Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Ele às vezes estuda à noite.

Ele às vezes estuda à noite.

He sometimes studies at night.

Breakdown of Ele às vezes estuda à noite.

Questions & Answers about Ele às vezes estuda à noite.

If this sentence is the answer, would the question use quando or a que horas?

The question would use quando (when), such as: Quando é que ele estuda? (When does he study?). This is because à noite gives a general time of day. If you asked A que horas (At what time), the answer would usually require a specific clock time, like às nove (at nine).

What does às vezes literally mean, and why does the a have a backward accent?

It means "sometimes", but literally translates to "at the times". The backward accent (called a grave accent) shows that two words have merged together: the preposition a (at/to) and the plural feminine word for "the", which is as. Together, a + as becomes às.

Does the accent in à noite work the exact same way?

Yes! It combines the preposition a (at/in) and the singular feminine article a (the) before the feminine word noite. À noite is the standard, everyday way to say "at night" or "in the evening" when describing when an action takes place.

Could I put às vezes at the end of the sentence instead?