How to Use Até in Brazilian Portuguese: Until, Even, and More
Até can mark an endpoint, include an unexpected example, or appear in common expressions such as até amanhã.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Before a time or place, até often means “until” or “as far as.” It marks the endpoint of an action, a trip, or a time period.
Use até to mark an endpoint
Compare the endpoint with the starting point: de… até… means “from… to…” and helps you describe a schedule or route.
Vou trabalhar até as seis.
I’m going to work until six.
A gente caminhou até a praça.
We walked as far as the square.
O ônibus funciona de segunda até sábado.
The bus runs from Monday through Saturday.
Use até to add an unexpected example
Before a person, place, or action, até can mean “even.” The speaker uses it to point to something surprising, unusually far-reaching, or beyond what you might expect.
The emphasis is often in the voice. In writing, the sentence around até shows which example the speaker considers noteworthy.
Até meu vizinho veio à festa.
Even my neighbor came to the party.
Ela fala até japonês.
She even speaks Japanese.
Todo mundo ajudou, até o gerente.
Everyone helped, even the manager.
Learn common phrases with até
Até appears in everyday goodbyes such as até amanhã (see you tomorrow) and até mais (see you later). Here it points toward the next time you expect to meet.
It also appears in até agora (so far), até aqui (up to here), and até onde eu sei (as far as I know). Learn these as useful chunks, then notice the endpoint idea they share.
Até amanhã!
See you tomorrow!
Até agora, está tudo certo.
So far, everything is fine.
Até onde eu sei, a loja fecha às nove.
As far as I know, the store closes at nine.
Put it into practice
Look at what follows até: a time or place often marks an endpoint, while a surprising example often means “even.”
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “As far as I know, the store closes at nine”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
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