Whether you’re planning a trip to a Portuguese-speaking country or simply interested in expanding your language skills, knowing how to say the months in Portuguese is a fundamental step. In this guide, we will cover the formal and informal ways of saying the months in Portuguese, providing you with valuable tips and examples along the way. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Formal Ways of Saying Months in Portuguese
When it comes to formal situations, such as business meetings or official documents, using the correct formal terms for the months is crucial. Here is a list of the twelve months in Portuguese, along with their formal counterparts:
Janeiro – January
Fevereiro – February
Março – March
Abril – April
Maio – May
Junho – June
Julho – July
Agosto – August
Setembro – September
Outubro – October
Novembro – November
Dezembro – December
To use these months in formal contexts, you can simply mention the month’s name without any additional modifications. For example:
Formal Conversation:
Person A: Quando é o seu aniversário? (When is your birthday?)
Person B: Meu aniversário é em setembro. (My birthday is in September.)
Informal Ways of Saying Months in Portuguese
In casual conversations with friends, family, or colleagues, it’s common to use informal variations of the month names. Here is a list of the informal equivalents of the months in Portuguese:
Jan(eiro) – January
Fev(eiro) – February
Mar(ço) – March
Abr(il) – April
Mai(o) – May
Jun(ho) – June
Jul(ho) – July
Ago(sto) – August
Set(embo) – September
Out(ubro) – October
Nov(embo) – November
Dez(embo) – December
Informal variations often involve cutting off part of the month’s name, creating a more colloquial form. However, these informal versions are only used in spoken language, and it’s recommended to use the formal forms in writing or formal situations.
Let’s see the informal usage in some examples:
Informal Conversation:
Person A: Quando é a festa de aniversário do João? (When is John’s birthday party?)
Person B: A festa é em set. (The party is in Sep.)
Additional Tips and Examples
Now that we’ve covered the formal and informal ways of saying the months in Portuguese, let’s explore some additional tips and examples to help you grasp the language more effectively:
1. Months Are Not Capitalized
In Portuguese, unlike English, the names of the months are not capitalized, unless they are at the beginning of a sentence. For example:
Correct:
Eu nasci em janeiro. (I was born in January.)Incorrect:
Eu nasci em Janeiro.
2. Using Prepositions with Months
When mentioning a specific date within a month, it’s common to use the preposition “em” (in) followed by the month’s name. For instance:
Preposition Usage:
Vamos nos encontrar em setembro. (Let’s meet up in September.)
O evento acontecerá em março. (The event will take place in March.)
3. Seasons and Months
It’s worth noting that the names of the months in Portuguese don’t necessarily correspond to the seasons they represent. For example, while December is a winter month in most countries, it’s summer in the Southern Hemisphere, where Portuguese is widely spoken.
Now, you are equipped with the knowledge of both formal and informal ways to say the months in Portuguese. Practice using these terms in conversations and written exercises to improve your Portuguese skills.
Bom estudo! (Happy learning!)
