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Chego às oito, ou melhor, às oito e meia.

Chego às oito, ou melhor, às oito e meia.
I arrive at eight, or rather, half past eight.
From Lesson 183:Os conectores do discurso (portanto, afinal)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about Chego às oito, ou melhor, às oito e meia.

Why use the present tense chego if the person is talking about arriving later?
In Portuguese, just like in English, you can often use the present tense to talk about scheduled or near-future events. Chego literally means 'I arrive', but here it is used to say 'I will arrive' or 'I am arriving'.
Why is there an accent on às in às oito?
Às is a contraction of the preposition a (at) and the feminine plural 'the' (as). We use the feminine plural because we are talking about hours (as horas), which is a feminine plural noun. The grave accent tells us those two words merged.
Does ou melhor literally mean 'or better'?
Yes, its literal translation is 'or better'. However, Portuguese speakers use it as a set phrase to correct themselves mid-sentence, exactly like 'or rather' or 'I mean' in English.
Why is it meia and not meio for 'half'?
The word meia means 'half', and it ends in an 'a' here because it must match the gender of the noun it refers to. Even though the word isn't spoken, it refers to a half hour (hora), which is a feminine word.

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