A Complete Beginner Guide (Brazilian & European Portuguese)
Learning Portuguese numbers is one of the fastest ways to build real conversational ability. You’ll use them for prices, dates, time, age, phone numbers, and travel.
If you’re just starting out, this page pairs perfectly with:
👉 Most Common Portuguese Words (Top 500)
👉 Portuguese Sentence Structure
Once you understand numbers 1–20 and the tens, everything up to 100 becomes simple and logical.
Portuguese Numbers 1–20
These must be memorized. After 20, the system becomes predictable.
| Number | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| 1 | um / uma |
| 2 | dois / duas |
| 3 | três |
| 4 | quatro |
| 5 | cinco |
| 6 | seis |
| 7 | sete |
| 8 | oito |
| 9 | nove |
| 10 | dez |
| 11 | onze |
| 12 | doze |
| 13 | treze |
| 14 | catorze (PT) / quatorze (BR) |
| 15 | quinze |
| 16 | dezesseis (BR) / dezasseis (PT) |
| 17 | dezessete (BR) / dezassete (PT) |
| 18 | dezoito |
| 19 | dezenove (BR) / dezanove (PT) |
| 20 | vinte |
Gender Rule (Important)
Numbers 1 and 2 change with gender, which connects directly to Portuguese noun gender rules.
- um carro
- uma casa
- dois livros
- duas mesas
If this feels confusing, read:
👉 Portuguese Gender Rules Explained
The Tens (20–100)
Memorize these — they are your building blocks.
| Number | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| 20 | vinte |
| 30 | trinta |
| 40 | quarenta |
| 50 | cinquenta |
| 60 | sessenta |
| 70 | setenta |
| 80 | oitenta |
| 90 | noventa |
| 100 | cem |
How to Form Numbers 21–99
Portuguese uses a clear structure:
tens + e + units
“e” means “and.”
Examples
- 21 → vinte e um
- 32 → trinta e dois
- 44 → quarenta e quatro
- 58 → cinquenta e oito
- 73 → setenta e três
- 99 → noventa e nove
Unlike Spanish, Portuguese always uses “e” between tens and units.
This pattern makes numbers very easy once you know the basics.
Special Rule: 100
Portuguese uses two forms:
- cem → exactly 100
- cento → 101–199
Examples:
- 100 = cem
- 101 = cento e um
- 150 = cento e cinquenta
You’ll encounter this structure more when learning larger numbers and verb agreements in sentences. If you’re working on tenses, see:
👉 Present Tense Portuguese Verbs
👉 Past Tense Portuguese Guide
👉 Future Tense Portuguese Guide
Numbers often appear in all of them.
Pronunciation Differences (Brazil vs Portugal)
Spelling differences are minor, but pronunciation changes slightly.
Examples:
- três → “tres” (BR) / “trehsh” (PT)
- seis → “seis” (BR) / “saysh” (PT)
- dez → “dez” (BR) / “desh” (PT)
- vinte → “veen-chee” (BR) / “veen-tuh” (PT)
Brazilian Portuguese tends to pronounce vowels more openly. European Portuguese reduces unstressed vowels more strongly.
Choose the variety that matches your goal (travel, relocation, work).
Common Beginner Mistakes
❌ Forgetting “e”
- vinte um
- trinta quatro
✅ Correct:
- vinte e um
- trinta e quatro
❌ Using “cem” incorrectly
- cem e cinco
✅ Correct:
- cento e cinco
❌ Forgetting gender agreement
- um casa
✅ Correct:
- uma casa
Quick Practice
Translate these:
- 34
- 67
- 82
- 99
- 41
Answers:
- trinta e quatro
- sessenta e sete
- oitenta e dois
- noventa e nove
- quarenta e um
What to Learn Next
Now that you know numbers 1–100, continue with:
👉 Portuguese Question Words Guide
👉 Portuguese Verb Conjugation Guide
👉 Portuguese Sentence Structure
Numbers are one of the fastest fluency boosters. Master them early, and everyday Portuguese conversations become much easier.