Portuguese · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 16
Que horas são?What time is it?
The time with "ser": É uma hora (singular, only for one o'clock) and São duas horas, São três horas… (plural, for the rest). You ask Que horas são? For the minutes: e meia (:30), e quinze (:15), quinze para (as :45), and em ponto (on the dot). For the part of the day: da manhã (a.m.), da tarde, da noite. New vocabulary: hora, minuto, meia, agora, já, cedo, tarde, noite, manhã, em ponto.
Dialogue
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É ou são?— é or são?
- LucasMike, que horas são?Mike, what time is it?
- MikeÉ duas horas.It's two o'clock. (slip: two o'clock is plural — say "São duas horas", only one o'clock uses "É")
- LucasCom duas usamos "são": São duas horas.With two we use "são": São duas horas.
- MikeAh, são duas e meia. Já é tarde!Ah, it's half past two. It's late already!
Dialogue
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A que horas?— At What Time?
- BiaLucas, a que horas é a aula?Lucas, what time is the class?
- LucasÉ às nove em ponto.It's at nine on the dot.
- BiaE agora, que horas são?And now, what time is it?
- LucasSão quinze para as nove. É cedo.It's a quarter to nine. It's early.
Vocabulary
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- hora
n.f.hour, time (f)
- minuto
n.m.minute (m)
- meia
n.f.half (past) (f)
- agora
adverbnow
- já
adverbalready, now
- cedo
adverbearly
- tarde
n.f.afternoon (f); late (adv)
- noite
n.f.night, evening (f)
- manhã
n.f.morning (f)
- em ponto
phr.on the dot
Grammar
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Telling time with "ser"
Explanation
For the time you use "ser", which switches between singular and plural. Only one o'clock is singular: É uma hora. All the rest are plural: São duas horas, São três horas, São dez horas. The question is always Que horas são? (plural). The minutes: add with "e" (São duas e dez, e quinze = :15, e meia = :30) and use "para" after the half (quinze para as três = 2:45). "Em ponto" = the exact hour. For a.m./p.m.: da manhã, da tarde, da noite (São oito da noite). For "at what time" use "às": A aula é às nove.
Examples
- Que horas são? — É uma hora.What time is it? — It's one o'clock.
- São duas e meia.It's half past two.
- É quinze para as três.It's a quarter to three.
- A aula é às nove em ponto.The class is at nine on the dot.
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