How to say dates with Portuguese numbers and months

Introduction

Learning how to say dates is one of the first practical skills for beginners in Brazilian Portuguese. Dates appear everywhere: appointments, tickets, messages, forms, and menus. This article explains numbers, months, and common date expressions in Brazilian Portuguese, with clear examples you can use right away.

Basic numbers you need for dates

To say dates you must know the numbers from 1 to 31 and the years. Here are the key numbers in Brazilian Portuguese with pronunciations written roughly for English speakers and short English explanations.

1 — um (oom) — used for dia 1

2 — dois (doh-eez) — masculine form commonly used

3 — três (trehz)

4 — quatro (KWA-troo)

5 — cinco (SEEN-koo)

6 — seis (says)

7 — sete (SEH-chee)

8 — oito (OY-too)

9 — nove (NOH-vee)

10 — dez (dehz)

11 — onze (ON-zee)

12 — doze (DOH-zee)

13 — treze (TREH-zee)

14 — quatorze/ catorze (kah-TOR-zee) — both heard in Brazil; quatorze is more common in many regions

15 — quinze (KEEN-zee)

16 — dezesseis (deh-zeh-SAYS) or dezesseis (varies regionally) — standard is dezesseis

17 — dezessete (deh-zeh-SEH-chee)

18 — dezoito (deh-OY-too)

19 — dezenove (deh-zeh-NOH-vee)

20 — vinte (VEEN-chee)

21 — vinte e um (VEEN-chee ee oom)

22 — vinte e dois (VEEN-chee ee DOH-eez)

23 — vinte e três

24 — vinte e quatro

25 — vinte e cinco

26 — vinte e seis

27 — vinte e sete

28 — vinte e oito

29 — vinte e nove

30 — trinta (TREEN-tah)

31 — trinta e um (TREEN-tah ee oom)

Months in Brazilian Portuguese

Months are essential. In Brazilian Portuguese month names are not capitalized in regular text. Learn their written form because months are almost always used as nouns.

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 calendar dates

There are two common ways to say dates: using ordinal-like spoken forms (dia + number) and using cardinal numbers. For beginners, the simplest pattern is dia + number + de + month + de + year for full dates in Portuguese.

Pattern: dia [number] de [month] de [year]

Example: 15 de março de 2024 — quinze de março de dois mil e vinte e quatro

Short spoken version commonly used in conversation: dia quinze de março — dia quinze de março

Example for appointment: A reunião é no dia 2 de julho. — A reunião é no dia dois de julho.

Notes on numbers and articles

When you say dates, people often include the preposition no (in the/on the, contraction of em + o) or na (feminine). Use no + dia when the context needs an article: no dia 5 de maio. If you just give a date as information, dia cinco de maio is fine.

Example: Eu nasci no dia 10 de outubro. — I was born on October 10.

Example without article: Meu aniversário é 10 de outubro. — My birthday is October 10.

Short forms and numbers on forms

On forms and tickets you will often see numeric formats like 05/11/2024. In Brazil the most common order is day/month/year. Learn to read 05/11/2024 as dia cinco de novembro de dois mil e vinte e quatro.

When reading just the numbers aloud, beginners can say cinco de novembro de vinte e quatro or cinco de novembro de dois mil e vinte e quatro. Both are understood; including dois mil helps avoid confusion for early learners.

Example on a ticket: 21/08/2025 — vinte e um de agosto de dois mil e vinte e cinco

How to say years

Years have a few common spoken patterns. For years from 2000 onward, Brazilians often say dois mil e X for early 2000s and vinte e X for 20XX in informal speech. For clarity, use dois mil e vinte e quatro for 2024.

Examples:

1990 — mil novecentos e noventa

2000 — dois mil

2005 — dois mil e cinco

2019 — dois mil e dezenove

2024 — dois mil e vinte e quatro or vinte e vinte e quatro (less formal)

1987 — mil novecentos e oitenta e sete

Ordinal numbers and special uses

When giving dates in spoken Portuguese, Brazilians sometimes use cardinal numbers but ordinals appear in formal contexts like documents or spoken events: primeiro for first. Ordinal agreement with gender is important when used as adjectives.

primeiro (for dia 1) — example: É no dia primeiro de maio. or É dia primeiro — It is on the first of May.

