In Brazilian Portuguese, we use different kinds of numbers for different purposes:
Cardinal Numbers: to talk about quantity
Ordinal Numbers: to indicate the position of something or someone in a list
Fractional Numbers: to indicate a division of something
Multiplicative Numbers: to describe the multiplication of something
Collective Numbers: to talk about sets of something (collective), indicating the exact number of beings that make up that set
Unlike in English, some numbers in Brazilian Portuguese have genderNo definition set for genderLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. (a masculine and a feminine form). For example, the cardinal number um(one) can be um or uma, depending on the nounNo definition set for nounLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. you’re quantifying:
Some numbers can also have singularNo definition set for singularLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. and plural No definition set for plural Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. forms, as with the ordinal number “first,” which can take the forms primeiro, primeiros, primeira, or primeiras.
In this post, we will review cardinal, ordinal, fractionary, multiplicative, and collective numbers in Brazilian Portuguese, along with their uses and some of their particularities. Let’s start!
What are cardinal numbers in Brazilian Portuguese?
Cardinal numbers indicate the precise and absolute quantity or count of something.
quatro mais quatro são oito
In this section, we’ll quickly review how to form different cardinal numbers in Brazilian Portuguese. First we will examine the numbers from 0 to 99, and then we’ll look at the numbers above 99. As you’ll see, some cardinal numbers can be variable, having a masculine and feminine form, as well as a singular and plural form.
How to say the numbers from 0 to 99 in Brazilian Portuguese?
Let’s now take a look at the list below with cardinal numbers from 0 to 99 in Brazilian Portuguese, and then we’ll discuss some of their particularities.
21 - vinte e um / vinte e uma
22 - vinte e dois / vinte e duas
Did you see that in the table above we have skipped some numbers? This is because there is a pattern that repeats itself from the numbers from 21 to 99. If you know the numbers from one to nine and the unique names for the tens (10, 20, 30, etc.), you are able to put them together using the conjunctionNo definition set for conjunctionLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. e(and), as in:
30(trinta) + 6(seis) = 36(trinta e seis)
80(oitenta) + 8(oito) = 88(oitenta e oito)
Notice in the table above that the numbers one and two, as well as the larger numbers ending in one or two, have a masculine and feminine form. They change to match the gender of the nouns they quantify:
masculinefeminine
Catarina tem quarenta e um anos.
Catarina is forty one years old.
Na fazenda de Márcia há quarenta e duas vacas.
In Márcia’s farm there are forty-two cows.
In the examples above, the cardinal number quarenta e um agrees in gender with the masculine noun anos(years), whereas quarenta e duas agrees with the feminine noun vacas(cows).
When written with letters, the numbers from 16 to 19 (which are the result of combining 10 and 6, 7, 8, and 9) are written as one word:
In order to combine dez + seis, and dez + sete, you must add an extra s in order to keep the [s] sound.
So, instead of writing dezeseis, in which the sound of a singular s between vowels is [z], [deZeZeis], you need to write dezesseis[deZeSSeis], in which the double ss creates the [s] sound.
If you want to know more about spelling and pronunciation in Brazilian Portuguese, take a look at this post!
From 21 on, cardinal numbers are written as two separate words with the connector e(and) between them:
Notice that the number 14 has two written and spoken forms: catorze and quatorze. In the second one, remember to pronounce the “u,” as in [kuatorzi].
Remember also to pronounce the “u” in the number 50, as in cinquenta[sinkuenta].
How to say the numbers above 99 in Brazilian Portuguese?
Now, let's see how to say the numbers above 99. Here is how to say the hundreds from one hundred to 900, along with one thousand:
Notice that the number 100 (exactly) is one word: cem(hundred). But when referring to the numbers between 100 and 200, we use cento instead. The numbers here can be made of two or three words connected by the conjunction e(and), as in:
123: cento e vinte e três
This same rule applies for all numbers between 100 and 999. When connecting numbers in the hundreds and tens positions, again you’ll use the conjunction e, just like you do between the tens and ones places.
