Question 1

What does às mean here, and why the accent? How is it different from as?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 2

Why is it às seis and not a seis?

Accepted Answer

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).

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

- 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).

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

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…).

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 7

Should it be uma sesta or a sesta?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

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).

Question 9

Why is there a comma before mas?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

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)

Question 11

Should I use à tarde or de tarde?

Accepted Answer

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).

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

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.”

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 15

How do I pronounce tricky bits in European Portuguese?

Accepted Answer

- 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.

Question 16

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

Accepted Answer

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.”)

Question 17

Are there notable differences in Brazil for this sentence?

Accepted Answer

- 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.

O despertador toca às seis, mas eu faço uma sesta à tarde.

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