Question 1

What does sessão de exame mean?

Accepted Answer

“Sessão” means “session” – a scheduled time slot for an activity. “Exame” means “exam.” So sessão de exame is the exam session, i.e., the specific period when the exam takes place.

Question 2

Why is sessão feminine and how can I predict its gender?

Accepted Answer

Portuguese nouns ending in -ão can be masculine or feminine, and there’s no consistent rule based on ending alone. Sessão (session) happens to be feminine, so it takes the article a. Often you’ll need to learn the gender by memorizing the noun or checking a dictionary.

Question 3

How do I pronounce sessão and what’s the function of the tilde?

Accepted Answer

The tilde (~) over ã marks a nasal vowel. Sessão is pronounced roughly /sɨsˈsɐ̃w̃/: the double ss is an unvoiced [s], the e is a close central vowel [ɨ], and the ão part is nasal, ending with a slight /w̃/ glide. Imagine saying “sess-ah-oong” but nasalizing the “ah”.

Question 4

Why do we use às in às oito instead of just a oito?

Accepted Answer

Às is the contraction of the preposition a (“to/at”) plus the feminine plural article as (“the” hours). Time expressions implicitly refer to “horas,” which is feminine and plural. So a + as (horas) → às. Full form: às oito horas.

Question 5

Why is it da manhã and not de manhã or na manhã after the time?

Accepted Answer

Here da = de + a (feminine singular article for manhã). We say oito da manhã (“eight of the morning”) to specify 8 AM.  
- de manhã (“in the morning”) is used generally, without a specific hour.  
- na manhã = em + a, also “in the morning,” but is less common for time-telling.

Question 6

Why is the verb começa in the present tense and singular?

Accepted Answer

Começa is the 3rd person singular present of começar (“to begin”), agreeing with the singular subject sessão. Portuguese commonly uses the simple present to talk about scheduled events (like timetables or programs), so A sessão de exame começa… is equivalent to “The exam session begins…” or “is scheduled to start at…”

Question 7

Could I use vai começar or está começando instead of começa?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but they change the nuance:  
- Vai começar (“is going to start”) points to the near future, less formal in timetables.  
- Está começando (“is starting”) means it is beginning right now.  
For fixed schedules (like a session start time), the simple present (começa) is the standard choice.

Question 8

Could I say O exame começa às oito instead of A sessão de exame começa às oito da manhã?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. O exame começa às oito focuses on the exam itself, whereas A sessão de exame começa… emphasizes the scheduled session. Both are correct; you pick based on whether you want to highlight the exam or the session.

Question 9

What’s the difference between exame and prova?

Accepted Answer

Both mean “test/exam,” but:  
- Exame is often more formal or official (university exams, medical exams).  
- Prova is frequently used in schools and everyday contexts (a quiz or test).  
They overlap, and native speakers sometimes use them interchangeably, but context and formality guide the choice.

A sessão de exame começa às oito da manhã.

Breakdown of A sessão de exame começa às oito da manhã.

Questions & Answers about A sessão de exame começa às oito da manhã.

Master Portuguese — from A sessão de exame começa às oito da manhã to fluency