Portuguese Phrase
Que horas é o café da manhã?
Meaning
A direct question asking for the scheduled time of breakfast. It’s used when you want to know at what hour a meal will be served, especially in hotels, schools, or when planning your morning routine.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to confirm the breakfast schedule – for example, at a hotel reception, in a school cafeteria, or when coordinating with family members about morning plans.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quehoraséocafédamanhã?
Que (interrogative)
Used to ask for information; here it introduces a question about time.
horas (noun, plural)
Literally ‘hours’; when asking the time we use the plural form.
é (ser, 3rd‑person singular)
The verb ‘to be’ used for telling time; note that ‘ser’ is used, not ‘estar’.
o (definite article)
Introduces the specific meal ‘café da manhã’.
café da manhã (compound noun)
Literally ‘coffee of the morning’, the standard term for ‘breakfast’ in Portuguese.
da (de + a)
Contraction of the preposition ‘de’ + feminine article ‘a’, linking ‘café’ and ‘manhã’.
🗨In Conversation
Que horas é o café da manhã?
What time is breakfast?
É às oito horas.
It’s at eight o’clock.
✕Common Mistakes
Que horas tem o café da manhã?
‘Ter’ is not used to ask the time; use ‘ser’ (é) instead.
Qual horas é o café da manhã?
‘Qual’ must agree with a noun; the correct form is ‘Qual é o horário…’ or use ‘Que horas…’
Que hora é o café da manhã?
When asking about the time, the plural ‘horas’ is required.
↔Alternatives
A que horas é o café da manhã?
At what time is breakfast?
Qual é o horário do café da manhã?
What is the breakfast time?
Quando é o café da manhã?
When is breakfast?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, breakfast (café da manhã) is usually served between 7 am and 9 am, but the exact time can vary by region, workplace, or hotel. The construction “Que horas é …” is understandable, yet native speakers more often say “A que horas é …”. Also, note that ‘café da manhã’ can refer both to the meal and to the coffee you drink with it.