Portuguese Phrase
São oito menos um quarto.
Meaning
The sentence tells the current time: it is fifteen minutes before eight o’clock, i.e., 7:45. In Portuguese the structure ‘X menos um quarto’ is the standard way to say ‘a quarter to X’.
When to use
Use this expression when you want to give the time in a natural, conversational way. It is common in Brazil and Portugal, especially in informal speech, but also acceptable in formal contexts such as announcements or news reports.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Sãooitomenosumquarto
São (verb ser)
Use the verb ser in the third‑person plural (São) when stating the hour for any time that is not exactly one o’clock.
oito (cardinal number)
Cardinal numbers are placed after the verb to indicate the hour.
menos (preposition for time)
In time‑telling, menos works like ‘to’ in English, indicating how many minutes are left before the next hour.
um (indefinite article/ numeral)
When used with ‘quarto’, ‘um’ means ‘one’ – a single quarter of an hour (15 minutes).
quarto (noun)
Quarto literally means ‘quarter’; in this construction it refers to a quarter of an hour.
🗨In Conversation
Que horas são?
What time is it?
São oito menos um quarto.
It’s a quarter to eight.
✕Common Mistakes
É oito menos um quarto.
Use ‘São’ because the hour is plural (more than one o’clock).
São oito menos um quarto de hora.
‘de hora’ is redundant; the phrase already implies a quarter of an hour.
São oito menos quinze minutos.
While understandable, native speakers prefer ‘menos um quarto’ or ‘quinze para as oito’.
↔Alternatives
São sete e quarenta e cinco minutos.
It’s seven forty‑five.
Falta um quarto para as oito.
There’s a quarter left until eight.
É quinze para as oito.
It’s fifteen to eight.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil people often say ‘quinze para as oito’ or simply ‘sete e quarenta e cinco’. In Portugal the ‘menos’ construction is more frequent: ‘São oito menos um quarto’. Remember that the verb agrees with the hour – use ‘São’ for any hour other than one (e.g., ‘É uma hora’).