Introduction
Learning numbers is one of the fastest wins for a beginner studying Brazilian Portuguese. This practical guide explains cardinal and ordinal numbers, ways to say time, money, dates, phone numbers, and useful phrases for daily situations. Clear examples, common mistakes, and quick tips make counting in Portuguese easy and immediately useful.
- Why numbers matter first
- Tens, hundreds and thousands
- Ordinal numbers: first, second, third
- Saying the time
- Money and prices
- Phone numbers, addresses, and IDs
- Common practical phrases with numbers
- Practice exercises for beginners
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Pronunciation tips
- Mini vocabulary cheat sheet
- Real-world examples you will encounter
- Small conversation practice
- Next steps: integrating numbers into learning
- Conclusion
Why numbers matter first
Numbers appear in almost every real-life interaction: shopping, asking the time, giving your phone number, reading addresses, and understanding prices. Mastering numbers early gives confidence and lets you handle common tasks without complex grammar.
Basic cardinal numbers: 0 to 20
Start with the foundational cardinal numbers. The first appearance of each main Portuguese number is highlighted.
zero – zero
um – one (masculine form; used before masculine nouns)
uma – one (feminine form; used before feminine nouns)
dois – two (masculine)
duas – two (feminine)
três – three
quatro – four
cinco – five
seis – six
sete – seven
oito – eight
nove – nine
dez – ten
onze – eleven
doze – twelve
treze – thirteen
quatorze – fourteen (also catorze is used colloquially)
quinze – fifteen
dezesseis – sixteen
dezessete – seventeen
dezoito – eighteen
dezenove – nineteen
vinte – twenty
Quick tip: gender matters
Use um or uma to match the noun gender:
Tenho um livro. – I have one book.
Tenho uma caneta. – I have one pen.
Tens, hundreds and thousands
After twenty, numbers follow predictable patterns. Learn tens and combine with units using e (and).
Tens: 30 to 90
trinta – thirty
quarenta – forty
cinquenta – fifty
sessenta – sixty
setenta – seventy
oitenta – eighty
noventa – ninety
Twenty combinations:
vinte e um (21), vinte e dois (22), etc. Use e between tens and units:
trinta e cinco – 35.
Hundreds and thousands
cem – 100 (exactly 100)
cento – used for 101-199 (cento e um = 101)
duzentos / duzentas – 200 (gendered)
trezentos – 300
quatrocentos – 400
quinhentos – 500
seiscentos – 600
setecentos – 700
oitocentos – 800
novecentos – 900
mil – 1,000
Example: dois mil trezentos e quarenta e um – 2,341.
Ordinal numbers: first, second, third
Ordinals are used for floors, dates, rankings, and steps. They change with gender and number.
primeiro / primeira – first
segundo / segunda – second
terceiro / terceira – third
quarto / quarta – fourth
quinto / quinta – fifth
Use ordinals with nouns:
o primeiro andar – the first floor.
a segunda página – the second page.
Common mistake: ordinals for dates
In dates, Brazilians usually use cardinal numbers, not ordinals. For example:
Hoje é 14 de julho – Today is 14 of July, not décimo quarto de julho.
Saying the time
Telling time in Portuguese uses horas and e/menos for minutes. For formal schedules use 24-hour or the word da manhã/tarde/noite for AM/PM.
Examples:
Que horas são? – What time is it?
São duas horas. – It is two o’clock.
São três e quinze. – It’s 3:15.
São quatro e meia. – It’s 4:30 (literally half past four).
São cinco para as seis. – It’s 5:55 (five to six). Note: para as is casual; use menos cinco in some regions.
AM/PM:
da manhã – in the morning, da tarde – in the afternoon, da noite – at night.
Money and prices
Brazil uses reais. When reading prices, Brazilians use comma for decimals and point for thousands. For beginners, pronounce decimals as centavos or use e to connect reais and centavos.
Examples:
R$ 10,50 – dez reais e cinquenta centavos or simply dez e cinquenta.
R$ 1.200,00 – mil e duzentos reais.
Useful phrase at a store:
Quanto custa? – How much does it cost?
Custam vinte reais. – They cost twenty reais.
Phone numbers, addresses, and IDs
Phone numbers are read digit by digit or in grouped pairs. Area codes are important and read separately.
Example phone reading:
Phone: (11) 98765-4321 → zero oito nove sete seis cinco quatro três dois um or grouped: (um um) nove oito sete seis cinco quatro três dois um. Brazilians commonly say each digit individually for clarity.
Addresses will often include numbers:
Rua das Flores, 123 – Rua das Flores, cento e vinte e três.
Common practical phrases with numbers
Beginner-friendly sentences you will use right away.
Eu tenho vinte e cinco anos. – I am 25 years old.
Minha data de nascimento é 15/06/1998. – My date of birth is 15/06/1998. Pronounced: quinze de junho de mil novecentos e noventa e oito.
Meu número é 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. – My number is 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.
Quero dois cafés, por favor. – I want two coffees, please.
Tem vaga para três pessoas? – Is there a spot for three people?
Practice exercises for beginners
Try these short drills aloud to build fluency. Read the numbers and use them in sentences.
Convert digits to words: 47 → quarenta e sete. 103 → cento e três.
Say the time from digital: 14:30 → quatorze e trinta or duas e meia da tarde.
Read prices on a pretend menu: 8,75 → oito reais e setenta e cinco centavos.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Mistake 1: using English number order or pronunciation. Brazilian Portuguese often uses e between tens and units. Remember vinte e três, not vinte três.
Mistake 2: gender mismatch. Use duas for duas garrafas and dois for dois copos. Practice with common nouns:
duas cadeiras, dois carros, uma mesa, um livro.
Mistake 3: pronouncing centavos incorrectly. Say centavos clearly in prices to avoid confusion: cinquenta centavos, not just cinquenta.
Pronunciation tips
Brazilian Portuguese reduces some vowels in casual speech. Still, for beginners, aim to pronounce each word clearly: say the e in vinte and the s at the end of numbers when needed. Practice stressed syllables: VIN-te, se-TEN-ta.
Listen to native audio for numbers and repeat slowly. Use phone apps or short videos that list numbers at a steady pace.
Mini vocabulary cheat sheet
hoje – today
amanhã – tomorrow
ontem – yesterday
hora – hour
minuto – minute
centavo – cent (money)
dia – day
mês – month
ano – year
Real-world examples you will encounter
Menus:
Prato do dia – R$ 19,90 → dezenove reais e noventa centavos.
Bus schedule:
Saída às 07:30 → saída às sete e trinta or sete e meia.
Store sign:
Promoção: 2 por 1 → dois por um.
Bank form:
Conta: 12345-6 → read digits individually when filling forms.
Small conversation practice
Use this dialogue to practice numbers in context.
Vendedor: Qual o número da sua mesa?
Cliente: Mesa 11, por favor.
Vendedor: Perfeito. Quantas pessoas?
Cliente: Somos quatro.
Vendedor: Vou anotar: mesa onze, quatro pessoas.
Next steps: integrating numbers into learning
After mastering basic numbers, combine them with verbs and nouns: practice ordering food, booking tickets, and giving personal information. Use real materials like receipts, menus, and schedules from Brazil-focused resources to see numbers in context.
Conclusion
Numbers are a practical entry point into Brazilian Portuguese. Focus on cardinal and ordinal basics, time, prices, and phone/address formats. Practice clear pronunciation, gender agreement, and common phrases. With short daily drills you will quickly handle real-life situations like shopping, traveling, and simple conversations.
