Your Complete Guide to Portuguese Numbers Explained

What time do you rise in the morning? Are you an early bird up at 6 AM or 7 AM? No matter your schedule, there’s truly nothing quite like that first cup of coffee to shake off the sleepiness, especially after hitting the sack at midnight.

Up next is my Monday morning meeting with four of my colleagues. We start by sharing highlights from our weekends before diving into our top three priorities for the week ahead.

Numbers are fundamental to our everyday lives and are a crucial element of your Portuguese studies. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive into everything you need to master numbers in Portuguese, enhancing your language learning experience.

Writing numbers in Portuguese

When it comes to writing numbers, Portuguese takes a unique approach compared to British and American English. Specifically, the roles of commas and decimal points are reversed: commas are used to indicate decimal points, while decimal points serve as thousands separators.

• €15.99 becomes €15,99
• €80,000 becomes €80.000
• 14,565,888.99 becomes 14.565.888,99

It may appear to be a minor detail, but it holds significant importance—particularly in that moment when the check arrives at your table in a restaurant!

Cardinal numbers in Portuguese

Cardinal numbers are those that show a quantity. For example, uma maçã (1 apple), quinhentas e oitenta pessoas (580 people), or duas pombas (2 pigeons).

When learning a language, we usually start with cardinal numbers as they tend to be used more frequently.

Counting in Portuguese: 0 – 10

This is important: Don’t try to learn all the numbers at once.

Once you’ve mastered the first dez(10), you’re ready to progress further. Be sure to check out the pronunciation guide located in the final column for assistance!

Counting in Portuguese: 11 – 20

Mastering the numbers 11 to 19 in Portuguese can be a bit challenging due to their irregular patterns. However, with a bit of practice, you’ll quickly become familiar with them and gain confidence in your counting skills!

Learning the counting patterns: 21 – 29

Now that you’re gaining momentum, familiarize yourself with these patterns, and you’ll be able to apply them to all numbers up to 100!

Numbers in Portuguese: 30 – 100

We’re going up in tens now. You’ll soon be counting in Portuguese with the best of them!

So, there we have it – all the numbers in Portuguese from 1 – 100.

Big numbers in Portuguese

Once you master counting to ten, you’ll find it much easier to handle everyday tasks. However, understanding larger numbers is equally important for a well-rounded skill set.

The following table will help you learn some of the bigger numbers and how to say them.

Here are some of these larger numbers in action:

Filho: Eu quero comer um trilhão de bolos de aniversário!
Mãe: Chega, João, já te disse um octilhão de vezes para não exagerar.

Translation:

Son: I want to eat a trillion birthday cakes!
Mother: Stop it, Joao, I’ve told you an octillion times not to exaggerate.

Ordinal numbers

When you want to describe a series of things, you use ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.).

Here are some Portuguese ordinal numbers in action:

Maria: Quem ficou em primeiro lugar na corrida?
Duarte: Não fui eu, fiquei em sétimo.
Ana: A Sara sempre chega em primeiro, mas desta vez ela ficou em terceiro.
Duarte: A vitória foi da Simone!
Maria: Uau, essa é a segunda vez que ela vence este ano! Impressionante!

Translation:

Maria: Who finished first in the race?
Duarte: Not me—I came in seventh.
Ana: Sara usually takes the lead, but this time she only placed third.
Duarte: It was Simone who won!
Maria: That’s his second victory this year—impressive!

Multiplier numbers in Portuguese

Now, let’s explore how to express multiples of numbers in Portuguese. Mastering this skill is incredibly helpful for scenarios like placing an order, browsing at a market, or engaging in negotiations.

Multipliers define multiples of a given thing or person. Let’s have a look at a few:

• Duplo: Double
• Dobro: Twice
• Triplo: Triple
• Quádruplo: Quadruple

When using multipliers in Portuguese, you must use the definite article O followed by de (or variant of de).

For example:

• O aluno leu dois dos livros.
  (The student read two of the books.)

If your quantities get much higher, you can start to use vezes (times). For example:

• Ele era muito mais alto do que eu esperava! (He was much taller than I expected!)

Collective numbers in Portuguese

Collective numbers, known as “números coletivos,” play a vital role in our daily conversations. These terms allow us to describe groups of people, animals, or objects in a clear and efficient way.

For example, uma dúzia (a dozen), uma centena (a hundred), and mil (a thousand) are common collective numbers.

In Portuguese, there are unique collective terms for specific quantities, such as “um par” for a pair and “uma dezena” for a group of twelve. These terms add richness to the language by providing precise ways to refer to numbers and groups.

You can leverage these expressions to add flair or a touch of poetry to your speech. For example, saying “uma centena de problemas” (a hundred problems) can vividly convey the level of stress you’re experiencing at work.

Times, dates, and years in Portuguese

Understanding time in Portuguese

• **Hour:** In Portuguese, “hour” translates to “hora.” To express the time, begin with “São” (It is) followed by the hour number. For instance, “It’s 1 o’clock” is “São uma hora.”
• **Minutes:** In Portuguese, “minute” translates to “minuto.” To express minutes past the hour, combine the hour with “e” (which means “and”) followed by the number of minutes. For instance, “2:15” is said as “São duas e quinze.”
• Half hours: For half past the hour, use e meia after stating the hour. For example, “3:30” is São três e meia.
• **Quarter Hours in Portuguese:**
  For expressing time in quarters, use “quinze” for quarter past the hour and “quarenta e cinco” for quarter to the hour. For example, “4:15” translates to “São quatro e quinze,” while “4:45” is “São quatro e quarenta e cinco.”
• **Understanding AM and PM in Portuguese:** In the 12-hour format, “da manhã” indicates AM, “da tarde” is used for early PM, and “da noite” refers to late evening. For instance, “9:00 AM” translates to “são nove da manhã,” while “8:00 PM” is “são oito da noite.”
• Midnight and noon: Midnight is meia-noite, and noon is meio-dia. So, “12:00 AM” is É meia-noite, and “12:00 PM” is É meio-dia.
• 24-hour format: In formal situations, the 24-hour format is often used. For example, “15:00” is São quinze horas.

Dates in Portuguese

In Portuguese, dates are commonly formatted as day, month, and year, and this sequence is also how they are read aloud. Each element is separated by the word “de.”

• 25 de dezembro de 2022 (December 25, 2022)
• 3 de abril de 2021 (April 3, 2021)
• 1º de janeiro de 2023 (January 1, 2023)

For the first day of the month, 1º is used, which is the ordinal number for “first.”

Note that months are not capitalized in Portuguese.

Years are read as hundreds, so “1990” would be mil novecentos e noventa.

To ask for the date, you would say Que dia é hoje? (What is today’s date?).

Ordinal numbers are typically used to indicate the first day of each month. For instance, you would say “primeiro de [month],” such as “primeiro de janeiro” for January 1st.

You’ll follow this structure in lots of different situations, from formal documentation to casual conversations.

Other date-related vocabulary in Portuguese

• Decades are referred to as décadas, such as a década de oitenta for the 1980s.
• In Spanish, centuries are referenced using “siglo” followed by the appropriate ordinal number. For example, “siglo XX” refers to the 20th century. This format is commonly used in discussions about historical events, periods, and cultural references.

Portuguese idioms with numbers

Portuguese is rich with lively idioms that incorporate numbers, adding vibrancy and detail to your conversations. These expressions can enhance your speech, but be cautious not to overuse them, as it might come off as less authentic.

Right, our number is up

As we conclude our exploration of numbers in Portuguese, you may be curious about effective ways to practice and apply your new skills.

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