Breakdown of A que horas é o jantar?
Questions & Answers about A que horas é o jantar?
Why do we use a que horas here instead of quando?
A que horas specifically asks for a precise time on the clock (literally 'at what hours'). If you used quando (Quando é o jantar? - When is dinner?), the answer could be a general 'tomorrow' or 'later', rather than a specific time like 8:00 PM. Why is horas in the plural?
In Portuguese, time is generally treated as plural because it counts the 'hours' on the clock. So, to ask 'what time', you literally ask 'at what hours' (a que horas). Why do we need the word A at the beginning of the sentence?
In Portuguese, you don't just ask 'what time' an event happens; you have to ask 'at what time'. The A means 'at', and it matches how the answer will be phrased, like O jantar é às oito (Dinner is at eight). Why do we say o jantar instead of just jantar?
In English, we usually leave out 'the' for meals and just say 'dinner'. In Portuguese, it is standard to use the definite article (o) before meals. So, you literally ask 'What time is the dinner?'. Why do we use é (from the verb ser) instead of está (from estar)?
Even though a meal happens at a specific time, we use the permanent 'to be' verb ser (é) when talking about the time, date, or location of an event. Think of it as asking when the event of dinner takes place. Learn A que horas é o jantar and more in Portuguese
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