Want to learn how to count and tell the numbers in European Portuguese? You’re in the right place! Knowing how to count and use numbers is essential when traveling to a Portuguese-speaking country, communicating with native speakers, or even learning the language. You need them for pretty much everything: telling the time, buying things, and much more.

However, counting in Portuguese may seem daunting at first, especially if you are not familiar with the language’s unique pronunciation and grammar rules. That’s why I have put together this comprehensive guide to help you understand how to count and tell the numbers in European Portuguese.

You’ll find here everything number-related, cardinal numbers from zero to one million, ordinal numbers, and some additional vocabulary you may hear Portuguese natives say. 

Whether you are a beginner or an advanced learner, this post will provide you with everything you need to know to master numbers in Portuguese. So, let’s dive in!

Cardinal Numbers – Os Números Cardinais de 0 a 1 milhão

Let’s start with the numbers from zero to twenty. After all, those are the ones we use the most often.

Number Spelling Pronunciation
0 zero zeh-roo
1 um/uma* oon
2 dois/duas* doysh
3 três trehsh
4 quatro kwa-troo
5 cinco seen-koo
6 seis seysh
7 sete seht
8 oito oytoo
9 nove noh-v
10 dez dehsh

The hardest part to learn is usually from eleven to twenty. Once that’s done and dusted, it gets easier! Learn as dezenas (the tens) and add e (and) followed by the digit.

11 onze onze
12 doze doz
13 treze trehz
14 catorze katorz
15 quinze keenz
16 dezasseis d-zuhseysh
17 dezassete d-zuhset
18 dezoito d-zoytoo
19 dezanove d-zanov
20 vinte veent
21 Vinte e um
22 Vinte e dois
23 Vinte e três
24 Vinte e quatro
25 Vinte e cinco
26 vinte e seis
27 Vinte e sete
28 Vinte e oito
29 Vinte e nove
30 trinta tring-tuh
31 Trinta e um
32 Trinta e dois
33 Trinta e três
34 Trinta e quatro
35 Trinta e cinco
36 Trinta e seis
37 Trinta e sete
38 Trinta e oito
39 Trinta e nove
40 quarenta kwarentuh
41 Quarenta e um
42 Quarenta e dois
43 Quarenta e três
50 cinquenta seenkwenta
60 sessenta
70 setenta
72 Setenta e dois
80 oitenta
90 noventa
100 cem
101 cento e um
200 duzentos/duzentas
300 trezentos/trezentas
400 quatrocentos/ quatrocentas
500 quinhentos / quinhentas
600 seiscentos / seiscentas
700 setecentos / setecentas
800 oitocentos / oitocentas
900 novecentos / novecentas
1000 mil
10 000 dez mil
1,000,000 um milhão

That’s it! All the numbers in between follow the same patterns and rules. Good job! You are one step closer to fluency!

*Teacher tip: Keep in mind that um and dois have feminine variations. Numbers above 200 also do.

Gostava de ter uma casa com jardim.
I'd like to have a house with a garden.

a casa: the house is a feminine noun.

Este saco custa duzentos e quarenta e cinco euros (245). 
This bag costs 245€.
Há menos de quinhentas pessoas nesta aldeia.
There's less than 500 people in this village.

as pessoas: people is a feminine and plural noun in Portuguese.

Ordinal Numbers – Números Ordinais

Ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc, can be really useful especially when:

  • Giving addresses (if you live in a building)
  • Telling stories (first time, second time, etc)
Moro no terceiro andar.
I live on the third floor.

Teacher tip: Keep in Mind Days an Dates in Portuguese use Cardinal (regular) numbers, not ordinal like English.
Hoje é dia quinze.
Today is the fifteenth.
primeiro first preemeyroo
segundo second sgoondoo
terceiro third tuhrseyroo
quarto fourth kwartoo
quinto fifth keentoo
sexto sixth seyshtoo
sétimo seventh sehteemoo
oitavo eighth oytahvoo
nono ninth nohnoo
décimo tenth dehseemoo
décimo-primeiro eleventh dehseemoo preemeyroo
décimo-segundo twelfth dehseemoo sgoondoo
décimo-terceiro thirteenth dehseemoo tuhrseyroo

Teacher tip: unlike cardinal numbers, ordinal numbers have gender and number variations. Keep it in mind when building sentences!

Foi a primeira vez que fui à Alemanha. Gostei muito.
It was the first time I went to Germany. I liked it a lot.

More Vocabulary related to numbers:

meia dúzia – half a dozen

uma dúzia – a dozen

Queria uma dúzia de ovos, por favor. A como é?
I would like a dozen of eggs, please. How much is it?

dezena(s) – a ten

Tenho dezenas de livros neste quarto, mas ainda não li nenhum. 
I have tens of books in this room, but I still haven't read any.

centena(s) – a hundred

Em Lisboa, centenas de casas estão em mau estado.
In Lisbon, hundreds of houses are in bad shape.

milhar(es) – a thousand

Milhares de pessoas vieram a este concerto. 
Thousands of people came to this concert.

 

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