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O filme acaba às oito.

O filme acaba às oito.
The film ends at eight.
FromLesson 33inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Breakdown of O filme acaba às oito.

o filme
the film
às
at
oito
eight
acabar
to end

Questions & Answers about O filme acaba às oito.

Why is it às and not just a?

Because às is the contraction of the preposition a (at) + the definite article as (the, feminine plural). It literally means at the [hours], with horas understood but omitted. Time expressions in Portuguese normally take this contraction:

  • à uma (hora) = at one o’clock (singular: a + a → à)
  • às duas / às oito (horas) = at two / at eight (plural: a + as → às)
What’s the purpose of the accent in às?
The grave accent marks the contraction a + as → às (or a + a → à). It tells you you’re seeing a preposition + article, not just the article as or the preposition a by itself. Don’t confuse às with há (there is/are; ago) or with as (the, feminine plural, with no accent).
Why is there an “s” in às if I’m only saying “at eight”?
The “s” agrees with the plural, implied noun horas. Think: às (horas) oito. Even when you don’t say horas, agreement stays plural, so you still write às.
Can I say às oito horas instead of às oito?
Yes. Both are correct. Às oito is the most natural everyday option; às oito horas can sound a bit more formal or emphatic, or be used when you want to be extra clear.
Does this mean 8 a.m. or 8 p.m.? How do I specify?

On its own, às oito is ambiguous. To specify:

  • 8 a.m.: às oito da manhã
  • 8 p.m.: às oito da noite In Portugal, the 24-hour clock is common in schedules: às 20h or às vinte for 8 p.m.
Why O filme with the article? Could I just say Filme?
Portuguese uses definite articles much more than English. Here you’re talking about a specific film, so O filme is normal. Saying just Filme is ungrammatical in this context.
Why is it acaba and not another form of the verb?

Acaba is the 3rd person singular of acabar in the present indicative, agreeing with the singular subject o filme. If the subject were plural, you’d use acabam:

  • O filme acaba às oito.
  • Os filmes acabam às oito.
Can the present tense really refer to the future here?
Yes. Portuguese often uses the present for scheduled or timetabled events, much like English does: O filme acaba às oito, O comboio chega às nove. It’s understood as future from context.
Could I replace acaba with termina? Any nuance?
Yes: O filme termina às oito is fully correct. Both verbs are near-synonyms here. A rough nuance is that terminar can sound a bit more formal or neutral; acabar is very common in everyday speech. Don’t use the reflexive acabar-se for scheduled events; acabar-se is more for things “running out” (e.g., Acabou-se o açúcar = We’re out of sugar).
What about acabar de? Does it belong here?

Different meaning. Acabar de + infinitive means “to have just done something”:

  • O filme acabou de começar. = The film has just started. It’s not used to tell clock time in the future.
How do I pronounce the sentence in European Portuguese?

Approximate it as: oo FEEL-m(uh) ah-KAH-buh ahz OY-tu.

  • O (article) often sounds like “oo.”
  • filme ends in a reduced vowel, like a very short “uh.”
  • acaba is stressed on the middle syllable: ah-KAH-buh.
  • In às oito, the final s links to the vowel and sounds like a “z”: ahz OY-tu. The final o in oito sounds like “u” (oo), hence “OY-tu.”
Why is it o filme and not a filme? Is filme masculine?
Yes, filme is a masculine noun in Portuguese, so it takes o (the) and um (a): o filme, um filme. Gender isn’t always predictable from the ending, so it’s best to learn nouns with their article.
How do I say “exactly at eight” or “around eight”?
  • Exactly: às oito em ponto
  • Around: por volta das oito, cerca das oito, or in Portugal also pelas oito (≈ around eight)
How would I say it in the past: “The film ended at eight”?

Use the simple past (preterite):

  • O filme acabou às oito. You can also use terminou:
  • O filme terminou às oito.
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