Unit 17 · On the phoneA2Lesson 4 of 5: Dates and years
Dates and years in European Portuguese
This is lesson 4 of 5 in Unit 17, On the phone (Ao telefone), an A2 unit in which you answer the phone the Portuguese way, leave messages, say big numbers, dates and years, spell your email and change an appointment. The new words are o dia (day), maio (May), março (March) and 6 more, practised in 10 example sentences. The unit’s grammar notes cover “Dates and years” and “Spelling: arroba and ponto”.
Words in this lesson
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
o dia | dayFor dates: o dia cinco de maio = the fifth of May. |
maio | MayMonths are written in lower case. |
março | March |
dezembro | December |
o aniversário | birthdayParabéns! = Happy birthday! (literally "congratulations"). |
fazer anos | to have a birthdayVery Portuguese: Eu faço anos amanhã. = It's my birthday tomorrow. |
nasci | I was bornFrom nascer (to be born): nasci, nasceste, nasceu. |
novecentosalso novecentas | nine hundredFor years: mil novecentos e noventa = 1990. |
dois mil | two thousandFor years: dois mil e vinte e seis = 2026. |
Example sentences
- Hoje é dia cinco de maio.Today is the fifth of May.Dates: dia + number + de + month. Months are lower case.
- Que dia é hoje?What's the date today?Very Portuguese: A quantos estamos? The answer: Estamos a cinco de maio.
- O meu aniversário é no dia doze de março.My birthday is on the twelfth of March."On" a date = no dia or just a: a doze de março.
- Quando é que fazes anos?When is your birthday?Fazer anos (literally "to make years") is the most natural way to talk about birthdays in Portugal.
- Eu nasci em mil novecentos e noventa.I was born in 1990.Years are one big number: mil novecentos e noventa = one thousand nine hundred and ninety.
- O meu filho nasceu em dois mil e vinte.My son was born in 2020.Nasceu = he/she was born.
- A consulta é no dia três de dezembro.The appointment is on the third of December.
- Nós chegámos a Portugal em dois mil e vinte e seis.We arrived in Portugal in 2026.Chegámos (we arrived) has an accent in Portugal. 2026 = dois mil e vinte e seis.
- Em que ano é que tu nasceste?What year were you born?Nasceste = you were born, to a friend. With extra respect: nasceu.
- A Rita faz anos amanhã.It's Rita's birthday tomorrow.Fazer anos = to have a birthday: faço anos, fazes anos, faz anos.
Grammar notes
The grammar notes for this lesson are on the page for Unit 17: On the phone: