Asking about time (quando, a que horas)

Asking "When"

To ask about schedules, dates, or general timeframes, use the question word quando (when). This is perfect for asking which day an event like a meeting (a reunião) takes place.

When is the meeting?
Quando é a reunião?
The meeting is on Monday.
A reunião é na segunda-feira.

You can also use quando for broader plans and travel arrangements, such as a flight (o voo).

When is our flight?
Quando é o nosso voo?

Asking "At What Time"

While quando asks for a general time or day, a que horas (at what time) asks for a specific clock time.

What time is the flight?
A que horas é o voo?

To answer these questions, use the time prepositions you learned previously: às for most hours, ao for noon, and à for midnight or one o'clock.

The flight is at eight at night.
O voo é às oito da noite.

Starting and Finishing

To talk about the duration of events, you will frequently use the regular verbs começar (to begin/start) and terminar (to finish/end).

You can pair these verbs with a que horas to ask exactly when routine events, like a class (a aula), will happen.

What time does the class start?
A que horas começa a aula?
The class starts at noon.
A aula começa ao meio-dia.

You can also pair them with quando if you are asking about events like dinner (o jantar) without needing an exact hour.

When does dinner finish?
Quando termina o jantar?
Dinner finishes at midnight.
O jantar termina à meia-noite.

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