Por Hora vs. Por Ora: Per Hour or For Now — 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.
Use por hora for a rate
Por hora means ‘per hour’ when you describe a rate, price, wage, or speed measured over each hour. Here hora is the time unit. Add the rate or quantity that applies to one hour.
A simple check is to replace por hora with a cada hora (each hour). If the sentence still expresses a repeated or hourly rate, write the two words separately.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| O estacionamento custa quinze reais por hora. | Parking costs fifteen reais per hour. |
| A máquina imprime cinquenta páginas por hora. | The machine prints fifty pages per hour. |
| Ela recebe por hora, não por projeto. | She is paid by the hour, not by project. |
Use por ora for ‘for now’
Por ora means ‘for now,’ ‘for the moment,’ or ‘at present.’ It describes a temporary state or decision rather than a rate. The expression is a little more formal than por enquanto, which is common in everyday conversation.
If you can replace the phrase with por enquanto, use por ora. Keep the words separate in both expressions.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Por ora, vamos manter o plano atual. | For now, we’ll keep the current plan. |
| Não precisamos de mais informações por ora. | We don’t need more information for the moment. |
| Por enquanto, vou trabalhar de casa. | For now, I’m going to work from home. |
Remember: Use por hora for something measured per hour. Use por ora for a temporary situation or ‘for now.’
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.
Parking costs fifteen reais per hour.
Show a Portuguese answer
O estacionamento custa quinze reais por hora.
The machine prints fifty pages per hour.
Show a Portuguese answer
A máquina imprime cinquenta páginas por hora.
She is paid by the hour, not by project.
Show a Portuguese answer
Ela recebe por hora, não por projeto.
For now, we’ll keep the current plan.
Show a Portuguese answer
Por ora, vamos manter o plano atual.
We don’t need more information for the moment.
Show a Portuguese answer
Não precisamos de mais informações por ora.
For now, I’m going to work from home.
Show a Portuguese answer
Por enquanto, vou trabalhar de casa.
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.
Use por hora for something measured per hour. Use por ora for a temporary situation or ‘for now.’
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 Por Hora vs. Por Ora: Per Hour or For Now? 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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