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Questions & Answers about Eu acordo às nove.
Why do we say às nove instead of just a nove?
In Portuguese you always combine the preposition a (to/at) with the definite article as (feminine plural of “the”) when referring to hours. The contracted form às is used to mean “at the” before a time (e.g. “às nove” = “at nine o’clock”).
What is the grave accent on às for?
The grave accent (
à/às) marks the phenomenon called crase, which is the fusion of the preposition a + the definite article as. Without it, as would simply be the plural article “the,” and a would be an uncombined preposition.Is the word horas required after nove?
No. In spoken and informal written Portuguese, you usually omit horas because it’s understood. You can say às nove horas for emphasis or formality, but às nove is perfectly normal.
Why don’t we say me acordo like Spanish me despierto?
In European Portuguese acordar is intransitive when you wake yourself up—it doesn’t require a reflexive pronoun. You simply say eu acordo. (There is also a pronominal form acordar-se, but it’s less common in everyday speech.)
Why include the subject pronoun eu if Portuguese often drops pronouns?
Subject pronouns in Portuguese are optional because the verb ending tells you who’s acting. You include eu only for emphasis, contrast or clarity. Without emphasis, you’d normally just say Acordo às nove.
What tense and person is acordo?
Acordo is the first-person singular (eu) of the presente do indicativo (present simple) of the verb acordar, used for habitual actions (I wake up habitually) or things happening right now.
Can I replace acordo with levantar-me?
They’re related but not identical. Acordar means “to wake up” (open your eyes, stop sleeping). Levantar-se means “to get up” (leave the bed). You could say Eu me levanto às nove, but that emphasizes getting out of bed rather than the mere act of waking.
Can I write às 9 using the numeral 9?
Yes. It’s common in informal and digital contexts to write às 9 or às 9h. In formal prose you might spell out the number (às nove) and optionally add horas, but both styles are accepted.