Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): O despertador toca às seis, mas eu faço uma sesta à tarde. - The alarm clock rings at six, but I take a nap in the afternoon.

Às is the contraction of the preposition a (at/to) + the feminine plural article as (the). It’s used because horas (hours) is implied: às seis (horas) = “at six (o’clock).” Without the accent, as is just the article “the” (feminine plural), as in as seis crianças (“the six children”). The grave accent marks the contraction; it doesn’t change the pronunciation.

Why is it às seis and not a seis?

Clock times in Portuguese use the preposition a plus the definite article for horas (feminine plural), so you must contract: a + as = às. That’s why it’s às seis (horas).

Can I say às seis horas? And how do I say 1:00, noon, and midnight?

Yes: às seis horas is fine, though most people just say às seis.
1:00 → à uma (hora).
Noon → ao meio‑dia.
Midnight → à meia‑noite.
In timetables, 24‑hour style is also common: às dezoito (horas).

Do I need to include eu, or can I drop it?

You can drop it. Portuguese is a “null‑subject” language, so the verb ending shows the subject: Faço uma sesta à tarde is perfectly natural. Keep eu for emphasis or contrast: … mas eu faço uma sesta… (I, on the other hand…).

Why is it faço and not fazo? What are the present forms of fazer?

Fazer is irregular. Present tense:

eu faço
tu fazes
você/ele/ela faz
nós fazemos
vocês/eles/elas fazem Note the ç in faço (sounds like S). In Portugal, tu is common in informal speech; você is more formal or regional.

Is fazer uma sesta the natural way to say “take a nap” in Portugal? Are there alternatives?

Yes. Very idiomatic options in Portugal:

fazer a sesta / fazer uma sesta
dormir a sesta You’ll also hear tirar uma sesta, though it’s less typical. In Brazil, people usually say tirar um cochilo or cochilar. Soneca exists but in Portugal it’s more often the phone’s “snooze” function.

Should it be uma sesta or a sesta?

Both are correct:

a sesta often suggests the habitual/standard nap (a routine): Faço a sesta todos os dias.
uma sesta treats it as “a (single) nap”: Hoje faço uma sesta. In your sentence (a general routine), either works; a sesta feels a bit more idiomatic for a daily habit.

What does tocar mean with despertador? Doesn’t tocar mean “to touch”?

Tocar has several meanings. Here it means “to ring/sound”: O despertador toca (“The alarm clock rings”). It’s also used for phones and bells: O telefone toca, O sino toca. Other meanings include “to play (an instrument)” (tocar guitarra) and “to touch” (tocar em).

Why is there a comma before mas?

In Portuguese, you normally put a comma before the coordinating conjunction mas (“but”): …, mas …. You don’t put a comma after mas unless there’s an inserted phrase.

Can I move à tarde to another position? What sounds natural?

Yes. All of these are fine:

À tarde, (eu) faço uma sesta. (fronted for emphasis)
(Eu) faço uma sesta à tarde. (neutral, very common)
(Eu) à tarde faço uma sesta. (possible, slightly more marked)

Should I use à tarde or de tarde?

In Portugal, both are used. À tarde often treats the afternoon as a time block; de tarde means “in the afternoon.” Many speakers use them interchangeably. Note:

Morning is normally de manhã (not “à manhã”).
Night can be à noite or de noite (both common).

Do I need the article o before despertador? Could I say just Despertador toca…?

Use the article. Portuguese uses articles much more than English. O despertador toca… = “The alarm clock rings…”. You’d only drop the article in headlines or notes. Use um despertador if you mean “an alarm clock.”

Is às seis exact? How do I say “around six”?

Às seis is exact. For approximate times:

pelas seis
por volta das seis
cerca das seis To schedule something “for six o’clock,” you can also say para as seis.

Can I say O alarme toca às seis instead of O despertador toca…?

Yes. Alarme is broader (any alarm). For clarity:

Physical alarm clock: O despertador toca às seis.
Phone alarm: O alarme do telemóvel toca às seis.

How do I pronounce tricky bits in European Portuguese?

O at the start sounds like “oo” ([u]): O despertador…
despertador: stress the last syllable: des-per-ta-DOR; the r is a light tap.
às seis: final s in às sounds like “sh” before a consonant: “ash seish.”
faço: the ç is an S sound (“FAH-su”).
tarde: final e is a reduced vowel (“TAR-d(uh)”). Overall, many unstressed vowels are reduced or very short in European Portuguese.

Could I use despertar instead of tocar, as in O despertador desperta?

It’s grammatical but not the most natural. People typically say O despertador toca. To talk about waking up, use:

Eu acordo às seis.
O despertador acorda-me às seis. (possible, though less common than simply saying it “rings.”)

Are there notable differences in Brazil for this sentence?

Nap: Brazilians usually say cochilo/tirar um cochilo rather than sesta.
Phone word: Brazil uses celular (Portugal: telemóvel).
Pronunciation differs (Brazilian final s is usually “s,” not “sh”).
The grammar for times (às seis) and the use of mas with a comma are the same.