Portuguese · Time, Numbers & Colors

"Day" in Portuguese: dia

o dia

Say it: JEE-ahmasculine · o dianoun/ˈdʒia/

Day in Portuguese is o dia. It is masculine even though it ends in -a: o dia, um dia. You will hear bom dia every morning, and todo dia for every day.

Planning work

Qual dia você prefere para a reunião?
Which day do you prefer for the meeting?
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How to pronounce dia

Say it

JEE-ah

/ˈdʒia/

JEE-ah in Brazil (the d before i often sounds like a soft j). Stress the first syllable lightly: DEE-ah works as a learner cue too.

"Day" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
o diathe day

Default noun for day.

bom diagood morning

Morning greeting until around noon.

todo diaevery day

Habits and routines.

um dia dessesone of these days

Vague future plans.

de diaduring the day / by day

Contrast with de noite.

How to use dia in real life

  1. 1Planning work

    Qual dia você prefere para a reunião?

    Which day do you prefer for the meeting?

    Qual dia asks for a calendar day.

  2. 2Talking habits

    Eu corro no parque todo dia.

    I run in the park every day.

    Todo dia marks a daily habit.

  3. 3Weather chat

    Que dia quente, né?

    What a hot day, right?

    Que dia + adjective is a common reaction.

Mistakes English speakers make with dia

Incorrect: a dia linda

Correct: o dia lindo

Dia is masculine: o dia, um dia, despite the -a ending.

Incorrect: Bom dia à noite

Correct: Boa noite

Bom dia is only for morning. Evening uses boa noite.

Good to know

Bom dia is social glue in Brazil: shops, elevators, and WhatsApp threads open with it. People also stretch o dia into soft plans—um dia desses—without locking a date, which keeps conversations friendly and flexible.

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Choosing a day for a picnic

  1. ChatPal

    Que dia fica melhor para o piquenique?

    Which day works better for the picnic?

  2. You

    Sábado é o dia perfeito para mim.

    Saturday is the perfect day for me.

  3. ChatPal

    Combinado. Se chover, mudamos de dia.

    Deal. If it rains, we'll change the day.

  4. You

    Beleza. Te aviso cedo nesse dia.

    Cool. I'll let you know early that day.

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"Day" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Day" in Portuguese

Why is it o dia, not a dia?

Dia is one of the masculine nouns that end in -a. Memorise o dia and um dia as fixed pairs.

How do I say have a nice day?

Tenha um bom dia! or simply Bom dia! as you leave in the morning.

What is the plural of dia?

Os dias. Example: Nos outros dias eu trabalho em casa.

Is dia the same as date?

Dia is day. For a calendar date, Brazilians often say a data or ask Que dia é hoje?

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