setecentos

§ What does 'setecentos' mean and when do people use it?

Definition

'Setecentos' is the Portuguese word for the number 700. It's a determiner, meaning it clarifies or specifies a noun. You'll use it anytime you need to express the quantity of seven hundred of something. Like in English, it's a common number for counting, stating prices, giving dates, or describing quantities.

When you're learning Portuguese, getting comfortable with numbers is essential. 'Setecentos' is straightforward because, unlike some other numbers, it doesn't change based on the gender of the noun it modifies. This makes it a bit easier to use once you know it. You'll hear and use 'setecentos' in a variety of everyday situations, from talking about money to describing distances or population figures. For example, if you're discussing a price of 700 euros, you'd say 'setecentos euros.' If you're talking about 700 people, it would be 'setecentas pessoas' – wait, I said it doesn't change for gender. That's true for most numbers, but 'setecentos' actually DOES change slightly for gender. My apologies! Let's correct that right now.

The number 700 in Portuguese is 'setecentos' for masculine nouns and 'setecentas' for feminine nouns. This is a crucial detail to remember! Many numbers in Portuguese are invariable (they don't change), but numbers ending in '-centos' (like 'duzentos', 'trezentos', etc.) and 'milhares' (thousands) do agree in gender with the noun they modify. So, if you're talking about 700 books (books are masculine in Portuguese – 'livros'), you would say 'setecentos livros'. If you're talking about 700 houses (houses are feminine – 'casas'), you would say 'setecentas casas'. This gender agreement is super important for sounding natural and correct in Portuguese.

As you can see, the ending changes from '-os' to '-as' to match the gender. This is a common pattern you'll see with numbers ending in 'hundreds' in Portuguese. It's not a difficult rule, but it's one that learners often overlook at first. Paying attention to this detail will really improve your fluency.

So, when do people use it? Any time the quantity 700 comes up! Here are some common contexts:

• Prices and Money: 'O carro custa setecentos euros.' (The car costs seven hundred euros.)
• Quantities of items: 'Eu preciso de setecentas cópias.' (I need seven hundred copies.)
• Time or Dates: 'O evento começou em setecentos e cinquenta.' (The event started in seven hundred and fifty.) Though for years, usually 'mil setecentos e cinquenta' (one thousand seven hundred and fifty).
• Distances: 'A cidade fica a setecentos quilómetros daqui.' (The city is seven hundred kilometers from here.)
• Counts of people or things: 'Setecentos alunos se inscreveram.' (Seven hundred students registered.)

Remember that 'setecentos' (and 'setecentas') is specifically for 700. If you need to say 701, 702, etc., you'll combine 'setecentos/setecentas' with the other number, typically using 'e' (and). For example, 'setecentos e um' (seven hundred and one, masculine) or 'setecentas e uma' (seven hundred and one, feminine). This structure is very similar to English, which makes it easier to grasp once you have the base number down.

Mastering numbers is a fundamental step in any language. 'Setecentos' is a key number to add to your Portuguese vocabulary, and once you get the hang of its gender agreement, you'll be using it correctly and confidently in no time.

§ What does "setecentos" mean?

Portuguese Word

setecentos (determiner)

CEFR Level

A2

Definition

The number 700.

§ How to use "setecentos" in a sentence

"Setecentos" means 700. It's a straightforward number, but like many numbers in Portuguese, it has a masculine and feminine form when used with nouns. This is important to remember for correct agreement.

The masculine form is setecentos and the feminine form is setecentas. You use the masculine form when referring to masculine nouns, and the feminine form for feminine nouns.

Here, "livros" (books) is a masculine plural noun, so we use "setecentos".

In this example, "flores" (flowers) is a feminine plural noun, so we use "setecentas".

§ When to use masculine vs. feminine

The general rule is to match the gender of the noun it's describing. If the noun is implied or not explicitly stated, you often default to the masculine form.

"Alunos" is masculine, so "setecentos" is used.

Here, "gramas" is a feminine noun, so "setecentas" is used. Even though it's about weight, the noun itself is feminine.

§ Common phrases and contexts

You'll use "setecentos" (or "setecentas") whenever you need to express the quantity 700. This could be for counting objects, referring to money, distances, or time.

• Counting objects:

  Eles precisam de setecentas cadeiras para o evento. (They need 700 chairs for the event.)

• Money:

  O aluguel custa setecentos euros por mês. (The rent costs 700 euros per month.)

• Distances:

  A cidade fica a setecentos quilómetros daqui. (The city is 700 kilometers from here.)

