Introduction
Learning how to say dates in Brazilian Portuguese helps you book travel, read schedules, understand messages, and manage daily life. This guide explains days, months, and common date formats with clear examples, vocabulary, and practical tips for beginners.
- Basic vocabulary: days of the week and months
- How to say the day of the month
- Common date expressions and formats
- Short phrases for appointments and events
- Talking about months alone and seasons
- Weekday plus date: combining day name and numeric date
- Abbreviations and numerals you will see
- Practical examples for everyday situations
- How to say years and centuries
- Common beginner mistakes and tips
- Practice exercises for learners
- Useful mini-glossary
- Conclusion
Basic vocabulary: days of the week and months
First learn the days of the week. The weekday words are important when telling dates for events and appointments.
segunda-feira — Monday
terça-feira — Tuesday
quarta-feira — Wednesday
quinta-feira — Thursday
sexta-feira — Friday
sábado — Saturday
domingo — Sunday
Now the months. Brazilian Portuguese month names are similar to English and useful to memorize.
janeiro — January
fevereiro — February
março — March
abril — April
maio — May
junho — June
julho — July
agosto — August
setembro — September
outubro — October
novembro — November
dezembro — December
How to say the day of the month
To say a specific day in Portuguese, use the day number followed by the month. For example, 1 January is said with a special word for first day.
1º de janeiro — primeiro de janeiro
2 de fevereiro — dois de fevereiro
3 de março — três de março
Notice that for the first day you often see the ordinal form primeiro or the numeral with º as in 1º. For other days you can use cardinal numbers.
Common date expressions and formats
Brazil uses day-month-year format in everyday writing and speech. In speech you say day de month de year. In formal writing you often see numerals like 05/06/2024 representing 5 June 2024.
5 de junho de 2024 — cinco de junho de dois mil e vinte e quatro
21 de setembro de 2023 — vinte e um de setembro de dois mil e vinte e três
When writing informally, people may use digits: 05/06/2024. When speaking, say the words, not the digits.
Short phrases for appointments and events
These simple phrases will help you make or confirm plans over the phone or text.
Que dia é a reunião?
What day is the meeting?
A reunião é dia 10 de agosto.
The meeting is on August 10.
Quando é o seu aniversário?
When is your birthday?
Meu aniversário é em 3 de novembro.
My birthday is on November 3.
Está marcado para que dia?
What day is it scheduled for?
Está marcado para sexta-feira, 12 de julho.
It is scheduled for Friday, July 12.
Talking about months alone and seasons
When discussing general months use em before the month to mean in that month. To say next month or last month use next and last words.
em agosto — in August
no mês de março — in the month of March
mês que vem — next month
mês passado — last month
Useful example: Vou viajar em julho. — I will travel in July.
Weekday plus date: combining day name and numeric date
Often Brazilians include the weekday before the date when inviting or scheduling. The weekday goes first, followed by a comma and the date expression.
sexta-feira, 14 de outubro — Friday, October 14
domingo, 1º de maio — Sunday, May 1st
Example message: Encontro no sábado, 22 de abril, às 15h. — Meeting on Saturday, April 22, at 3 PM.
Abbreviations and numerals you will see
Beginners should recognize common abbreviations on forms, signs, and calendars.
seg, ter, qua, qui, sex, sáb, dom — abbreviated weekdays
jan, fev, mar, abr, mai, jun, jul, ago, set, out, nov, dez — abbreviated months
Dates often appear as 22/04/2024 (day/month/year). Postal and official documents may use ISO format 2024-04-22, but day/month/year is most common for everyday use.
Practical examples for everyday situations
Here are realistic examples a beginner might read or use in messages, forms, and signs.
Bilhete de ônibus
Data: 10/08/2024
Date printed on a bus ticket.
Agendamento médico
Consulta: 05 de março de 2025 às 09h
Appointment details on a clinic notice.
Convite
Festa: sábado, 18 de junho, às 20h
An invite showing weekday, date, and time.
Mensagem de texto
Vamos nos ver dia 2 de maio?
Casual message asking about meeting on May 2nd.
How to say years and centuries
Years are usually read as a whole number split naturally. For recent years Brazilians often say two thousand and the rest, but cardinal reading is fine.
2024 — dois mil e vinte e quatro
1999 — mil novecentos e noventa e nove
For centuries you can say século followed by the ordinal: século XX — twentieth century, read as século vinte.
Common beginner mistakes and tips
Beginners often mix the month and day order or forget de between day and month. Remember Portuguese uses day de month de year in speech.
Tip: When reading dates aloud, always include de between parts: 15 de abril de 2024.
Mistake: saying May 5 as maio 5. Correct: 5 de maio or cinco de maio.
Tip: Practice with local examples like dates on bills or event posters you encounter. Speak them out loud using full phrases.
Practice exercises for learners
Translate these simple items into Portuguese and then check with a native speaker or tutor.
1) July 20, 2023
2) Monday, 8 of March
3) My appointment is on September 3 at 14:00
Answers (models): 20 de julho de 2023 / segunda-feira, 8 de março / Minha consulta é dia 3 de setembro às 14h.
Useful mini-glossary
dia — day
mês — month
ano — year
hoje — today
amanhã — tomorrow
ontem — yesterday
Conclusion
Knowing how to say dates in Brazilian Portuguese makes everyday tasks much easier. Focus on learning month names, the day de month pattern, and common abbreviations. Practice with real items like tickets and messages, and use the short phrases provided to build confidence in scheduling and reading dates.
