Numbers are a fundamental part of any language, and they play a crucial role in everyday life. Whether you’re shopping, telling time, giving your age, or discussing quantities, understanding numbers is essential. In the Portuguese language, numbers are relatively straightforward to learn once you grasp the basics. Let’s explore cardinal numbers, ordinal numbers, fractions, and decimals in Portuguese.
Cardinal Numbers in Portuguese
1. Um – One
2. Dois – Two
3. Três – Three
4. Quatro – Four
5. Cinco – Five
6. Seis – Six
7. Sete – Seven
8. Oito – Eight
9. Nove – Nine
10. Dez – Ten
Numbers from 11 to 19 follow a similar pattern to Spanish:
11. Onze – Eleven
12. Doze – Twelve
13. Treze – Thirteen
14. Catorze – Fourteen
15. Quinze – Fifteen
After 15, the numbers continue consistently:
16. Dezesseis – Sixteen
17. Dezessete – Seventeen
18. Dezoito – Eighteen
19. Dezenove – Nineteen
For numbers 20 and beyond, Portuguese follows this pattern:
20. Vinte – Twenty
21. Vinte e um – Twenty-one
22. Vinte e dois – Twenty-two
30. Trinta – Thirty
40. Quarenta – Forty
50. Cinquenta – Fifty
60. Sessenta – Sixty
70. Setenta – Seventy
80. Oitenta – Eighty
90. Noventa – Ninety
For hundreds, add “cem” for one hundred and “centos” for two hundred, three hundred, etc.
100. Cem
200. Duzentos
300. Trezentos
400. Quatrocentos
500. Quinhentos
600. Seiscentos
700. Setecentos
800. Oitocentos
900. Novecentos
When counting from 101 to 199, use “cento” instead of “cem.”
101. Cento e um – One hundred and one
115. Cento e quinze – One hundred and fifteen
For thousands and beyond, use:
Mil – One thousand
Um milhão – One million
Ordinal Numbers in Portuguese
Ordinal numbers in Portuguese are similar to Spanish. To form them, add “-o” to the cardinal number, except for “primeiro” (first) and “terceiro” (third).
Primeiro – First
Segundo – Second
Terceiro – Third
Quarto – Fourth
Quinto – Fifth
Sexto – Sixth
Sétimo – Seventh
Oitavo – Eighth
Nono – Ninth
Décimo – Tenth
Fractions in Portuguese
To express fractions in Portuguese, use:
Um meio or a metade – One-half
Um terço – One-third
Dois terços – Two-thirds
Um quarto – One-fourth
Três quartos – Three-fourths
Decimals in Portuguese
In Portuguese, decimals use a comma (,) instead of a period (.) as in English, similar to Spanish.
2,5 – Dois vírgula cinco – Two point five
Now you have a foundation for understanding and using numbers in Portuguese. Practice counting and using these numbers in everyday conversations to become more comfortable with them.