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How to Say ‘It's quarter to four.’ in Portuguese

É um quarto para as quatro.

eh oom KWAR-too pah-rah ahs KWAH-troo

[eh oom KWAR-too pah-rah ahs KWAH-troo]

💬 Usage Tip: Times before the hour use para as "to the" + the coming hour, and the verb follows the minutes, so it's é for one quarter. The same goes for minutes: São dez para as cinco "ten to five".

Phrase Breakdown

É um quarto

eh oom KWAR-too

It's a quarter

Singular 'é' agrees with 'um quarto'. Link the words: 'eh-oon-KWAR-too'.

Example

É um quarto de hora.

It's a quarter of an hour.

Words in this phrase

[eh]

it is

Introduces a description of the situation.

Example

É difícil com as malas, por isso preciso de ajuda.

It is difficult with the suitcases, so I need help.

[oom]

a / one

Masculine singular indefinite article used before café.

Example

Um café pode ser uma boa ideia para conversar.

A coffee can be a good idea for talking.

quarto

[KWAR-too]

quarter

A quarter of an hour, 15 minutes.

Example

Falta um quarto para as nove.

It's a quarter to nine.

para as quatro.

pah-rah ahs KWAH-troo

to four (quarter to four).

'Para as' means 'to' the hour. In speech it often sounds like 'prás'.

Example

São dez para as cinco.

It's ten to five.

Words in this phrase

para

[pah-rah]

Indicates direction or purpose.

Example

Ele veio para conversar sobre o novo emprego.

He came to talk about the new job.

[ahs]

The (feminine plural)

Definite article used before feminine plural nouns.

Example

As regras devem ser seguidas.

The rules must be followed.

quatro

[KWAH-troo]

four

The number four; used to say how many guests there are.

Example

Quatro pessoas querem jantar às oito.

Four people want to have dinner at eight.

Guides for Portuguese learners

The Portuguese You Actually Need in Your First Month in PortugalThe European Portuguese phrases for your first weeks in Portugal: paperwork, renting a flat, the bank, the health centre, cafés, trains and your new neighbours.

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