When writing on invitations or formal signs, you might see primeiro de maio. In everyday speech dia um or dia primeiro are both fine.

Common phrases and examples you will use

Here are practical sentences a beginner might encounter or use. Each example is written in Brazilian Portuguese followed by a short English explanation.

Qual é a data de hoje? — Asks What is the date today?

Hoje é 8 de junho. — Today is June 8.

Minha consulta é dia 14 de setembro às 10h. — My appointment is on September 14 at 10:00.

O prazo é 30 de abril. — The deadline is April 30.

Eu nasci em 03/07/1995. — I was born on 03/07/1995.

Feriado: 1º de maio — Holiday: May 1 (note the ordinal 1º, read primeiro)

O evento será em 2026. — The event will be in 2026.

Posso marcar para dia 5? — Can I schedule for the 5th?

Pronunciation tips for beginners

Focus on a few pronunciation points to sound natural when saying dates. Emphasize the month name, keep the dia number short, and link words with de smoothly. Brazilian Portuguese is syllable-timed, so keep a steady rhythm.

Practice: quinze de março — say quinze lightly and stress março.

Practice: vinte e um de janeiro — link the e smoothly: vinte e um de janeiro.

If a number has e between parts, pronounce the e as a short vowel: vinte e três (veeng-chee ee trehz).

Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them

Mistake: Using month/day order from English. Remember Brazil uses day/month/year. Read 04/12/2024 as quatro de dezembro de 2024, not April 12.

Mistake: Forgetting the preposition de. People might say dia 5 maio. Correct: dia 5 de maio or 5 de maio.

Mistake: Mixing European Portuguese spellings or words. Stick to Brazilian month names and number forms shown here.

Mistake: Incorrect year format in speech. Avoid ambiguous short forms for beginners; use dois mil e vinte e quatro for 2024 to be clear.

Practice activities for learners

Use these simple exercises to practice dates in context.

1. Read local event listings and say each date aloud in Portuguese. Example event: Feira 12/09/2024 — read: doze de setembro de dois mil e vinte e quatro.

2. Write five simple messages to friends with dates: Encontro dia 18 de março às 15h. Then practice speaking them.

3. Convert birthdays from your contacts into full Portuguese dates and say them: Meu aniversário é 21 de novembro.

Useful vocabulary and short reference list

dia — day

mês — month

ano — year

hoje — today

amanhã — tomorrow

ontem — yesterday

agenda — schedule/diary

férias — vacation/holidays

feriado — public holiday

Real-world examples you might see or use

Ticket: Entrada vál. até 30/06/2025 — válido até trinta de junho de dois mil e vinte e cinco.

Phone message: Lembrete: consulta dia 9 de maio às 14h. — Reminder: appointment on May 9 at 2pm.

Form field label: Data de nascimento — you will enter: 15/04/1990 and read as quinze de abril de mil novecentos e noventa.

Menu/seasonal sign: Oferta válida de 01/12 a 31/12 — válida de primeiro de dezembro a trinta e um de dezembro.

Quick cheatsheet for immediate use

If you need to say a date quickly use this short routine: say dia + number + de + month. For a full date add de + year. Use no dia when speaking about a scheduled appointment.

Example: Appointment: No dia 7 de novembro. Birthday: Meu aniversário é 7 de novembro. Ticket date: 07/11/2024 — sete de novembro de dois mil e vinte e quatro.

Conclusion

Mastering dates in Brazilian Portuguese is practical and rewarding. Focus on numbers 1–31, month names, the pattern dia [number] de [month] de [year], and the day/month/year order used in Brazil. Use the examples and short practice activities above to build confidence for everyday situations like appointments, tickets, forms, and messages.