221: duzentos/as e vinte e um/a
999: novecentos/as e noventa e nove
When saying numbers above 999, the conjunction e(and) is not used between thousands and hundreds, except when the number ends in a hundred with two zeros, as in:
thousandshundreds
mil novecentos e sessenta e sete
Did you notice in the table and examples above that the multiples of 100 (200-900) each have two different forms? The hundreds from 200 to 900 agree in gender with the nouns they quantify:
masculinefeminine
Esta igreja tem duzentos anos.
This church is two hundred years old.
Há duzentas pessoas nesta igreja.
There are two hundred people in this church.
In the examples above, duzentos agrees with the masculine noun anos(years), and duzentas agrees with the feminine word pessoas(people).
How to say numbers in the thousands in Brazilian Portuguese?
As we’ve seen above, the word for one thousand in Brazilian Portuguese is mil. To talk about thousands beyond 1,000, use the cardinal number for the number of thousands plus the word mil. Take a look:
500.000 - quinhentos/as mil
999.999 - novecentos/as e noventa e nove mil novecentos/as e noventa e nove
Notice in the table above that you only need the word mil(thousand) when referring to the number 1,000 (one thousand); the um(one) is optional! This word mil is invariable, and therefore doesn’t change its form when talking about numbers higher than one thousand or when related to masculine or feminine numbers, like dois/duas(two) or quinhentos/as(five hundred). In these cases, the numeral representing the number of thousands reflects the gender and number of the noun, while the word mil remains the same:
feminine pluralinvariable
Havia duas mil pessoas no show.
There were two thousand people in the show.
As you can see in the table, a period is normally used to separate thousands in Brazilian Portuguese, and a comma is used to separate decimals! (This is the opposite of English!)
R$3.985,74 = três mil, novecentos e oitenta e cinco reais e setenta e quatro centavos
The Brazilian current currency is the Real (R$) since 1994. For “cents,” we say centavos.
Remember to use the conjunction e(and) in the appropriate circumstances (between hundreds, tens, and ones, but typically not between thousands and hundreds):
1.212: mil duzentos/as e doze
2.100: dois/duas mil e cem
2.100: dois/duas mil e cem
2.101: dois/duas mil cento e um
225.710: duzentos/as e vinte e cinco mil setecentos/as e dez
How to talk about very large numbers in Brazilian Portuguese?
Finally, let’s see how to talk about millions, billions, trillions, and higher:
5.000.000 - cinco milhões
100.000.000 - cem milhões
500.000.000 - quinhentos milhões
1.000.000.000 - um bilhão
2.000.000.000 - dois bilhões
500.000.000.000 - quinhentos bilhões
When referring to a specific quantity of something or someone in the millions, billions, and above, use um milhão/bilhão/etc + de + noun.
numbernoun
Um milhão de árvores foram plantadas neste local.
One million trees were planted on this site.
To talk about trillions and higher, the ending -ilhão is repeated with the same prefixNo definition set for prefixLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.:
The cardinal numbers milhão(million), bilhão(billion), trilhão(trillion), and so on are masculine, and therefore only have one form, as in: ✅ um milhão(one million), instead of ❌ uma milhão. However, they do still have singular vs. plural forms, as in:
um milhão(one million) → dois milhões(two millions)
um bilhão(one billion) → dois bilhões(two billions)
The cardinal number 1.500.000 can be written and spoken in two different ways. The more formal way is um milhão e quinhentos mil(one million, five hundred thousand). The less formal way is um milhão e meio(one million and a half).
Want to review the structure of cardinal numbers in Brazilian Portuguese? Have a look at this reference sheet for Brazilian Portuguese cardinal numbers!
What are the other specific uses of cardinal numbers?
In addition to giving the quantity of a noun, cardinal numbers have a few other uses. We use them, for example, to refer to the date or time and to talk about a series of numbers. Let’s look closer.
Cardinal numbers are used to refer to years and dates, as in:
Speaker B:Hoje é dia vinte e três de maio de dois mil e vinte e três.
Today is May 23, 2023.
lit. Today is the day twenty and three of May of two thousand and twenty and three.
The only exception to the rule above is for the first day of the month. Here, we use the ordinal number primeiro(first).
ordinal number
Meu aniversário é no dia primeiro de março.
