Portuguese Phrase
Meu número é 555-9876.
Meaning
Literally, ‘My number is 555‑9876.’ The sentence is used to give someone your telephone contact. In Brazil the number would normally be preceded by an area code, but the structure stays the same.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to share your phone number in a conversation, on a business card, or when filling out a form that asks for contact details.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Meunúmeroé555-9876.
Possessive adjective (Meu)
‘Meu’ agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies; here it is masculine singular to match ‘número’.
Noun (número)
‘Número’ is a masculine noun meaning ‘number’; when referring to a phone number it is common to add ‘de telefone’ for clarity.
Verb ser (é)
‘É’ is the third‑person singular present of ‘ser’, used for permanent identification like a phone number.
Reading digits
In Brazilian Portuguese each digit is spoken individually: ‘cinco cinco cinco, nove oito sete seis’.
🗨In Conversation
Qual é o seu número?
What’s your number?
Meu número é 555-9876.
My number is 555‑9876.
✕Common Mistakes
Meu número sou 555-9876.
‘Sou’ is the first‑person form of ‘ser’; the subject is ‘número’, not ‘eu’, so use ‘é’.
Meu número é o 555-9876.
Adding the definite article before the number (‘o 555‑9876’) sounds unnatural in this context.
Meu número de telefone está 555-9876.
Use ‘é’ for identification, not ‘está’, which describes location or temporary state.
↔Alternatives
O meu telefone é 555-9876.
My phone is 555‑9876.
Meu contato é 555-9876.
My contact is 555‑9876.
O número do meu celular é 555-9876.
My cell phone number is 555‑9876.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil phone numbers are usually written with the area code in parentheses, e.g., (11) 5555‑9876. When speaking, you’ll hear the digits read one by one, often separated by a pause after the first three or four digits. ‘Número’ can refer to any number, so adding ‘de telefone’ or ‘do celular’ removes ambiguity.