Numbers in Portuguese: Counting, Prices, and Useful Patterns
Learn numbers in small groups, notice how Portuguese joins tens and units, and practice hearing prices in everyday Brazilian situations.
Real Life Portuguese · 8 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
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.
Learn zero through ten as a first set
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Put it into practice
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.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “thirty-five years”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.