My birthday is on March 1st.
If you want to know more about expressing dates in Brazilian Portuguese, check out our post.
Cardinal numbers are also used for referring to hours or time, as in:
Speaker B:Agora são onze e trinta da manhã.
It is now eleven-thirty in the morning.
When referring to trinta minutos(thirty minutes), you can also say meia(half), which is a short for meia hora(half an hour), as in:
Speaker B:Agora são onze e meia da manhã.
It is now eleven-thirty in the morning.
Are you curious to know more on how to tell time in Brazilian Portuguese? Take a look at our post!
Cardinal numbers are used to talk about a series of numbers, such as passwords, house numbers, flight codes, and phone numbers. There is no need to use the conjunction e(and) to connect the numbers here.
O número da minha casa é cinco seis cinco.
The number of my house is five six five.
When talking about a series of numbers, you can also replace the cardinal number seis(six) with meia(half), which, in this case, is short for meia-dúzia(half a dozen).
O número da minha casa é cinco meia cinco.
The number of my house is five six five.
What are ordinal numbers in Brazilian Portuguese?
Ordinal numbers in Brazilian Portuguese are numbers that are used like “first” or “fifth” in English. As in English, these words are used to express order or to represent the position of someone or something in a sequence, such as the floors of a building or the position of an athlete in a competition.
Speaker B:O Ricardo ficou em primeiro lugar.
Ricardo took first place.
How to say ordinal numbers from one to 1000 in Brazilian Portuguese?
Let’s now take a look at the list below and talk about some characteristics of the ordinal numbers from one to 1000 in Brazilian Portuguese.
700 - setseptingentésimo/a
Have a look at this longer list or ordinal numbers in Brazilian Portuguese!
Ordinal numbers agreeNo definition set for agreeLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. in numberNo definition set for numberLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. and genderNo definition set for genderLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. with the noun they describe or replace.
ordinal number (feminine plural)
Maria e Isabela foram as primeiras a chegarem na escola.
Maria and Isabela were the first ones to arrive in the school.
In this case, the ordinal number primeiras(first ones) is in its feminine and plural form agreeing with the subject of the sentence Maria e Isabela.
Ordinal numbers can be written using numerals through the use of the symbols #ᵒ or #ᵒˢ (for masculine ordinals) and #ᵃ or #ᵃˢ (for feminine). So, instead of writing primeiras(first ones) and primeiro(first), you can write: 1ᵃˢ and 1ᵒ.
When an ordinal number functions as a noun (e.g. “she was the first”), it is more common to use the word (e.g primeiras), instead of the numeral form (e.g. 1ᵃˢ).
ordinal number (feminine plural)
Maria e Isabela foram as primeiras a chegarem na escola.
Maria and Isabela were the first ones to arrive in the school.
However, when the ordinal number is used as an adjective, along with a noun, we often use the numeral form, as in the example below:
noun
Eu moro no 1ᵒ andar do prédio.
I live on the first floor of the building.
Ordinal numbers can also be written using Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV) when giving the name of popes and kings, and when referring to congresses, fairs, olympiads, or other assemblies in order to show their position in a sequence.
IV Encontro de Empresários
The Fourth Meeting of Entrepreneurs
Check out this chart to review your more Roman numerals!
As for the values above 10th, we write the tenth plus the unit in ordinal numbers, as in:
Eu moro no décimo primeiro andar.
I live on the eleventh floor.
What are other specific uses of ordinal numbers in Brazilian Portuguese?
As mentioned above, ordinal numbers are used to indicate the position of something in an ordered group. Here are a couple of special cases where we use ordinal numbers in Brazilian Portuguese:
In Brazilian Portuguese, ordinal numbers have been used to name the weekdays.
Today is Monday.
lit. Today is second day-of-rest
In this case, Monday refers to the second day of the week. Similar to the other days of the week, it is always written with lowercase letters, unless it starts a phrase.
The weekdays are composed of ordinal numbers followed by the word feira, which comes from the Latin feria and means “the day of rest.”
