Introduction
Learning to say the day and month in Brazilian Portuguese is a practical first step for travelers, students, and anyone starting to use the language. This article explains vocabulary, pronunciation tips, common phrases, and realistic examples so beginners can read calendars, ask about dates, and give simple information with confidence.
- Basic vocabulary: days of the week
- Basic vocabulary: months of the year
- Saying the day of the month: cardinal vs ordinal
- Short spoken ways and common contractions
- How to ask about the date
- Writing dates: common formats in Brazil
- Common phrases using days and months
- Beginner tips to memorize days and months
- Common beginner mistakes and how to fix them
- Realistic practice dialogues for beginners
- Extra: talking about weekdays in plural and ranges
- Quick reference: compact phrase list
- Conclusion
Basic vocabulary: days of the week
First learn the seven days. Each day name in Brazilian Portuguese is not capitalized unless at the start of a sentence.
segunda-feira — Monday
terça-feira — Tuesday
quarta-feira — Wednesday
quinta-feira — Thursday
sexta-feira — Friday
sábado — Saturday
domingo — Sunday
Pronunciation tips for days
Pronounce open vowels clearly. Tips: segunda-feira sounds like se-GOON-dah FAY-rah, terça-feira like TER-sah FAY-rah. The word feira historically means market but in modern speech it is part of the weekday names.
Beginners often shorten the weekday in casual speech. Notice common short forms used in spoken contexts:
seg, ter, qua, qui, sex, sáb, dom
Basic vocabulary: months of the year
Months are more straightforward. They are similar to English but with Portuguese pronunciation and no capitalization unless starting a sentence.
janeiro — January
fevereiro — February
março — March
abril — April
maio — May
junho — June
julho — July
agosto — August
setembro — September
outubro — October
novembro — November
dezembro — December
Pronunciation tips for months
Emphasize the stressed syllable: janeiro = ja-NEI-ro, fevereiro = fe-VE-rei-ro. Pay attention to the cedilla in março that changes the c to an s sound: março = MAR-soo.
Saying the day of the month: cardinal vs ordinal
When saying dates in Portuguese you can use two common formats: cardinal numbers and ordinal numbers. Both appear in everyday speech and writing.
Common, simple way: cardinal numbers
Cardinal numbers are used frequently in spoken Brazilian Portuguese to say the day of the month. Structure: day number + de + month. Examples:
1 de janeiro — um de janeiro
15 de março — quinze de março
30 de junho — trinta de junho
Pronunciation tip: say the number, then clearly say de (like English day without the y), then the month.
Formal or written: ordinal numbers
Ordinals are used in official documents or formal speech. Structure: o/a + ordinal + de + month. The ordinal agrees in gender with the implied palavra dia, which is masculine, so you normally use o. Examples:
o primeiro de maio — o primeiro de maio (the first of May)
o vigésimo primeiro de setembro — o vigésimo primeiro de setembro (the twenty-first of September)
Beginners can focus on cardinals first and learn ordinals later, starting with primeiro and segundo.
Short spoken ways and common contractions
In casual spoken Portuguese Brazilians sometimes drop de or say the month alone when context is clear. Examples a beginner will hear:
Hoje é vinte e três, meaning Today is the twenty-third, when the month is already known in conversation.
Dia 5, used in schedules or messages to mean on the 5th, for example in a text: Reunião dia 5 às 10h — Reunião dia 5 às 10h (Meeting on the 5th at 10:00).
A common written shortcut on forms is 05/07/2026 following the day/month/year format.
How to ask about the date
Useful beginner questions and short answers you’ll use right away:
Que dia é hoje? — Que dia é hoje? (What day is today?)
Qual é a data de hoje? — Qual é a data de hoje? (What is today’s date?)
Hoje é domingo. — Hoje é domingo. (Today is Sunday.)
Hoje é 12 de abril. — Hoje é 12 de abril. (Today is April 12.)
Replying with month and day
When giving the date, naturally say the day number first. Examples:
É 3 de outubro. — É 3 de outubro.
É primeiro de janeiro. — É primeiro de janeiro.
Writing dates: common formats in Brazil
Brazilians usually write dates in day/month/year order. Common formats you will see:
DD/MM/YYYY — 05/11/2026
DD de month de YYYY — 5 de novembro de 2026
In formal documents you may also see o dia primeiro de mês de ano, but for beginners the first two formats are sufficient.
Common phrases using days and months
Here are practical phrases you might read on signs, schedules, tickets, and messages.
Horário de funcionamento: Segunda a sexta, 9h às 18h — Horário de funcionamento: Segunda a sexta, 9h às 18h (Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00).
Próxima reunião: 12 de junho às 14h — Próxima reunião: 12 de junho às 14h (Next meeting: June 12 at 14:00).
Validade: até 30/09/2026 — Validade: até 30/09/2026 (Valid until 30/09/2026).
Evento todo dia domingo — Evento todo dia domingo (Event every Sunday).
Beginner tips to memorize days and months
Use these targeted study strategies rather than vague advice.
1. Flashcards with audio: write the Portuguese word on one side and the English on the other. Record yourself or use a native audio for correct pronunciation.
2. Calendar practice: replace the English names in your digital calendar with Portuguese for one month to build exposure.
3. Mini dialogues: practice short question-answer pairs like Que dia é hoje? Hoje é terça-feira, 9 de março.
4. Daily habit: each morning say the date out loud in Portuguese; it builds muscle memory and listening comprehension.
Common beginner mistakes and how to fix them
Mistake 1: Using English word order for months. Brazilian Portuguese uses day then month. Fix: practice DD de month sentences.
Mistake 2: Capitalizing months and weekdays. Fix: in Portuguese they are lowercase unless starting a sentence.
Mistake 3: Forgetting the preposition de. Beginners sometimes say 5 maio instead of 5 de maio. Fix: think of de as the glue between day and month.
Mistake 4: Pronouncing março without the s sound. The c with cedilla is pronounced like s. Fix: practice março = MAR-soo.
Realistic practice dialogues for beginners
Practice reading and speaking with simple dialogs you might encounter in Brazil.
At a clinic reception
Recepcionista: Bom dia. Qual é a sua data de nascimento?
Paciente: É 18 de julho de 1990. — É 18 de julho de 1990.
Making an appointment by phone
Você: Posso marcar para sexta-feira, 12 de maio?
Secretária: Sim, às 15h está bom? — Sim, às 15h está bom?
Extra: talking about weekdays in plural and ranges
To say every Monday or Mondays use às segundas or às segundas-feiras. Examples:
Eu vou à academia às segundas e quintas. — Eu vou à academia às segundas e quintas. (I go to the gym on Mondays and Thursdays.)
From Monday to Friday is de segunda a sexta. — de segunda a sexta
Quick reference: compact phrase list
Que dia é hoje? — Que dia é hoje?
Qual é a data? — Qual é a data?
Hoje é… — Hoje é…
Dia 10 — Dia 10
5 de maio — 5 de maio
Primeiro de janeiro — Primeiro de janeiro
Conclusion
Mastering how to say the day and month in Brazilian Portuguese is highly practical and achievable with short, focused practice. Learn the day and month names, use the common day de month pattern, listen for native pronunciation, and practice simple dialogues you will actually use. With these steps you’ll be comfortable reading dates, filling forms, and talking about schedules in everyday Brazilian Portuguese situations.