In general, when expressing numbers, pay attention to the gender of the noun that follows or is being referred to. For numbers ending in "00", like "setecentos", the entire word changes gender. For numbers like 701, only the part representing the hundreds and the last digit change. For instance, "setecentos e um" (masculine, e.g., 701 homens - 701 men) and "setecentas e uma" (feminine, e.g., 701 mulheres - 701 women).

§ What 'setecentos' Means

Definition

The number 700.

Learning numbers in Portuguese is key for everyday communication. Setecentos is straightforward: it means exactly 700. Like in English, you'll use it when counting, talking about quantities, or discussing prices and years. Pay attention to how it changes slightly depending on the gender of the noun it modifies. While setecentos itself is masculine, it can become setecentas when referring to feminine nouns. We'll look at that more.

§ Examples of 'setecentos' in Use

Here are some common situations where you'll encounter setecentos.

• Counting and Quantities:

• Prices and Money:

• Years and Dates:

§ Where You'll Hear 'setecentos'

You will regularly hear and use setecentos in many real-world contexts:

• Work: If you're in business, finance, or sales, you'll use it to talk about quantities of products, sales figures, budgets, or even the number of employees. For instance, a manager might say, “Vendemos quase setecentos itens neste mês.” (We sold almost 700 items this month.) Or, when discussing a report, “O documento tem mais de setecentas páginas.” (The document has over 700 pages.)
• School: In an academic setting, setecentos comes up in history classes when discussing dates, or in math when dealing with larger numbers. A history teacher might mention, “Este período histórico começou há mais de setecentos anos.” (This historical period began over 700 years ago.) You might also hear it in reference to page numbers in textbooks, like “Por favor, leiam até a página setecentos.” (Please read up to page 700.)
• News: The news often uses large numbers to describe events, statistics, or populations. You might hear about “mais de setecentos milhões de dólares” (over 700 million dollars) in a financial report, or “a população atingiu setecentos mil habitantes” (the population reached 700 thousand inhabitants) in a local news segment. When reporting on incidents, a journalist could say, “Mais de setecentas árvores foram plantadas.” (More than 700 trees were planted.)
• Everyday Conversations: Even in casual talk, you'll use setecentos when talking about distances, large groups of people, or general quantities. For example, “A distância até lá é de uns setecentos quilômetros.” (The distance there is about 700 kilometers.) Or, when describing a large gathering, “Havia mais de setecentas pessoas no concerto.” (There were over 700 people at the concert.)

§ Common Mistakes with 'Setecentos'

When you're learning Portuguese, numbers can sometimes be tricky. Even a seemingly straightforward number like 'setecentos' (700) can lead to a few common mistakes. Let's look at what these are and how to avoid them.

§ Mistake 1: Forgetting Agreement

One of the biggest mistakes English speakers make is forgetting that numbers in Portuguese often need to agree in gender with the noun they modify. While 'setecentos' itself doesn't change for gender, the hundreds that follow it (like 'duzentos', 'trezentos', etc.) do. This can lead to confusion if you're not paying attention to the noun.

Incorrect

Tenho setecentas livros. (I have 700 books.)

'Livros' is masculine, so 'setecentas' is incorrect here. The correct form is 'setecentos'.

§ Mistake 2: Confusing 'Setecentos' with 'Setenta'

This is a common auditory mistake. 'Setecentos' (700) and 'setenta' (70) sound somewhat similar, especially to new learners. It's crucial to pronounce them clearly and listen carefully in conversation.

Incorrect

Ela pagou setenta euros pelo casaco, mas era setecentos. (She paid 70 euros for the coat, but it was 700.)

In this scenario, 'setenta' would drastically change the meaning. Be precise.

§ Mistake 3: Incorrect Spelling/Hyphenation

While 'setecentos' is a single word, some learners might try to split it or hyphenate it incorrectly, especially if they are thinking about how numbers are constructed in English (e.g., 'seven hundred').

Incorrect

Ele tem sete-centos anos. (He is seven-hundred years old.)

This is not how 'setecentos' is written.

§ Mistake 4: Literal Translation from English

Sometimes learners try to translate "seven hundred" too literally, which doesn't work in Portuguese. You might think of "sete" (seven) and "cem" (hundred) and try to combine them in a way that doesn't exist.

Incorrect

Eles compraram sete cem flores. (They bought seven hundred flowers.)

This isn't grammatically correct in Portuguese.

§ Summary of Key Points

• Pay close attention to gender agreement for numbers ending in -centos/-centas.
• Distinguish 'setecentos' (700) from 'setenta' (70) in pronunciation and listening.
• Remember that 'setecentos' is a single word, not hyphenated or split.
• Avoid direct, word-for-word translation of numbers from English.

By keeping these points in mind, you'll be much more accurate when using 'setecentos' and other numbers in Portuguese. Practice makes perfect!