Portuguese Phrase
Que horas são agora?
Meaning
A direct way to ask 'What time is it now?' in Portuguese. It is the most common, neutral‑register phrase used in everyday conversation.
When to use
Use this question whenever you need to know the current time—on the street, in a café, at work, or while traveling. It works in both Brazil and Portugal and fits informal as well as semi‑formal settings.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quehorassãoagora?
Que (interrogative)
Used to ask a question; here it means 'what'.
horas (noun, plural)
The word for 'hours' and is always plural when asking the time.
são (verb ser, 3rd pl)
The present‑tense form of ser that agrees with the plural noun horas.
agora (adverb)
Means 'now' and is placed after the verb in most Portuguese time questions.
🗨In Conversation
Que horas são agora?
What time is it now?
São três e quinze.
It’s three fifteen.
✕Common Mistakes
Que hora é agora?
Use ‘são’ because ‘horas’ is plural; ‘Que hora é agora?’ is only correct if you use the singular ‘hora’.
Que horas tem agora?
‘Tem’ is the verb ‘to have’; the correct verb for asking the time is ‘ser’.
↔Alternatives
Que horas são?
What time is it?
Qual é a hora?
What is the hour?
Pode me dizer as horas?
Can you tell me the time?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, people often answer with the 12‑hour clock in casual speech (e.g., ‘São três e quinze da tarde’), while the 24‑hour format is preferred in timetables, official documents, and in Portugal. Adding ‘da manhã’, ‘da tarde’ or ‘da noite’ clarifies the period of day when needed.