Learning how to ask “What time is it?” and being able to tell time represent important stepping stones to learning Portuguese. Whether you’re making an appointment or inquiring about a store’s open hours, being able to tell time comes in handy for all sorts of situations. It might be tricky at first, but with hard work and perseverance, you’ll get the hang of it. In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know to start talking about time in Portuguese.

What time is it in Portuguese

Table of contents
  1. How to Say “What Time Is It?” in Portuguese
  2. How to Tell Time in Portuguese
  3. Alternative Ways to Tell Time in Portuguese

How to Say “What Time Is It?” in Portuguese

Que horas são? = What time is it?

Let’s break down each part of the question above:

  • Que = What
  • Horas = Hours
  • São = Are

“São” stems from the verb “ser,” which means “to be.” Although this question is simple, the structure of the sentence may look weird for native English speakers since nobody would say “What hours are?”

Here are a few other ways to ask “What time is it?” in Portuguese:

  • Que horas são agora? = What time is it now?
  • Tem horas? = Do you have the time?
  • Que horas? = What time?
  • Você pode me dizer as horas? = Can you tell me the time?

How to Tell Time in Portuguese

Before we dive into telling time, let’s review numbers in Portuguese. Here are the numbers from 1 to 12 in Portuguese:

1 = um/uma

2 = dois/duas

3 = três

4 = quatro

5 = cinco

6 = seis

7 = sete

8 = oito

9 = nove

10 = dez

11 = onze

12 = doze

In addition, let’s cover time-related vocabulary that you’ll often encounter:

  • Horas = Hours
  • Minutos = Minutes
  • Segundos = Seconds
  • Relógio = Watch
  • Relógio = Clock
  • Dia = Day
  • Manhã = Morning
  • Tarde = Afternoon
  • Noite = Evening

Hours on the Dot

To tell time by the exact hour, you can follow a simple formula:

  • são + (number of hours) + horas

Here are a few examples:

  • São seis horas = It’s 6 o’clock.
  • São sete horas = It’s 7 o’clock.
  • São oito horas = It’s 8 o’clock.

However, you cannot follow this formula when you want to say “It’s 1 o’clock.” Since “one hour” is singular, the verb that precedes it must be in singular form. Instead of using “são,” use the singular “é” like so:

  • É uma hora = It’s 1 o’clock.

Notice that “um” turns into its feminine form “uma” because “hora” is a feminine noun.

Other irregulars in Portuguese include “noon” and “midnight”:

  • É meio-dia = It’s noon.
  • É meia-noite = It’s midnight.

“Meio/meia” has multiple meanings, but in this context, it means “middle.” Because “dia” is a masculine noun, we use the masculine “meio.” Conversely, for midnight, we use the feminine “meia” because of the feminine noun “noite.”

Minutes

Let’s move onto minutes now that we’ve covered hours. To get more specific when telling time, you can follow this formula:

  • são + (number of hours) + horas + e + (number of minutes) + minutos

“Horas” and “minutos” are optional in the formula above. Here are a few examples:

  • São seis horas e cinco minutos = It’s 6:05.
  • São sete e dez = It’s 7:10.
  • São oito e vinte = It’s 8:20.

Take a look at the image below for more practice!

time in Portuguese

Times of the Day

You don’t use AM and PM in Portuguese, so you mention the time of day instead with the following words:

  • Manhã = Morning
  • Tarde = Afternoon
  • Noite = Evening

To specify the time of day while telling the time, add “da” and either “manhã,” “tarde,” or “noite.” For example:

  • São seis horas e cinco minutos da manhã = It’s 6:05 in the morning.
  • São duas horas e dez minutos da tarde = It’s 2:10 in the afternoon.
  • São sete e vinte da noite = It’s 7:20 in the evening.

Alternative Ways to Tell Time in Portuguese

There’s usually only one way to tell a specific time, but times that end in half an hour or a quarter of an hour can be said in multiple ways.

Half an Hour

In Portuguese, you can say “trinta minutos” to say “30 minutes.” For instance, 6:30 can be said as “são seis e trinta.”

However, you can also end with “e meia.” Here are a few examples:

  • São seis e meia = It’s 6:30.
  • São duas e meia = It’s 2:30.
  • São sete e meia = It’s 7:30.

Quarter of an Hour

Whenever the time ends in 15 minutes, you can either say “quinze minutos” or “um quarto,” which means “a quarter” in English.

Keep in mind that “um quarto” is mainly used in Portugal, not in Brazil.

For example:

  • São seis e quinze = It’s 6:15.
  • São duas e quinze = It’s 2:15.
  • São sete e um quarto = It’s 7:15.

Whenever the time ends in 45 minutes, you don’t have to say “quarenta e cinco minutos.”

Instead, you can say “quinze para as” or “um quarto para as” to say “a quarter of.”

For example:

  • São quinze para as sete = It’s 6:45.
  • São quinze para as três = It’s 2:45.
  • São um quarto para as oito = It’s 7:45.

You can also use “menos” to say “a quarter of.” “Menos” means minus, so “menos um quarto” essentially means “minus a quarter.”

Keep in mind that “menos” is used only in Portugal whereas “para as” is the usual formula in Brazil.

  • São sete menos um quarto (Portugal) / São quinze para as sete (Brazil) = It’s 6:45.
  • São três menos um quarto (Portugal) / São quinze para as três (Brazil) = It’s 2:45.
  • São oito menos um quarto (Portugal) / São quinze para as oito (Brazil) = It’s 7:45.

“Menos” and “para as” can be used with any number of minutes.

Here are a few examples:

  • São sete menos dez (Portugal) / São dez para as sete (Brazil) = It’s 6:50.
  • São três menos quinze (Portugal) / São quinze para as três (Brazil) = It’s 2:45.
  • São oito menos vinte (Portugal) / São vinte para as oito (Brazil)= It’s 7:40.

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