How to say what time it is in Portuguese basics

Introduction

Learning how to tell time is one of the first practical skills in Brazilian Portuguese. This article teaches you basic vocabulary, common phrases, and simple sentence structures so you can ask and say the time confidently in everyday situations.

Basic time vocabulary

Que horas são? — A key question meaning What time is it?

Hora — hour

Minuto — minute

Meio-dia — noon

Meia-noite — midnight

Manhã — morning

Tarde — afternoon

Noite — evening/night

Em ponto — exactly (used for on the hour)

How to ask the time

The most common, natural way to ask the time in Brazilian Portuguese is Que horas são? You can also hear polite variations and quick forms.

Examples:

Que horas são? — What time is it?

Você sabe que horas são? — Do you know what time it is?

Que horas são, por favor? — What time is it, please?

Saying the hour: simple patterns

Brazilian Portuguese usually tells the hour first, then the minutes. For exact hours use em ponto or just the hour + the verb.

Structure: [hour] + [verb/phrase] + [minutes if any]

Examples:

São três horas. — It is three o’clock.

São oito horas em ponto. — It is eight o’clock sharp.

É meio-dia. — It is noon.

É meia-noite. — It is midnight.

Minutes after the hour

To state minutes after the hour use horas followed by minutes. Minutes use the plural minutos, but often you simply say the number.

Examples:

São duas e dez. — It is 2:10.

São sete e quinze. — It is 7:15. (You will also hear sete e quinze or sete e um quarto.)

São cinco e vinte. — It is 5:20.

Quarter and half

Brazilian Portuguese has idiomatic ways to say quarter past, quarter to, and half past.

e um quarto — quarter past

e meia — half past

menos um quarto — quarter to

Examples:

São três e um quarto. — It is 3:15.

São seis e meia. — It is 6:30.

Falta um quarto para as nove. — It is quarter to nine. (Literally missing a quarter to nine.)

Minutes to the next hour

For times closer to the next hour Brazilians often say minutes to the next hour using menos plus the minutes. This is similar to English saying twenty to six.

Examples:

São dez para as cinco. — It is 4:50. (Ten to five.)

São cinco para as duas. — It is 1:55.

Faltam cinco minutos para as oito. — There are five minutes until eight.

24-hour vs 12-hour format

In Brazil both 12-hour and 24-hour formats are used. Spoken language commonly uses 12-hour with context words like da manhã, da tarde, and da noite. Written timetables, trains, buses, and flights often use 24-hour format.

Examples:

São oito da manhã. — It is 8 AM.

São duas da tarde. — It is 2 PM.

O ônibus sai às 17:30. — The bus leaves at 17:30. (Written schedule)

Adding context: morning, afternoon, evening

Use time-of-day phrases to avoid confusion when using 12-hour times.

da manhã — in the morning

da tarde — in the afternoon

da noite — in the evening/night

Examples:

Marcos chega às sete da manhã. — Marcos arrives at 7 in the morning.

O restaurante abre às onze da manhã e fecha às dez da noite. — The restaurant opens at 11 AM and closes at 10 PM.

Common conversational phrases about time

Beginners should learn short, useful phrases you will hear often.

Que horas são? — What time is it?

Que horas você tem? — What time is it for you? (less common)

Está na hora. — It’s time. (For something to start)

Daqui a pouco — soon/in a little while

Agora — now

Examples:

Está na hora de sair. — It’s time to leave.

Daqui a pouco eu volto. — I’ll be back in a little while.

Reading digital and analog clocks

When reading analog clocks, Brazilians still say the same phrases. For digital displays you can read the numbers directly or use 24-hour conventions for schedules.

Examples:

A digital watch shows 09:45 — you can say São nove e quarenta e cinco or São quinze para as dez depending on preference.

A screen displays 14:20 — say São quatorze e vinte or in conversation São duas e vinte da tarde.

Practical examples for everyday situations

Here are short, realistic dialogues and phrases you might use or see as a beginner.

At a bus stop:

— Que horas chega o ônibus?
— Chega às oito e quinze.

On the phone:

— Que horas você pode conversar?
— Posso falar às três da tarde.

At work/school:

— A reunião é ao meio-dia?
— Não, é ao meio-dia e meia.

Meeting a friend:

— Vamos nos encontrar às sete?
— Sim, às sete em ponto.

Common mistakes and beginner tips

Mistake 1: Forgetting to add horas after the hour when using full hours. While many Brazilians drop horas in speech, beginners should use it until comfortable.

Tip: Say São três horas rather than just Três when starting out.

Mistake 2: Confusing da tarde and da noite. Use da tarde from noon to early evening; use da noite for late evening and night.

Tip: When in doubt, use the 24-hour format for clarity in writing or schedules.

Mistake 3: Literal translation from English for minutes to the hour. Portuguese often uses menos constructions and idiomatic phrases like e meia and um quarto.

Tip: Memorize key patterns: e [minutes], e meia, e um quarto, menos [minutes].

Quick practice exercises

Fill in the blanks or translate these simple times into Portuguese. Check your answers by comparing patterns above.

1) 4:00 —

2) 9:15 —

3) 12:30 —

4) 6:45 (quarter to seven) —

5) 19:05 (spoken) —

Answers you should aim for: São quatro horas; São nove e quinze or São nove e um quarto; É meio-dia e meia or São doze e trinta; São sete menos um quarto or Falta um quarto para as sete; São sete e cinco da noite.

Short glossary of essential words

Que horas são? — What time is it?

Hora(s) — Hour(s)

Minuto(s) — Minute(s)

Em ponto — Exactly on the hour

Meio-dia / Meia-noite — Noon / Midnight

Da manhã / Da tarde / Da noite — Morning / Afternoon / Evening-night

Using these skills in Brazil

Knowing how to ask and tell time will help with catching buses, reading schedules, making appointments, and greeting people. Practice by reading clocks in your daily life, listening to announcements, and using the short dialogues above when speaking with Brazilian Portuguese learners or native speakers.

Conclusion

Mastering how to say the time in Brazilian Portuguese is a practical early goal. Learn the core question Que horas são?, the common patterns for hours and minutes, and time-of-day words. With short dialogues, realistic examples, and the simple rules here, you will be able to understand and give times in everyday situations.