2026
Entrada até às 20h — entry until 8 PM
Putting it together in real life
When traveling or living in Brazil, use these small routines to gain confidence. Check bus timetables and read appointment reminders. Ask a shopkeeper politely what time they close. Confirm meetings by sending a short Portuguese message.
Example message to confirm a meeting:
Oi, tudo bem? Nos vemos amanhã às 14h? — Hi, how are you? See you tomorrow at 2 PM?
Conclusion
Mastering simple date and time questions in Brazilian Portuguese opens many practical doors. Focus on the core vocabulary, practice common question structures, learn polite phrases, and use short real-life examples to build confidence. With targeted practice of numbers, days, and clock expressions you will quickly handle schedules, tickets, and appointments in Portuguese.
