How to ask and answer time questions in Portuguese

Introduction

Learning how to ask and answer time questions in Brazilian Portuguese is essential for everyday communication. This guide covers key vocabulary, simple grammar, common phrases, and realistic examples for complete beginners to feel confident asking the time, saying appointments, reading schedules, and using time expressions in daily situations.

Basic time vocabulary

Start with the most common words you will need. Learn pronunciation by listening to native speakers, but here are the main terms written in Brazilian Portuguese.

horas — hours; used to tell the time

hora — hour; singular

minuto — minute

meio-dia — noon

meia-noite — midnight

de manhã — in the morning

da tarde — in the afternoon

da noite — in the evening/night

agora — now

mais — more/past (used to say minutes after the hour)

menos — minus/to (used to say minutes before the hour)

How to ask the time

Several polite and casual ways exist to ask someone for the time. Beginners should memorize a few phrases for different contexts.

Que horas são? — What time is it? (most common and neutral)

Você pode me dizer as horas? — Can you tell me the time? (polite)

Que horas você tem? — What time do you have? (informal, used among friends)

Tem horas? — Do you have the time? (very casual)

Use Que horas são? when asking strangers or in stores. Use the polite Você pode me dizer as horas? when asking for help from service staff or older people.

Telling the time: basic structure

Brazilian Portuguese usually uses a 12-hour clock in spoken language with period-of-day expressions (de manhã, da tarde, da noite). The basic format is hour + horas + minutes, but minutes are often omitted for exact hour times.

Structure examples:

1:00 — Uma hora or Uma hora em ponto

2:00 — Duas horas

3:15 — Três e quinze or Três e um quarto

4:30 — Quatro e meia

5:45 — Seis menos quinze or Seis menos um quarto

Numbers you must learn

um / uma — one

dois / duas — two

três — three

quatro — four

cinco — five

dez — ten

quinze — fifteen

vinte — twenty

vinte e cinco — twenty-five

trinta — thirty

Common patterns to express minutes

Learn these beginner-friendly patterns to speak time naturally.

hour + e + minutes — used for minutes after the hour

Examples:

São três e dez. — It is 3:10.

É uma e vinte. — It is 1:20.

minutes expressed as subtraction use menos — used for minutes before the next hour

Examples:

São cinco menos dez. — It is 4:50.

É meia-noite menos vinte. — It is 11:40 PM.

Use quarto for 15 minutes and meia for 30 minutes

Examples:

São duas e um quarto. — It is 2:15.

São sete e meia. — It is 7:30.

AM and PM expressions

Instead of saying AM or PM, Brazilians use time-of-day phrases. These are important for clarity in conversation.

de manhã — morning; used approximately from 5:00 to 11:59

da tarde — afternoon; used from 12:00/13:00 to around 17:59

da noite — evening/night; used from about 18:00 onward

Examples:

São oito da manhã. — It is 8 AM.

É uma da tarde. — It is 1 PM.

São onze da noite. — It is 11 PM.

Practical phrases for appointments and schedules

When arranging meetings, appointments, or reading timetables, these simple phrases are very useful.

A que horas é a reunião? — What time is the meeting?

A reunião é às três da tarde. — The meeting is at 3 PM.

Tenho uma consulta às nove da manhã. — I have an appointment at 9 AM.

O ônibus sai às seis e quinze. — The bus leaves at 6:15.

Note that for times on the hour, Brazilian Portuguese often uses às + plural article when specifying a scheduled time

Example:

O voo parte às duas. — The flight departs at 2:00.

Asking about duration and arrival times

You will often need to ask how long something takes or when someone will arrive. Learn these basic structures.

Quanto tempo leva? — How long does it take?

Quanto tempo até lá? — How long until we get there?

Que horas você chega? — What time will you arrive?

Chego às cinco e meia. — I arrive at 5:30.

When answering duration, use leva or dura

Leva uma hora. — It takes one hour.

Dura trinta minutos. — It lasts thirty minutes.

Reading timetables and signs

Public schedules use the 24-hour clock in written timetables sometimes, but spoken time still uses the phrases above. Read signs carefully: digital displays may show 13:00, which is 1 PM.

Example timetable entries you might see or use in Brazil:

08:30 — 08:30 or spoken as oito e meia / às oito e trinta

12:00 — 12:00 or spoken as meio-dia / às doze

18:45 — 18:45 written; spoken as seis e quarenta e cinco or sete menos quinze

Polite ways to confirm or repeat times

When you want to confirm an appointment or repeat time information, use these short, natural phrases.

Você pode repetir o horário, por favor? — Can you repeat the time, please?

Então é às três, certo? — So it is at three, right?

Confirmado para às nove? — Confirmed for nine?

Use certo or combinado to ask for agreement

Combinado para às seis da tarde. — Agreed for 6 PM.

Common beginner mistakes and tips

Be aware of these typical errors so you avoid them early on.

Mistake: saying horas after the hour number when it’s singular — say uma hora not uma horas.

Mistake: mixing 24-hour written times and spoken AM/PM without context — always add da manhã/da tarde/da noite if there could be confusion.

Tip: when you’re not sure, repeat the time back to the speaker: use Então é às… plus the time.

Tip: use menos when the minutes are close to the next hour (for example, 4:50 = cinco menos dez). Brazilians use both patterns, so understanding both helps comprehension.

Practice dialogues for beginners

Short role-play examples to practice asking and answering time questions.

Situation 1 — on the street

— Que horas são?
— São duas e vinte.

Situation 2 — arranging to meet

— A gente se encontra a que horas?
— Que tal às sete da noite?
— Perfeito, combinado.

Situation 3 — checking a schedule

— Que horas sai o próximo ônibus?
— O próximo é às seis e quinze.

Useful short phrases for messages and signs

Everyday messages and signs often use concise time phrases. These are handy when reading tickets, restaurant reservations, or transit apps.

Obrigada, às 19h — Thanks, at 7 PM

Reservado para 14:00 — Reserved for 2 PM

Entrada às 09:30 — Entry at 9:30 AM

Note that 19h and 14:00 are common in written contexts. Spoken phrases usually use da tarde/da noite and the structures shown earlier.

Quick study plan for 2 weeks

Short focused practice makes a big difference. Use this beginner-friendly schedule to build confidence.

Days 1–3: Memorize numbers 1–30 and the words for hour, minute, morning, afternoon, night.

Days 4–6: Practice asking Que horas são? and answering with e / menos structures. Repeat aloud.

Days 7–10: Learn quarto and meia and use them in full sentences for appointments and schedules.

Days 11–14: Practice short dialogues, read a few timetables, and use your phone clock to describe the time in Portuguese out loud several times a day.

Conclusion

Mastering how to ask and answer time questions in Brazilian Portuguese gives you practical language skills for travel, work, and daily life. Focus on the core vocabulary, common sentence patterns, and realistic practice dialogues. With short, consistent practice you will soon understand timetables, make appointments, and confidently tell the time in natural Brazilian Portuguese.