Portuguese Phrase
Vou dormir por volta das 22h.
Meaning
The speaker is stating the intention to go to sleep at approximately ten o’clock in the evening. The phrase combines a future‑intent construction (vou + infinitive) with a soft time reference (por volta de) to avoid sounding too exact.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to tell a friend, family member, or colleague about your bedtime plans, especially in informal conversation or when making a daily schedule.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Voudormirporvoltadas22h
Ir + infinitive (Vou)
‘Vou’ is the first‑person singular present of ‘ir’ used as a future‑intent construction with an infinitive.
Infinitive (dormir)
The verb ‘dormir’ stays in its infinitive form after ‘vou’ to indicate the action you plan to do.
Por volta de
A fixed expression meaning ‘around, about’. It is followed by a time expression.
Contraction das
‘das’ = de + as, used before a feminine plural noun or, in time‑telling, before the hour (e.g., das 22h).
Time notation (22h)
In Portuguese the 24‑hour clock is written with an ‘h’ after the number; it is read as ‘vinte e duas horas’.
🗨In Conversation
Vou dormir por volta das 22h.
I'm going to sleep around 10 p.m.
Tudo bem, então nos falamos amanhã de manhã.
Alright, then we'll talk tomorrow morning.
✕Common Mistakes
Vou dormir por volta de 22h.
The article ‘as’ is required before the hour when using ‘por volta de’.
Vou dormir às 22h.
‘Às 22h’ states an exact time; it changes the nuance from ‘around 10 p.m.’ to ‘at exactly 10 p.m.’
Vou dormir por volta das 22.
In spoken Portuguese you would say ‘vinte e duas horas’, not just the digits.
↔Alternatives
Vou me deitar por volta das 22h.
I'm going to lie down around 10 p.m.
Planejo dormir por volta das 22h.
I plan to sleep around 10 p.m.
Pretendo ir para a cama por volta das 22h.
I intend to go to bed around 10 p.m.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil and Portugal, many people still use the 24‑hour clock for schedules, especially on public transport, TV guides, and work shifts. Saying ‘por volta das 22h’ sounds relaxed and polite, avoiding the exactness of ‘às 22h’, which can feel a bit formal. Late‑night meals (jantar) often end around 9‑10 p.m., so a bedtime of 22h is typical for many Portuguese‑speaking households.