How to use Portuguese numbers in short personal sentences

Introduction

Learning how to use numbers in short personal sentences is one of the fastest ways to start speaking Brazilian Portuguese. This guide covers counting, telling age, giving phone numbers, saying prices, expressing quantity, and making short polite sentences beginners can use immediately.

Why numbers are essential in early Portuguese

Numbers appear everywhere: on menus, schedules, signs, and in polite conversation. For beginners, mastering short sentences with numbers builds confidence quickly and allows practical communication for shopping, travel, and introductions.

Core Brazilian Portuguese number vocabulary

Below are the basic numbers every beginner should know. Learn these as building blocks for short sentences.

zero — zero

um / uma — one (masculine/feminine)

dois / duas — two (masculine/feminine)

três — three

quatro — four

cinco — five

seis — six

sete — seven

oito — eight

nove — nine

dez — ten

onze — eleven

doze — twelve

vinte — twenty

trinta — thirty

cem — one hundred

mil — one thousand

Short personal sentences with age

Age is one of the most common personal uses of numbers. In Portuguese, use ter + age in years, not the verb to be.

Structure: subject + ter (conjugated) + number + anos

Examples a beginner can use:

Eu tenho vinte anos.
Translation: I am twenty years old.

Ele tem trinta e cinco anos.
Translation: He is thirty-five years old.

Ela tem dezoito anos.
Translation: She is eighteen years old.

Beginner tip: always say anos for years. For one year use um ano: Tenho um ano is unusual for people but used for babies.

Giving phone numbers and contact details

When giving phone numbers, Brazilians often say each digit or grouped digits. Use digits when reading slowly for clarity.

Example format and short sentences:

Meu telefone é 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0.
Say each digit: nove oito sete seis cinco quatro três dois um zero.

Me liga no 21987654321.
Me liga no is informal: call me at.

Polite alternative for leaving contact:

Esse é o meu número.
Translation: This is my number.

Practical tip: When giving an international number, say the country code first: exemplo: +55 read as mais cinco cinco.

Talking about quantity and amounts

Short sentences about quantities use basic number agreement: um/uma, dois/duas depending on the noun gender.

Structure: quantity + noun

Examples:

Quero duas maçãs.
Translation: I want two apples. Note duas because maçã is feminine.

Tenho um amigo.
Translation: I have one friend. Use um because amigo is masculine.

Tem três cadeiras.
Translation: There are three chairs.

Common beginner mistake: using masculine numbers with feminine nouns. Practice the pairs um/uma and dois/duas.

Using numbers for prices and shopping

When saying prices, Brazilians often use the currency word real (plural reais). For small, informal transactions you can say just the number and the item.

Short practical lines:

Quanto custa?
Translation: How much does it cost?

Custa dez reais.
Translation: It costs ten reais.

São vinte e cinco reais.
Translation: They are twenty-five reais.

Posso pagar com cartão?
Translation: Can I pay with a card?

Example at a market:

Quero três pães, por favor. Quanto fica?
Translation: I want three breads, please. How much is it?

Time and schedules in short sentences

Telling time is practical and frequent. Use horas for full hours and e meia for half past.

Examples:

São duas horas.
Translation: It is two o’clock.

É uma hora e meia.
Translation: It is one thirty.

O ônibus chega às oito e quinze.
Translation: The bus arrives at 8:15. Note às for at (plural with a). Use e quinze for :15.

Beginner tip: For minutes under 10, you can say zero oito as 08 but in speech often quatro, cinco, etc.

Short sentences for dates and appointments

Dates require ordinal-like forms only in formal writing; in speech Brazilians usually say the cardinal number followed by the month.

Examples:

Meu aniversário é em fevereiro, dia vinte e três.
Translation: My birthday is in February, the 23rd.

Temos reunião no dia cinco.
Translation: We have a meeting on the 5th.

Practical note: Months are not capitalized in Portuguese: janeiro, fevereiro, março.

Numbers in simple questions and answers

Short Q&A patterns help practice numbers in context. Use these to build fluency.

Q: Quantos anos você tem?
A: Tenho vinte e dois anos.

Q: Quantos são?
A: São três.

Q: Quanto custa?
A: Custa cinco reais.

Q: Que horas são?
A: São nove horas.

Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them

Mistake 1: Wrong gender agreement. Remember um/uma and dois/duas must match the noun. Practice with everyday nouns like maçã, amigo, cadeira.

Mistake 2: Using ser instead of ter for age. Do not say Eu sou vinte anos. Use Tenho vinte anos.

Mistake 3: Confusing cinquenta and cento. Cinquenta is fifty, cem is one hundred. Learn the round tens and hundreds.

Mistake 4: Omitting anos with age or usando ano(s) wrong. Always say anos for most ages: Tenho trinta anos.

Practice drills for beginners

Drill 1: Introductions — write five short sentences about yourself using age, phone, and quantity words: Eu tenho __ anos. Meu telefone é __. Eu tenho __ irmãos.

Drill 2: Shopping role-play — create five short exchanges with prices: Quanto custa? Custa __ reais. Eu quero __.

Drill 3: Time practice — say aloud times you see on a schedule: São __ horas. Chega às __ e __.

Drill 4: Photo description — look at a photo and make three short sentences using numbers: Há três pessoas. Dois carros. Uma bicicleta.

Mini vocabulary list for fast review

anos — years

hora / horas — hour / hours

minuto — minute

telefone — telephone

numero — number (número in Portuguese has accent but many learners see numero casually — the correct form is número)

reais — Brazilian currency (plural of real)

pessoas — people

irmão / irmã — brother / sister

Short everyday dialogs to memorize

Dialog 1 — meeting someone:

Oi, eu sou Ana. Quanto anos você tem?
Tenho vinte anos.

Dialog 2 — buying coffee:

Quanto custa o café?
Custa quatro reais.

Dialog 3 — checking schedule:

A que horas começa a aula?
Começa às sete e meia.

Tips to sound more natural

Tip 1: Drop unnecessary words in casual speech. Brazilians often say Só cinco reais for It is only five reais.

Tip 2: Use contractions like às for a + as when saying at the hours: às oito.

Tip 3: Practice digit pronunciation for phone numbers slowly, then speed up. Use groupings of two or four digits as appropriate to the context.

Resources for continued practice

Use simple audio apps or flashcards that focus on numbers in context: age, time, prices. Listen to short dialogues and shadow them, paying attention to number pronunciation and agreement.

Conclusion

Short personal sentences with numbers are among the most practical skills for a beginner in Brazilian Portuguese. Focus on core number vocabulary, gender agreement, and common structures for age, phone numbers, prices, time, and quantity. Practice the short dialogs and drills here to start using numbers confidently in everyday situations.