Portuguese Phrase
Almoço por volta do meio‑dia.
Meaning
I have lunch around noon. The phrase signals an approximate time rather than an exact hour, useful when you want to be flexible or when the exact schedule isn’t set.
When to use
Use this sentence when answering questions like “What time will you eat?” or when you’re arranging a meeting and want to indicate that lunch will happen roughly at midday. It works in both casual conversation and semi‑formal contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Almoçopor voltadomeio‑dia
Almoço
Noun meaning ‘lunch’; can also be used as a verb in the first person singular present (eu almoço).
por volta de
Fixed expression meaning ‘around/about’ when referring to time or quantity.
do = de + o
Contraction of the preposition ‘de’ + definite article ‘o’; required before masculine singular nouns like ‘meio‑dia’.
meio‑dia
Noun meaning ‘midday’; treated as masculine, so it takes the article ‘o’ (o meio‑dia).
🗨In Conversation
Que horas você vai almoçar?
What time are you going to have lunch?
Almoço por volta do meio‑dia.
I’ll have lunch around noon.
✕Common Mistakes
Almoço às meio‑dia.
‘às’ is used with a specific hour (e.g., às 12h), not with the noun ‘meio‑dia’. Use ‘por volta de’ for approximations.
Almoço por volta meio‑dia.
The article ‘o’ is required after ‘de’ because ‘meio‑dia’ is masculine; the correct form is ‘do meio‑dia’.
Almoçar por volta do meio‑dia.
When you want to state a future action, use the infinitive ‘almoçar’ only with a helping verb (vou, vou almoçar). The simple present ‘Almoço’ already conveys a scheduled habit or plan.
↔Alternatives
Almoçarei por volta do meio‑dia.
I will have lunch around noon.
Vou almoçar por volta do meio‑dia.
I’m going to have lunch around noon.
Almoço ao meio‑dia.
I have lunch at noon.
Almoço por volta das 12h.
I have lunch around 12 o’clock.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, ‘almoço’ is the main meal of the day and is typically taken between 12 h and 14 h. Many offices and schools have a break for ‘horário de almoço’, so saying ‘por volta do meio‑dia’ fits naturally into everyday scheduling. The expression ‘por volta de’ is very common for approximations, but remember it always needs the preposition ‘de’ (or its contraction) before the noun.