fazer hora

You use this phrase exactly like a regular verb. You take the verb fazer (to do/make) and conjugate it according to who is doing the waiting. For example, eu estou fazendo hora (I am killing time). It is almost always used with the word só (only/just) to emphasize that the activity is purposeless. Estou só fazendo hora is the classic 'I'm just hanging out' line. You can use it in the past tense too: Fizemos hora na livraria (We killed time in the bookstore). It fits perfectly into sentences describing where you are or why you haven't left yet. It’s a great 'excuse' phrase. If you're caught looking at shoes you don't intend to buy, just tell the salesperson you're fazendo hora. It’s the ultimate shield against social pressure to be productive. Plus, it sounds way more natural than saying you're 'waiting' (esperando).

Speaker A: Oi! Você ainda está no shopping?

Speaker B: Sim, meu médico só atende às 15h, então estou aqui fazendo hora.

Speaker A: Por que você não começou o relatório?

Speaker B: Ah, o sistema está lento. Estou fazendo hora no café até ele voltar.

On Instagram, you might see a photo of someone at an airport lounge with the caption: Fazendo hora para o próximo voo ✈️. Or imagine a WhatsApp group chat where someone is early for a party: "Cheguei cedo demais, vou fazer uma hora na praça antes de subir." It’s the bread and butter of Brazilian daily life, where 'on time' is often a suggestion rather than a rule.

Use it when you have a specific future event you are waiting for. It’s perfect for the airport, the doctor's waiting room, or when your friend is '5 minutes away' (which in Brazil means 20). It’s also great for professional-adjacent settings where you’re finished with your work but can’t leave the office yet. If someone asks why you're lingering, fazer hora is your go-to answer. It sounds friendly and informal. It’s also useful when you want to admit you’re being a bit of a procrastinator. "I should be studying, but I'm just fazendo hora on YouTube." It’s honest, relatable, and very human.

Avoid using this in very formal business presentations. You wouldn't tell a CEO, "The board is fazendo hora before the meeting." Instead, use aguardando (waiting/awaiting). Also, don't use it if you are genuinely busy. If you are working hard but taking a quick 5-minute break, that’s not fazer hora. Fazer hora implies a longer, more aimless stretch of time. Finally, be careful in Northeast Brazil; if you say someone is fazendo hora with you, they might think you’re accusing them of mocking you. If you just mean waiting, stick to the time context to avoid accidental drama. Nobody wants a fight when they're just trying to wait for a sandwich.

A very common mistake for English speakers is trying to translate 'kill time' literally.

While matar o tempo is understood, it sounds a bit like a translation from a movie subtitle. Fazer hora is what a real person says.

Another mistake is using fazer tempo:

Fazer tempo sounds like you are literally creating weather or a long period of history. It doesn't work for waiting. Stick to hora! Also, remember that fazer is irregular. Don't say eu fazo hora; it's eu faço hora. Even the clock won't respect you if you mess up that conjugation.

If you want to spice things up, you can use passar o tempo (to pass the time). It’s a bit more neutral and less 'Brazilian' in flavor. There is also enrolar, which means to stall or procrastinate. While fazer hora is usually about waiting for something else, enrolar is about actively avoiding a task. In sports, you might hear fazer cera, which is the slang for a goalkeeper taking forever to kick the ball just to let the clock run out. That’s the competitive version of fazer hora. If you're doing it at a party because you're too shy to talk to anyone, you're fazendo parede (being a wallflower), which is a different kind of time-making entirely.

The most common variation is fazer uma horinha. Adding the diminutive -inha makes it sound even more relaxed and 'quick'. It implies you won't be long. "Vou fazer uma horinha aqui no bar." Another variation is fazer hora extra. This literally means 'to work overtime,' but sometimes people use it jokingly to say they are staying somewhere longer than they should. In some regions, you might hear fazer cera used interchangeably in a work context. But for 90% of your life, the standard fazer hora is your best friend. It’s like the 'basic white tee' of Portuguese expressions—it goes with everything.