Word
A escola abre às nove e meia.
Meaning
The school opens at half past nine.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about A escola abre às nove e meia.
Why do we use às here instead of just a for "at"?
When telling time, Portuguese uses the preposition a (at) combined with the plural feminine word for "the" (as) because we are referring to the hours (as horas). When a and as combine, they contract into às, marked with a grave (left-pointing) accent.
Why is it meia (feminine) instead of meio for "half"?
It is feminine because it agrees with the word hora (hour), which is a feminine noun. Even though hora is left out of this sentence, you are literally saying "nine and a half (hour)".
Can I add the word for "hours" to this sentence?
Yes, you could say às nove horas e meia. However, it is very common and natural to drop the word horas when the context is obviously about time, just like saying "at nine thirty" in English.
Which verb does abre come from?
It comes from the regular verb abrir (to open). Because a escola (the school) is a single thing (equivalent to "it"), we use the third-person singular form, which is abre.