Numbers in Portuguese: Counting, Prices, and Useful Patterns — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Learn zero through ten as a first set
Start with the numbers you will hear most often: zero, um, dois, três, quatro, cinco, seis, sete, oito, nove, and dez. Say them aloud while counting familiar objects, then practice hearing them in short questions. The accent marks in words such as três are part of the spelling and help you remember the correct written form.
The form of um and dois can change with the noun: uma casa, dois livros, duas mesas. Numbers are easier to use when you practice them inside useful phrases rather than reciting a list alone.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| um café | one coffee |
| duas passagens | two tickets |
| três pessoas | three people |
Build eleven through nineteen and the tens
Learn onze, doze, treze, quatorze, quinze, dezesseis, dezessete, dezoito, and dezenove as a group. Spellings and number forms can differ between Portuguese-speaking countries; these are common Brazilian forms. Listening to prices, ages, and addresses helps you recognize them at natural speed.
The main tens are vinte, trinta, quarenta, cinquenta, sessenta, setenta, oitenta, and noventa. Portuguese usually joins a ten and a unit with e (and): vinte e um, trinta e dois, quarenta e três.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| dezesseis alunos | sixteen students |
| vinte e um reais | twenty-one reais |
| trinta e cinco anos | thirty-five years |
Practice prices and quantities you may need in Brazil
Brazilian currency is the real (plural reais), written R$ before an amount. In speech, people commonly say the number followed by reais or centavos. For example, R$ 8,50 is oito reais e cinquenta centavos; in casual conversation someone may shorten the amount when the context is clear.
If you do not catch a price, ask the person to repeat it slowly or show it to you. Numbers spoken quickly can blend together, and asking for clarification is a practical communication skill—not a failure.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Quanto custa? Custa vinte e quatro reais. | How much does it cost? It costs twenty-four reais. |
| São oito reais e cinquenta centavos. | It is eight reais and fifty centavos. |
| Você pode repetir o preço, por favor? | Could you repeat the price, please? |
Use a five-minute routine to remember numbers
Choose one set at a time: zero to ten, eleven to nineteen, or the tens. Read the numbers, cover the list, and say them from memory. Then use three of them in a real sentence about a price, an age, a time, or a quantity.
For listening practice, play a short Brazilian recording and write the number you hear before checking it. Repeat with a new clip. This trains your ear to recognize the sound of the whole number, not just its written appearance.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Tenho vinte e oito anos. | I am twenty-eight years old. |
| A mesa para quatro pessoas está pronta. | The table for four people is ready. |
| O ônibus sai às sete e dez. | The bus leaves at seven ten. |
Remember: Practice one number set, then say a price and ask someone to repeat it. Listen to natural numbers with Real Life Portuguese and use I Speak Portuguese lessons to practice prices, ages, and quantities in a role-play.
Check your understanding
Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.
Recall the Portuguese, then say it
Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.
one coffee
Show a Portuguese answer
um café
two tickets
Show a Portuguese answer
duas passagens
three people
Show a Portuguese answer
três pessoas
sixteen students
Show a Portuguese answer
dezesseis alunos
twenty-one reais
Show a Portuguese answer
vinte e um reais
thirty-five years
Show a Portuguese answer
trinta e cinco anos
Make the phrase useful to you
Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.
Practice one number set, then say a price and ask someone to repeat it. Listen to natural numbers with Real Life Portuguese and use I Speak Portuguese lessons to practice prices, ages, and quantities in a role-play.
Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.
Sources and your next lesson
This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Numbers in Portuguese: Counting, Prices, and Useful Patterns lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.
To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.
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