hora
/ˈɔ.ɾɐ/feminine
The Portuguese word for 'hour' is hora.
hora refers to a sixty-minute time period. It can also refer to the specific current time of day, as seen in the phrase a hora. You can also use it in descriptive phrases such as à medida que as horas passam to mean 'as the hours pass'. To specify times of day, you can use de manhã (in the morning), de tarde (in the afternoon) or de noite (at night).
Meaning: time period of sixty minutes (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, it is common to use the word meia to refer to half an hour (30 minutes).
How does it change in a sentence?
hora is a feminine noun. Its plural form is horas.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable: /ˈɔ.ɾɐ/.
When do people say it?
In Brazil, it is common to use a 24-hour clock system.
Did you know?
- The word shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'year' through the Proto-Indo-European root pertaining to seasonal cycles.
- If you want to say that something happens 'constantly', you can use the expression a toda a hora, which literally translates to 'at every hour'.
- The Portuguese word hora and the English word 'hour' are distant cousins, both descending from the Greek word 'hora' which originally meant 'season'.
Examples in context
- Levou só uma hora.It took just an hour.This sentence uses hora to describe a duration of time.Tatoeba #1567917 by alexmarcelo, translation #405709 by blay_paul
- Você tem uma hora.You have an hour.This sentence uses hora to indicate a specific amount of time possessed.Tatoeba #4485562 by ajdavidl, translation #2549194 by CK
- Sou pago por hora.I'm paid by the hour.This sentence uses hora to describe a rate of pay.Tatoeba #5393128 by bill, translation #258119 by CK
- São dez horas.It is ten o'clock.
- Qual é o horário da reunião?What is the time of the meeting?
- A que hora chega o voo?What time does the flight arrive?
- Já são onze.It's already eleven – informally
- São seis e meia.It's half past six.
- 348 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Juliana and Felipe are deciding when to meet for lunch.
- JulianaPodemos nos encontrar daqui a uma hora?Can we meet in one hour?
- FelipeSim, isso funciona para mim, Juliana.Yes, that works for me, Juliana.
- JulianaÓtimo, eu preciso de cada hora para terminar isso.Great, I need every hour to finish this.
- FelipeTudo bem, Felipe te espera no restaurante.All right, Felipe will wait for you at the restaurant.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hour” translations and entries hora, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hora, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
