Meaning
Refers to the early part of the day.
Cultural Background
In Brazil, 'café da manhã' is the word for breakfast. It literally means 'coffee of the morning'. Even if you eat a full meal, it's still called 'café'. In Portugal, breakfast is 'pequeno-almoço'. Using 'café da manhã' will mark you as a Brazilian Portuguese speaker, though you will be understood. In Angola, like in Portugal, 'matabicho' is a common informal term for breakfast, used 'de manhã'. The greeting 'Bom dia' is strictly for the morning. As soon as lunch is finished (even if it's 12:30 PM), people switch to 'Boa tarde'.
The 'De' Rule
Always use 'de' for parts of the day (de manhã, de tarde, de noite) when speaking generally about habits.
Avoid 'In'
Never say 'em manhã'. It's the most common mistake for English and Spanish speakers.
Meaning
Refers to the early part of the day.
The 'De' Rule
Always use 'de' for parts of the day (de manhã, de tarde, de noite) when speaking generally about habits.
Avoid 'In'
Never say 'em manhã'. It's the most common mistake for English and Spanish speakers.
Specific Times
If you say a specific hour, change 'de' to 'da': 'Às sete da manhã'.
Test Yourself
Complete the sentence with the correct phrase for 'in the morning'.
Eu sempre tomo café ____.
'De manhã' is the standard prepositional phrase for 'in the morning' in Portuguese.
Which sentence is correct for 'I will see you tomorrow morning'?
Escolha a frase correta:
The standard order is 'amanhã' (tomorrow) followed by 'de manhã' (in the morning).
Match the Portuguese phrase with its English equivalent.
Combine as colunas:
These are the four most common variations of the phrase.
Complete the dialogue.
A: A que horas é a aula? B: É às nove ____.
When specifying an exact hour (nove), 'da manhã' (of the morning) is used as a contraction of 'de + a'.
Which phrase would you use to greet someone before noon?
Qual saudação você usa de manhã?
'Bom dia' is the greeting used 'de manhã'.
🎉 Score: /5
Visual Learning Aids
Parts of the Day
Morning
- • De manhã
- • Bom dia
- • Café da manhã
Afternoon
- • À tarde
- • Boa tarde
- • Almoço
Practice Bank
5 exercisesEu sempre tomo café ____.
'De manhã' is the standard prepositional phrase for 'in the morning' in Portuguese.
Escolha a frase correta:
The standard order is 'amanhã' (tomorrow) followed by 'de manhã' (in the morning).
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
These are the four most common variations of the phrase.
A: A que horas é a aula? B: É às nove ____.
When specifying an exact hour (nove), 'da manhã' (of the morning) is used as a contraction of 'de + a'.
Qual saudação você usa de manhã?
'Bom dia' is the greeting used 'de manhã'.
🎉 Score: /5
Frequently Asked Questions
4 questionsIt is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
Only if you follow it with a specific day, like 'na manhã de sábado'. For general use, stick to 'de manhã'.
'Manhã' is the morning period. 'Amanhã' is the day after today.
Use 'de manhã cedo' or 'bem cedo'.
Related Phrases
à tarde
contrastin the afternoon
à noite
contrastat night
de madrugada
specialized formin the early hours of the morning (1 AM - 5 AM)
pela manhã
synonymduring the morning
