How to say months of the year in Portuguese dates

Introduction

Learning how to say the months of the year in Brazilian Portuguese is one of the first steps for beginners who want to talk about dates, birthdays, schedules, and travel plans. This article gives clear vocabulary, pronunciation tips, simple date formats, example sentences, common mistakes, and practical scenarios you will encounter in daily life.

Months of the Year: Vocabulary List

Below are the 12 months in Brazilian Portuguese. The first appearance of each month 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

Pronunciation Tips

Portuguese pronunciation can be different from English. These short tips will help you say the months correctly.

janeiro — sounds like zhah-NAY-roo, with a soft j similar to the s in pleasure

fevereiro — fev-eh-RAY-roo, the initial fev is like fev in fever but shorter

março — MAR-soo, the ç is pronounced like s

abril — ah-BREEL, stress on the second syllable

maio — MY-oo, two quick vowel sounds: mai-o

junho — ZHOON-nyoo, nh makes a palatal nasal like ny in canyon

julho — ZHOO-lyoo, similar nh sound but with l

agosto — ah-GOHS-too, stress on the second syllable

setembro — seh-TEM-broo, unstressed e at the start

outubro — ow-TOO-broo, initial ou like ow

novembro — noh-VEM-broo

dezembro — deh-ZEM-broo

How to Say Dates in Brazilian Portuguese

There are a few common ways to say dates. For beginners, focus on the following simple formats that you will hear often.

1. Day + de + Month

This is the most common spoken form. Use the preposition de between the day and the month.

Example: 5 de maio — 5th of May
In Portuguese: 5 de maio

Example: 21 de outubro — 21st of October
In Portuguese: 21 de outubro

2. Day + Month without de (informal)

In casual speech or shorthand, Brazilians sometimes omit de, especially when saying dates quickly.

Example: 15 março — notice this is less formal but common in spoken informality

3. Ordinal numbers (for formal contexts)

When speaking formally, especially in speeches or official writing, you might use ordinals. For beginners, learning days as cardinal numbers is enough, but here is one example.

1st of January: primeiro de janeiro

4. Numeric formats used on forms and tickets

Brazil commonly uses day/month/year numeric order. On forms or tickets you will see formats like 05/05/2024 for 5 May 2024.

Example you might see: 23/09/2024 — this means 23 de setembro de 2024

Common Phrases and Short Dialogues

These simple phrases show how month words fit into everyday conversation. All Portuguese examples are Brazilian Portuguese.

When is your birthday? — Quando é o seu aniversário?

My birthday is July 8th. — Meu aniversário é em 8 de julho.

What month are you going on vacation? — Em que mês você vai viajar?

We travel in December. — Nós viajamos em dezembro.

The event is on March 1st. — O evento é em 1º de março.

Please check the schedule for September. — Por favor, cheque a programação de setembro.

Practical Contexts: Signs, Messages, and Forms

Here are realistic situations where you will read or use month names.

On an appointment card: Consulta: 12 de abril, às 14:00

On a bus timetable: Horário válido de junho a agosto

On a flyer: Promoção válida até 30 de novembro

In a message: Vamos nos ver em maio?

On a ticket: Data: 05/07/2024 (read as 5 de julho de 2024)

Beginner Tips for Remembering Months

Use these simple strategies tailored to beginners learning Brazilian Portuguese.

1. Practice with birthdays: list friends and family birth months in Portuguese and say them out loud.

2. Use calendar labels: write the Portuguese month under each English month on your calendar for a month.

3. Make small flashcards: English on one side, Portuguese on the other, include audio if possible.

4. Practice common phrases: memorize the pattern dia de mês and use it in sample sentences.

5. Learn months in pairs or groups to avoid overload, for example janeiro to março, then abril to junho.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Beginners often make predictable errors. Here are a few with corrections.

Mistake: Saying the English month with Portuguese grammar. Wrong: maio (pronounced like English may). Fix: Pronounce maio as two vowels, MY-oo.

Mistake: Using the wrong preposition. Wrong: 5 em maio. Fix: Use de after the day: 5 de maio. When using a month alone with a verb, use em: em maio.

Mistake: Mixing European Portuguese spelling. Fix: Use Brazilian forms only, such as setembro not any Portugal-specific variants (Brazil uses the same spellings for months, but focus on Brazilian pronunciation).

Mini Practice Exercises

Try these brief exercises aloud. Answers are below.

1. How do you say 14th of February? (write in Portuguese)

2. Read the date 01/12/2024 in Portuguese.

3. Translate: Our trip is in August.

Answers:

1. 14 de fevereiro

2. 1 de dezembro de 2024

3. Nossa viagem é em agosto

Extra Useful Vocabulary Related to Dates

These words often appear with months and are helpful for beginners.

hoje — today

amanhã — tomorrow

ontem — yesterday

amanhã and hoje can be used with months in contexts like amanhã é 1º de maio when speaking about next day dates.

data — date (as on forms)

aniversário — birthday

mês — month

How Brazilians Write Dates on Documents

Understanding how dates are written helps with forms and travel. Brazilians typically use day/month/year order. Slashes are common: DD/MM/YYYY.

Example on a form: Data de nascimento: 10/03/1990 (read 10 de março de 1990)

When writing the month name on casual notes, use dia de mês: 17 de junho.

Quick Reference: Months Table (for fast review)

Use this quick list to review pronunciation mentally while reading each pair.

janeiro — January

fevereiro — February

março — March

abril — April

maio — May

junho — June

julho — July

agosto — August

setembro — September

outubro — October

novembro — November

dezembro — December

Real-Life Example Scenarios

These short scenarios show phrases you might hear or use.

At the pharmacy: The label says Validade: 31 de dezembro de 2025. This tells you when the product expires.

Scheduling a haircut: Pode me marcar uma vaga em 10 de junho? The stylist replies Sim, às 15:00 no dia 10 de junho.

Buying a concert ticket: The event listing reads Show: 05 de julho — Início: 20:00.

Tips for Listening and Speaking Practice

To internalize months, use short, realistic drills.

1. Listen to announcements or songs that mention months and repeat lines aloud.

2. Record yourself saying dates and compare to native speakers for pronunciation.

3. Use calendar events in Portuguese on your phone and speak the date when you add it.

Conclusion

Knowing how to say the months of the year in Brazilian Portuguese allows you to handle dates, schedules, and everyday conversations. Learn the month names, practice the common date pattern dia de mês, and use realistic examples like appointments, tickets, and messages. Keep short, focused practice sessions with the examples above to build confidence quickly.