How to use Portuguese months in dates and introductions

Introduction

Learning the months in Brazilian Portuguese is one of the first steps for beginners. This guide explains how to use months in dates, introductions, schedules, and everyday phrases. You will learn the vocabulary, common sentence patterns, useful tips, and mistakes to avoid so you can read forms, say your birthday, and talk about plans in Portuguese with confidence.

Portuguese months: the basic vocabulary

Start by memorizing the month names. The month names in Brazilian Portuguese are very close to English, but pronunciation and capitalization rules differ. The first time you see each month below, it is highlighted.

janeiro – January

fevereiro – February

março – March

abril – April

maio – May

junho – June

julho – July

agosto – August

setembro – September

outubro – October

novembro – November

dezembro – December

Capitalization and spelling rules

In Brazilian Portuguese month names are not capitalized unless they start a sentence or are in a title. This differs from English where months are always capitalized. For example, written on a form you will often see março not Março.

Also note special characters: março has a cedilla on the c. Be careful with accents because they change pronunciation.

How to say dates in Portuguese

There are a few common ways to say dates. For spoken, informal, and everyday use, Brazilians often use the structure day de month de year. For example:

Meu aniversário é no dia 15 de maio de 1998.
The literal structure: day de month de year.

When writing, Portuguese commonly uses the numeric format day/month/year, as in 15/05/1998. On forms you might also see year-month-day in technical contexts, but day/month/year is the everyday pattern.

Examples: saying birthdays and appointments

Use these simple sentences when giving your birthday or appointment date.

Meu aniversário é em 10 de agosto.

Tenho uma consulta em 2 de junho.

O evento será em 21 de dezembro às 19h.

Ordinal numbers and formal dates

Sometimes you will hear dates read using ordinal numbers, especially in formal speech or announcements. Ordinals are written with masculine or feminine agreement to the implied palavra data, but beginners can safely use the numeric phrase with de. Examples:

Hoje é o primeiro de abril.(Today is the first of April)

A cerimônia será no segundo de setembro.(The ceremony will be on the second of September)

Note: In everyday speech Brazilians often use the cardinal form with de instead of ordinals, for example dia 1 de abril or simply 1º de abril when written.

Short forms and abbreviations

On calendars and schedules, month names are often abbreviated to three letters, especially in digital interfaces. Common abbreviations are:

jan. | fev. | mar. | abr. | mai. | jun. | jul. | ago. | set. | out. | nov. | dez.

Notice the periods after three-letter abbreviations are common in printed material. Digital apps may use no punctuation. When filling forms, match the format shown on the document.

Using months in introductions and small talk

Months appear naturally when you introduce yourself or ask simple questions. Learn these practical phrases:

Quando você faz aniversário? – When is your birthday?

Eu faço aniversário em março. – My birthday is in March.

Em que mês você vai viajar? – In which month are you traveling?

Vou viajar em outubro. – I will travel in October.

Example dialogues for beginners

A: Quando é o seu aniversário?
B: É em junho, dia 5.

A: Em que mês começa o curso?
B: O curso começa em fevereiro.

These short dialogues show how you can combine month vocabulary with dates and simple questions.

Writing dates on forms and online

Forms in Brazil usually expect day/month/year. If a form labels fields day, month, year, enter numbers accordingly. If a dropdown uses month names, use the Brazilian Portuguese names, usually not capitalized. Example entries on a form:

Data de nascimento: 05/06/1990

Mês de início: setembro

If you need to write the month name in a document, follow the not-capitalized rule unless the month starts the line.

Talking about seasons and months together

Brazilians refer to seasons, but remember seasons are reversed from the Northern Hemisphere in terms of temperature expectations. Useful beginner sentences:

No verão (summer) gosto de praia. – In summer I like the beach.

O inverno começa em junho. – Winter begins in June.

To say during a month use em or no/na depending on article: em março, no inverno. For months you generally use em: em abril, em novembro.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Beginners often make a few predictable errors. Here are clear fixes:

Mistake: Capitalizing month names as in English. Fix: Use lowercase: abril, dezembro.

Mistake: Mixing English month names with Portuguese connectors. Fix: Use Portuguese month names with de: dia 12 de julho.

Mistake: Using the wrong preposition. Fix: Use em or no dia: em março, no dia 3 de março. For specific days, say no dia or just dia: no dia 1º de maio or dia 1º de maio.

Pronunciation tips for month names

Pronunciation differs from English. Basic hints:

janeiro – sounds like zha-NEH-ro (soft j)

fevereiro – feh-VEH-reh-ro

março – MAR-soo (soft s like s in sell; the ç is an s sound)

maio – MY-oh

dezembro – deh-ZEM-bro

Practice by repeating short phrases: meu aniversário é em março, hoje é 5 de maio. Hearing native speakers on apps or videos helps a lot; focus on the vowel sounds and the cedilla in março.

Useful vocabulary and short phrases to memorize

These quick items appear often in conversations, signs, schedules, and apps.

dia – day

data – date

hoje – today

amanhã – tomorrow

ontem – yesterday

semana – week

mês – month

ano – year

Example sentences for signs, messages, and schedules

Exhibit realistic lines you might see on a schedule or sign:

Inscrições até 30 de abril.

Fechado para férias em janeiro.

Próxima aula: 12 de setembro às 14h.

These short lines are simple and practical; they use month names exactly as you will see them in Brazil.

Practice activities for beginners

Simple exercises help you internalize month use. Try these:

Create a short calendar: write your birthday, a friend’s birthday, and one holiday using day de month format.

Convert three dates from English to Portuguese format: for example, convert March 8 to 8 de março.

Write five short sentences introducing when you do things: Eu vou ao médico em abril. Eu viajo em julho.

Quick reference cheat-sheet

Remember these core patterns for immediate use:

Day and month spoken: dia 14 de fevereiro

Month only: em julho

Written short date: 14/02/2026

Abbreviations: jan., fev., mar., abr., mai., jun., jul., ago., set., out., nov., dez.

Conclusion

Mastering Brazilian Portuguese month names and simple date patterns opens many everyday possibilities: giving your birthday, reading schedules, and making appointments. Practice the month vocabulary, remember the lowercase rule, and use the common pattern day de month de year. With short, realistic sentences and a few practice activities you will quickly feel ready to read forms and speak about dates in Portuguese.