*We don’t generally say terceira-feira, instead we say terça.
Nowadays, people can opt to simply use the ordinal number for the days of the week, omitting feira. This is a more informal use.
✅ Eu tenho que viajar na segunda-feira.
✅ Eu tenho que viajar na segunda.
I have to travel on Monday.
Ordinal numbers are also always used to indicate the position of someone in a competition:
O Palmeiras ficou em primeiro lugar no campeonato.
Palmeiras took first place in the championship.
In Brazilian Portuguese, there are prefixesNo definition set for prefixesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. that characterize placement and the number of times a person or a group of people have won a tournament. Let’s take a look:
bicampeão(two times champion)
tricampeão(three times champion)
tetracampeão(four times champion)
pentacampeão(five times champion)
hexacampeão(six times champion)
heptacampeão(even times champion)
octacampeão(eight times champion)
eneacampeão(nine times champion)
decacampeão(ten times champion)
O time do Brasil é pentacampeão mundial no futebol.
The Brazil team is five times world champion in soccer.
In informal language, it is very common to abbreviate the word and only use the prefix, i.e. penta(five times).
O time do Brasil é penta mundial no futebol.
The Brazil team is five times world champion in soccer.
What are fractional numbers in Brazilian Portuguese?
In Brazilian Portuguese, fractional numbers express a precise proportion of a whole. In other words, they refer to the fractions, as in:
I want half (½) of the apple.
Let’s now take a look at some examples of fractional numbers and talk about some of their main characteristics.
How to say fractional numbers in Brazilian Portuguese?
In Brazilian Portuguese, like in English, when you read a fraction, the numerator (top number) is read as a cardinal number and the denominator (bottom number) is read as an ordinal number:
cardinal numberordinal number
The ordinal number will agree in number with the numerator:
Precisamos terminar ao menos dois terços do trabalho.
We need to finish at least two thirds (⅔) of the job.
→ terços is plural because dois(2) > 1
We usually say ½ (one half) as meio or metade. These words have the same meaning.
However, only the word meio can be used as an adjective, to describe, for example, “a half mile” or “a half hour.” When used this way meio/a agrees in gender with the noun it refers to, as in:
José andou 3 quilômetros e meio (quilômetro).
José walked 3 and a half kilometers.
Agora são meio-dia e meia (hora).
It is now half (hour) past twelve.
In the examples above, the fractional number meio(half) agrees with the masculine word quilômetros(kilometers), whereas meia(half) agrees with the feminine word hora(hour).
Here is how to say some of the most common fractional numbers in Brazilian Portuguese:
⅖: dois quintos(two fifths)
Take a look here at our list of fractional numbers in Brazilian Portuguese.
Any fraction can also be expressed as a percentage or decimal.
metade da maçã(half of the apple)
= cinquenta por cento da maçã (50%)(fifty percent of the apple)
= zero vírgula cinco (0,5)(lit. zero comma five)
Here are a couple more examples of percentages:
84,72% da população brasileira vive em áreas urbanas.
84.72% of the Brazilian population lives in urban areas.
84,72% = oitenta e quatro vírgula setenta e dois por cento.
eighty-four point seventy-two percent
In Brazilian Portuguese por cento and porcento both mean “percent,” but they are used in very different situations.
Por cento means “in every hundred,” and is represented by the symbol %, as in: 84,72% = oitenta e quatro vírgula setenta e dois por cento.
Porcento, written together, on the other hand, is a masculine noun that indicates the amount received in proportion to a sale made. Its use is very limited, since people in everyday language prefer to use the words comissão(commission) or porcentagem(percentage) instead.
Quando vamos receber nosso porcento da venda?
When will we receive our percentage of the sale?
What are multiplicative numbers in Brazilian Portuguese?
Multiplicative numbers are those that indicate the number of times a quantity has been multiplied, as in:
Minha irmã tem o dobro da minha idade.
My sister is twice my age.
lit. My sister has the double of my age.
Let’s now take a look at some examples of multiplicative numbers and some of their characteristics.
dobro or duplo/a(double, twice)
triplo/a (triple, three times)
quádruplo/a(quadruple, four times)
Take a look here at our list of multiplicative numbers in Brazilian Portuguese.
