Por - Approximate Time

This grammar point is all about the art of approximation. In English, we often use words like "around" or "about" to soften a time. Portuguese uses the preposition por to create this exact same effect. It acts like a fuzzy buffer around a specific point in time. It suggests a general timeframe rather than a specific dot on a map. When you say pelas duas, you are being intentionally vague. You mean "around two o'clock" but not exactly two. It could be ten minutes earlier or ten minutes later. This is incredibly common in spoken Portuguese every day. It avoids the strictness of the preposition a, which is used for exact moments. It’s like looking at a clock through a beautiful, foggy window. You see the general shape of the hour, but the details are soft. It’s great for making casual plans with family or friends. It’s also used for broader periods like months or whole seasons of the year.

1. 1Start with the base preposition por.
2. 2Identify the gender and number of the time-related noun.
3. 3Contract por with the definite article o, a, os, or as.
4. 4por + o becomes pelo.
5. 5por + a becomes pela.
6. 6por + os becomes pelos.
7. 7por + as becomes pelas.
8. 8Place this contraction right before the hour or the event name.
9. 9For hours, always use the feminine plural form pelas.
10. 10For parts of the day, use the feminine singular pela.
11. 11For holidays, use the masculine singular form pelo.
12. 12Always remember that the contraction is mandatory for natural speech. Writing por as três sounds very clunky to a native ear. Native speakers always merge these two words together into one smooth sound. This makes the language flow much more naturally in conversation.

Use this when you want to be casual and friendly. It is perfect for coffee dates or quick gym sessions. "Let's meet around five" is translated as pelas cinco. It works for different parts of the day very effectively too. "I study around the afternoon" is pela tarde in Portuguese. It suggests you aren't tied to one specific minute of the clock. You can also use it for the four seasons of the year. "I like to travel around the summer" becomes pelo verão. Holidays are another great place for this grammar rule to shine. "We visit family around Christmas" is pelo Natal. It implies the several days surrounding the actual holiday date. If you are giving directions or general info, it helps a lot. "The bus usually comes around noon" uses pelo meio-dia. Use it when you are guessing a person's arrival time. "He usually arrives around eight" is pelas oito. It’s the language of everyday life, comfort, and friendship.

There are times when being vague is a very bad idea. Don't use por for a professional job interview. Saying you'll arrive pelas nove sounds like you are already late. It suggests to the employer that you might not be reliable. Use às nove instead to show your punctuality and respect. Avoid it for serious medical or dental appointments as well. Doctors usually want you there exactly on the scheduled time. Don't use it for wedding ceremonies or formal events either. You definitely don't want to walk in "around" the time of the vows. If a legal contract has a strict deadline, use até instead. Por is simply too relaxed for legal or technical matters. It’s like wearing casual flip-flops to a very fancy black-tie event. Use it only when flexibility is socially expected and accepted. Think of it as a helpful social lubricant for casual life. But don't use it for the engine of a plane or a rocket launch. Precision really matters in technical and professional settings every day.

The most common mistake is what I call the "Double Por" trap. Some learners use por for both duration and approximation. Estudei por duas horas means "I studied for two hours total." However, Estudei pelas duas means "I studied around two o'clock." Notice that tiny as in the middle of the second phrase? It changes the whole meaning of your sentence instantly! One is about the length of time, the other is about the timing itself. Another common mistake is forgetting the gender of time. Hours are always feminine in the Portuguese language. So never say pelos dois for two o'clock in any context. It must be pelas duas every single time you speak. Many students also confuse por with the preposition para. Para is used for a future goal or a strict deadline. Por is the fuzzy area of time that you are currently in. Don't forget to contract your prepositions every time. Por o Natal sounds like a computer or a robot is talking. Be a human and say pelo Natal instead to sound local.

You will often see the phrase por volta de in books. This is very similar to our simple preposition por. However, it feels a bit more formal and official. You will hear it on the news or read it in history books. "The accident happened around midnight" would use this phrase. They would say por volta da meia-noite in a news report. It is like the sophisticated, older cousin of our casual pelas. Then we have the word cerca de in Portuguese. This phrase usually refers to quantities or numbers of things. "There were about fifty people at the party" uses cerca de. It isn't used as much for daily casual time telling. Finally, compare it to the specific preposition em. Em is used when you want to be specific and exact. No verão means exactly "In the summer." Pelo verão means "Around or sometime during the summer." Pelo feels much more wandering and less fixed than no. It’s the difference between a sharp pin and a soft cloud.