A1Lesson 7: Numbers, Counting & Dates
Portuguese numbers follow predictable patterns after twenty, but the teens are rebels with unique forms, and some numbers like "two" change gender to match what they're counting, making "two beers" grammatically different from "two waters."
Numbers 0-20 must be memorized (no patterns)
Um/uma (one) and dois/duas (two) change for gender
Numbers 21-99 use pattern: twenty e e um
100 = cem, but 101-199 = cento e...
200 = duzentos/duzentas (gender agreement)
E (and) connects everything in Portuguese numbers
Phone numbers are said digit by digit
Prices use reais and centavos
Numbers are survival Portuguese – you need them for prices ("Quanto custa?" "Trinta reais"), phone numbers ("Meu WhatsApp é..."), addresses ("Rua Augusta, número duzentos e vinte"), and age ("Tenho vinte e cinco anos"). Mess up your numbers at the feira and you'll pay 50 reais instead of 15 for those bananas! Plus, that cute Brazilian giving you their number expects you to understand "nove, oito, meia, cinco..." (9865...) – get it wrong, and you're texting someone's grandma instead of your new crush!
0-20: unique forms | 21-99: tens + e + units | 100-999: hundreds + e + tens/units
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These are unique – no patterns here, just memorize them!
| Number | Portuguese | Pronunciation tip |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | zero | ZEH-roo |
| 1 | um/uma | oom/OO-mah |
| 2 | dois/duas | doysh/DOO-ahsh |
| 3 | três | trehsh |
| 4 | quatro | KWAH-troo |
| 5 | cinco | SEEN-koo |
| 6 | seis | saysh |
"Quanto custa?" "Doze reais" (How much? Twelve reais)
"Três quilos de banana" (Three kilos of bananas)
"Duas dúzias de ovos" (Two dozen eggs)
"São vinte e cinco reais e cinquenta centavos" (That's 25.50)
"Meu número é nove, oito, meia, cinco, três, dois, um, zero" (98653210)
"O DDD é zero, onze" (area code is 011)
"WhatsApp: nove, nove, meia, meia, oito..." (99668...)
Two correct forms exist:
catorze (more common in Brazil)
quatorze (also correct)
Both are right! Use whichever you prefer.
Remember: 100 alone = cem, 101+ = cento e...
❌ "cento reais"
✅ "cem reais"
✅ "cento e dez reais"
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