Portuguese Phrase
Somos quatro.
Meaning
Literally ‘We are four.’ It is used to state the size of a group, usually when someone asks how many people are in the group or when you introduce your team.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to tell someone the number of people in your party, such as at a restaurant, when booking tickets, or simply answering the question ‘Quantas pessoas são?’
✦Grammar Breakdown
Somosquatro
Somos (ser, 1ª pessoa do plural)
‘Somos’ is the present tense of the verb ‘ser’ for ‘we’, used for permanent or defining characteristics.
Quatro (cardinal number)
‘Quatro’ is the cardinal number ‘four’. In Portuguese numbers can stand alone as nouns when the noun is understood.
🗨In Conversation
Quantas pessoas são?
How many people are you?
Somos quatro.
We are four.
✕Common Mistakes
Estamos quatro.
‘Estar’ describes temporary states; group size is a defining characteristic, so use ‘somos’.
Somos quatroes.
Numbers do not take plural endings in Portuguese.
↔Alternatives
Somos quatro pessoas.
We are four people.
Temos quatro.
We have four.
Somos um grupo de quatro.
We are a group of four.
Cultural Tip
In Portuguese, the verb ‘ser’ (Somos) is used for defining characteristics such as group size, while ‘estar’ would be incorrect here. Numbers can be used alone when the noun is obvious, so saying just ‘quatro’ after ‘somos’ is perfectly natural. In Brazil and Portugal the same construction is used, but you’ll often hear the more explicit ‘Somos quatro pessoas’ in formal contexts.