Introduction
Learning how to say the days of the week in Brazilian Portuguese is one of the first and most practical steps for beginners. This guide explains vocabulary, sentence patterns, pronunciation tips, and everyday examples so you can use the days naturally in schedules, messages, invitations, and signs.
Days of the Week: Basic Vocabulary
Start with the seven day names. The first appearance of each day will be emphasized.
segunda-feira — Monday
terça-feira — Tuesday
quarta-feira — Wednesday
quinta-feira — Thursday
sexta-feira — Friday
sábado — Saturday
domingo — Sunday
Pronunciation notes
Pronunciation hints help you sound natural. Stress in the feiras falls on the first syllable: SEGunda-feira, TÊRça-feira, QUARta-feira, QUINta-feira, SEXta-feira. sábado has stress on the first syllable and a clear final o: SÁ-ba-do. domingo stresses the second syllable: do-MIN-go.
How to use days in simple sentences
Days appear in many everyday sentence patterns. Below are common structures with Brazilian Portuguese examples and English explanations.
Stating a plan or appointment
Pattern: Subject + verb + day
Eu vou ao mercado na segunda-feira.
English: I am going to the market on Monday.
Ela tem uma reunião na quarta-feira.
English: She has a meeting on Wednesday.
Talking about routines
Use the present tense for habitual actions.
Eu estudo português toda terça-feira.
English: I study Portuguese every Tuesday.
Ele trabalha de segunda a sexta-feira.
English: He works from Monday to Friday.
Asking about availability
Common question forms for simple scheduling.
Você está livre no sábado?
English: Are you free on Saturday?
Podemos marcar para quinta-feira?
English: Can we schedule it for Thursday?
Giving store or office hours
Days often appear on signs or websites to indicate open hours.
Aberto de segunda a sexta-feira, 9h às 18h.
English: Open Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.
Fechado no domingo.
English: Closed on Sunday.
Common expressions with days
Everyday phrases show how native speakers shorten or combine days.
fim de semana — weekend; used for Saturday and Sunday: Vamos viajar no fim de semana.
English: Let’s travel on the weekend.
dia útil — weekday; common in schedules: Horário de dias úteis: 8h às 17h.
English: Weekday hours: 8am to 5pm.
hoje — today: Hoje é sexta-feira.
English: Today is Friday.
ontem — yesterday: Ontem foi segunda-feira.
English: Yesterday was Monday.
amanhã — tomorrow: Amanhã é domingo.
English: Tomorrow is Sunday.
Short messages and reminders
Examples useful for text messages, labels, or calendar entries.
Lembrete: consulta na terça-feira às 15h.
English: Reminder: appointment on Tuesday at 3pm.
Reunião toda quarta-feira às 10h.
English: Meeting every Wednesday at 10am.
Grammar tips for beginners
Two small grammar points help you use days correctly in sentences.
Preposition na / no
Use na before feminine days like segunda-feira: na segunda-feira or contracted na + a. For masculine nouns you would use no, but day names are typically treated with na/no patterns: no sábado is also heard in some regions, but the common form for feiras is na terça-feira.
Plural and articles
When speaking about every Monday use plural or expressions: às segundas-feiras or toda segunda-feira. Example: Eu vou à academia às segundas-feiras.
English: I go to the gym on Mondays.
Practical beginner exercises
Use these simple practice lines to internalize days in real contexts. Read them aloud and try replacing the day with another.
Que dia é hoje?
English: What day is today?
Hoje é quinta-feira.
English: Today is Thursday.
Quando é a festa?
English: When is the party?
A festa é no sábado à noite.
English: The party is on Saturday night.
Você pode trabalhar na sexta-feira?
English: Can you work on Friday?
Mini dialog for practice
A: Você está livre amanhã?
B: Não, amanhã é quarta-feira e eu tenho aula. Estou livre no sábado.
English: A: Are you free tomorrow? B: No, tomorrow is Wednesday and I have class. I’m free on Saturday.
Common mistakes to avoid
Beginners often make predictable errors. Here are clear corrections.
Mistake: Using English day order or abbreviations in Portuguese without adjustment. Correct: Use the Portuguese names and correct prepositions: na segunda-feira, no sábado.
Mistake: Forgetting articles when talking about repeated days. Correct: Use às segundas-feiras for recurring events.
Mistake: Mixing European spelling or vocabulary. Correct: Use Brazilian forms shown in this article.
Tips to remember the feiras
The days from Monday to Friday share the suffix feira. A memory trick: feiras relate to weekly market days historically, so think of Monday through Friday as a connected group. Practice by saying a short sequence: segunda, terça, quarta, quinta, sexta then add sábado, domingo.
Make flashcards with both Portuguese and English, and practice with simple calendar tasks like writing appointments in Portuguese for your week.
Useful vocabulary list for schedules and signs
aberto — open
fechado — closed
horário — schedule/hours
dia — day
hora — hour/time
amanhã — tomorrow
hoje — today
ontem — yesterday
Practice activities you can do right now
1) Look at your phone calendar and change one event title into Portuguese using a day name, for example: Encontro na quinta-feira.
2) Write a short message inviting a friend: Vamos almoçar no domingo às 13h? English: Shall we have lunch on Sunday at 1pm?
3) Read a local store sign and translate open/closed days: Aberto de terça a sábado means open from Tuesday to Saturday.
Conclusion
Mastering the days of the week in Brazilian Portuguese opens up scheduling, conversation, and everyday navigation. Focus on the vocabulary, simple sentence patterns, the use of na/às, and common expressions like fim de semana. Practice with short messages, calendar entries, and spoken dialogs to make the words part of your daily Portuguese.
