Portuguese · A2 (Elementary)
Time in Portuguese: Words & Phrases
Quick answer: The most useful Portuguese words for time are a semana (the week), o mês (the month) and o ano (the year). The full Portuguese time phrase list with example sentences is below.
The essential Portuguese vocabulary for time, with example sentences and English translations. This is A2 (Elementary) material — exactly the kind of practical language you need when you're learning Portuguese to live, work, or settle abroad.
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Key time vocabulary
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| a semana | the week |
| o mês | the month |
| o ano | the year |
| depois de amanhã | the day after tomorrow |
| anteontem | the day before yesterday |
| a estação do ano | the season |
| a consulta | the appointment / consultation |
| o prazo | the deadline |
| a horas | on time |
| atrasado/a | late / delayed |
Example sentences
Trabalho cinco dias por semana.
I work five days per week.
O mês que vem vou de férias.
Next month I am going on holiday.
Depois de amanhã tenho uma consulta.
The day after tomorrow I have an appointment.
Anteontem choveu muito.
The day before yesterday it rained a lot.
Tenho uma consulta com o médico.
I have an appointment with the doctor.
Estou atrasado — desculpe!
I am late — sorry!
How to actually learn these
Reading a vocabulary list is not the same as being able to use the words when it counts. Research on adult language acquisition consistently shows that vocabulary retained through contextual use — hearing a word, producing it under mild pressure, and being corrected when you get it wrong — transfers to real speech far more effectively than passive list review. The fastest way to make vocabulary like this stick is to practise it in the actual conversations where it comes up: not drills, but a real back-and-forth where you have to retrieve the word and say it aloud. Language Lab turns vocabulary like this into voiced, real-life scenarios with Sonia, a live AI language tutor who holds real conversations, corrects you in context, and remembers the specific words you keep getting wrong across sessions. The vocabulary stops being something you read and becomes something you say — automatically, under pressure, when you actually need it.
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