Turn this distinction into automatic recall
Falando teaches Brazilian Portuguese through grammar, vocabulary, audio, examples, and spaced review, so confusing pairs stop feeling like guesses.
Quick answer
Cedo is early. Tarde can mean late, and also afternoon.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
What each word does
cedo
early
Use cedo for before the expected or normal time.
tarde
late or afternoon
Use tarde for after the expected time, or the afternoon as a noun.
How to choose
- cedo: Choose cedo if the sentence points to before the expected or normal time.
- tarde: Choose tarde if the sentence points to after the expected time, or the afternoon as a noun.
Examples
Cheguei cedo ao trabalho.
I arrived early at work.
Hoje vou sair tarde.
Today I am going to leave late.
Common trap
A tarde with an article often means the afternoon. Tarde after a verb often means late.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with cedo, then once with tarde. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
Turn this distinction into automatic recall
Falando teaches Brazilian Portuguese through grammar, vocabulary, audio, examples, and spaced review, so confusing pairs stop feeling like guesses.