It is also common in everyday language to use expressions that combine a cardinal number with the word vezes(times) (duas vezes(two times), três vezes(three times), quatro vezes(four times), ...) instead of using the multiplicatives dobro, triplo, or quádruplo.
Este carro custa três vezes mais que o meu.
This car costs three times more than mine.
Notice in the example above that três vezes is followed by the word mais(more). When using multiplicative numbers, drop the mais.
Este carro custa o triplo do meu.
This car costs three times as much as mine.
lit. This car costs the triple of my car.
Multiplicative numbers are invariable when functioning as nounsNo definition set for nounsLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., as in the example above and below:
Ela tem o triplo da minha experiência.
She has three times my experience.
lit. She has the triple of my experience.
When functioning as adjectivesNo definition set for adjectivesLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum., multiplicative numbers can vary in genderNo definition set for genderLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. and numberNo definition set for numberLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.:
Ela tem uma dupla função no trabalho.
She has a dual function at work.
lit. She has a double function at work.
Have you noticed in the examples above that only the multiplicative number for “two times” has a distinct noun (dobro) and an adjective (duplo/a) words?
All the other multiplicative numbers, such as triplo (triple/three times) have only one form, which can be used as a noun (o triplo), always in the masculine form, or as an adjective (triplo/tripla), varying in gender according to the noun it describes.
Ela tem uma tripla função no trabalho.
She has a triple duty at work.
The multiplicative numbers dúplice(double) and tríplice(triple) have the same meaning as duplo and triplo, although they are less commonly used in everyday language. They only vary in number, as in:
A rodovia possui pistas dúplices.
The highway has dual lanes.
What are collective numbers in Brazilian Portuguese?
Collective numbers are words like “dozen” or “pair,” and they refer to an exact number of a set of days, months, years, or other quantities.
Centenas de pessoas visitam o Palácio de Versailles todos os dias.
Hundreds of people visit the Palace of Versailles every day.
Take a look here at the table below with examples of different types of collective numbers:
| | arroba / @(15 kg. of liquid) quilômetro / km(kilometer)
|
Take a look here at a more extensive list of collective numbers!
Collective numerals are variable in number (singular and plural), but they are invariable in gender.
Quero uma dúzia de ovos, por favor.
I want a dozen eggs, please.
Quero duas dúzias de ovos, por favor.
I want two dozen eggs, please.
The collective number dúzia is itself a feminine word (uma dúzia(a dozen)), and therefore only agrees in number with the word ovos(eggs), which is masculine, becoming dúzias.
How to express approximate numbers in Brazilian Portuguese?
In Brazilian Portuguese, we express approximate numbers, such as the “-ish” form in English, by using the words por volta de / em torno de(around) or aproximadamente(approximately) followed by a cardinal number.
Ela tinha por volta de/em torno de/aproximadamente cinquenta anos quando saiu do Brasil pela primeira vez.
She was around fifty years old when she first left Brazil.
These words are used interchangeably, and they can also be used to refer to time, as in:
Carlos chegou por volta das sete da noite.
Carlos arrived at seven-ish in the evening. / Carlos arrived around seven in the evening.
Summary
In this post, you saw the difference between cardinal, ordinal, fractional, multiplicative, collective, and approximate numbers, along with where to use them in Brazilian Portuguese. Among the things we talked about, we mentioned that:
Cardinal numbers, such as nove(nine) or onze(eleven), are used to count or show the quantity of things or people.
Ordinal numbers, such as terceiro(third) or vigésimo primeiro(twenty-first), refer to the order of something or someone in a competition, in a list, or the floors in a building.
Fractional numbers, such as quarto(fourth), are used to indicate a division.
Multiplicative numbers, such as duplo(double), are used to indicate a multiplication.
Collective numbers, such as década (decade)(decade), indicate a fixed number of beings or things within a category.
Approximate numbers are made with the expressions por volta de / em torno de(around) or aproximadamente(approximately) followed by a cardinal number.
Now why don’t you practice using numbers in Brazilian Portuguese?
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