Learn Portuguese (Portugal): A que horas é que o voo parte?

A que horas é que o voo parte?

At what time does the flight leave?

Breakdown of A que horas é que o voo parte?

Questions & Answers about A que horas é que o voo parte?

Why is it plural 'horas' when we say 'time' in English?

In Portuguese, the time of day is treated as a plural concept. You are literally asking 'At what hours?' (A que horas) because the hours on the clock are counted.

What does 'é que' do in this sentence?

The phrase é que literally means 'is it that', but here it acts as a very common question marker. It does not change the meaning, but it makes the question sound more natural in spoken Portuguese. You could also simply ask A que horas parte o voo?

Can I leave the 'A' out and just ask 'Que horas é que o voo parte?'

No, you need the A (at) here to specify when the event happens. While English speakers sometimes drop the 'at' in casual speech, saying 'What time does...', in Portuguese you must include it to correctly express 'At what time'.

What verb is 'parte'?

It comes from partir, a regular verb ending in '-ir' that means to leave or to depart. Here it is in the 'he/she/it' form because the subject doing the leaving is o voo (the flight).