Telling Time: Minutes

Think of telling time like a simple math equation. You start with the hour. Then, you add a bridge. Finally, you drop in the minutes. The bridge is almost always the word e (and). It connects the big number to the small number. Unlike English, Portuguese usually keeps things chronological. You don't often say 'half past' or 'quarter after' in the same way. Instead, you just say 'hour and minutes.' It is a very direct system. It feels logical and clean. Most people use a 12-hour clock in conversation. However, schedules and tickets use the 24-hour clock. You need to be comfortable with both. Don't worry, your brain will adjust quickly. It is like switching between a digital and analog watch. You just need to know which 'mode' you are in.

1. 1Follow these simple steps to build your time sentence:
2. 2Start with the verb ser. Use É for one o'clock or São for any other hour.
3. 3State the hour number. Example: duas (two).
4. 4Add the connector e (and).
5. 5State the minutes. Example: vinte (twenty).
6. 6Result: São duas e vinte (It is 2:20).
7. 7There are two special shortcuts you must know. For 30 minutes, you usually say meia. This is short for meia hora (half hour). For 15 minutes, you can say quinze or sometimes um quarto. Most people just stick to quinze because it is faster. If you are past the 30-minute mark, you can subtract. You say the next hour, add para as, and then the minutes remaining. Example: dez para as cinco (ten to five). It sounds sophisticated, right? It’s like a grammar traffic light telling you to slow down for the next hour.

You will use this grammar every single day. Use it when you are setting a meeting time. Use it when you are checking the flight board at the airport. It is essential for making plans with friends. Imagine you are at a bakery. You want to know when the fresh bread comes out. You ask the baker. He says daqui a dez minutos (in ten minutes). Knowing your minutes helps you catch that bread while it’s hot! You also use it for television schedules or movie times. If a film starts at vinte e uma e trinta (21:30), you know that means 9:30 PM. It is the language of organization. Without it, life is just a series of vague 'afternoons' and 'mornings.'

Don't use this pattern for dates or years. That is a different structure. Also, avoid using e when you are talking about duration. If you want to say 'The flight took 40 minutes,' you don't use the 'time of day' rules. You would say O voo demorou quarenta minutos. Telling the time is about a specific point in time. It is a 'when,' not a 'how long.' Also, don't use it for age. You 'have' years in Portuguese, you aren't 'at' a certain time. Yes, even native speakers mess this up when learning English, but you won't! Keep your time-telling strictly for the clock.

The biggest trap is the word meia. Some beginners try to say meio for 30 minutes. Remember, it matches hora, which is feminine. So it is always meia. Another mistake is forgetting the e. You cannot say São duas dez. You must say São duas e dez. It feels like a small thing, but it sounds very 'broken' to a native ear. Also, be careful with the 24-hour clock. If you say São dezoito (It is 18:00), don't add 'PM' or 'in the evening.' The number 18 already tells us it is evening. It is redundant, like wearing a belt and suspenders. Finally, don't confuse meio-dia (noon) with meia-noite (midnight) when adding minutes.

In English, we love saying 'ten past five.' In Portuguese, you almost always say 'five and ten' (cinco e dez). The 'past' construction exists but is much less common for beginners. The 'to the hour' construction is very similar to English. 'Ten to six' becomes dez para as seis. However, notice the as. You are literally saying 'ten for the six (hours).' Another difference is the 24-hour clock usage. Americans rarely use it in speech. Portuguese speakers use it frequently for formal events. If a wedding invitation says as dezenove horas, don't show up at 7 AM! You need to be ready for those higher numbers. It's just simple addition: 12 + 7 = 19. You've got this!