Portuguese Phrase
Que horas você começa a trabalhar?
Meaning
Literally, “What hours do you start to work?” In everyday English it translates to “What time do you start working?” The question asks for the exact hour a person begins their workday.
When to use
Use this sentence when you need to know a colleague’s, a friend’s, or an employee’s start‑time at work. It’s common in job interviews, scheduling meetings, or casual conversation about daily routines.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quehorasvocêcomeçaatrabalhar
Que horas
The interrogative phrase used to ask about a specific time. It literally means “what hours”.
você
Second‑person singular pronoun (you). In Brazil it is the most neutral way to address someone.
começa
Present‑tense form of the verb começar (to start) for the third‑person singular (ele/ela/você).
a + infinitive
In Portuguese the preposition a is required before an infinitive when it follows a verb of beginning, ending, or continuing.
trabalhar
Infinitive of the verb “to work”.
🗨In Conversation
Que horas você começa a trabalhar?
What time do you start working?
Eu começo às oito da manhã.
I start at eight in the morning.
✕Common Mistakes
Que horas você começa trabalhar?
The preposition a is required before the infinitive after ‘começar’.
Que horas você começa a trabalhar?
While grammatically correct, native speakers usually place the preposition before the interrogative: “A que horas…”.
Que horas você vai começar a trabalhar?
This changes the meaning to a future action (“When will you start working?”) rather than a regular schedule.
↔Alternatives
A que horas você começa a trabalhar?
At what time do you start working?
Quando você começa a trabalhar?
When do you start working?
Qual é o seu horário de início?
What is your start time?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil the typical office day begins between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., but many companies have a flexible “horário de ponto flexível”. When you ask this question, it’s polite to add a friendly “por favor” or a brief explanation (e.g., “preciso marcar a reunião”). Also, note that in some regions people may answer with a range (e.g., “entre 8 e 9”) rather than an exact hour.