Friday in Portuguese: sexta-feira
Pronounced SES-tah FAY-rah (BR) / SAYSH-tah (PT) — literally “sixth (market) day”.
Friday in Portuguese at a Glance
| Portuguese word | sexta-feira |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | SES-tah FAY-rah (BR) / SAYSH-tah (PT) (sex·ta-fei·ra) |
| Literal meaning | sixth (market) day |
| Abbreviation | sex. / 6ª |
Literally “sixth feira”. Venus's day in Spanish (viernes) and French (vendredi) became a simple number in Portuguese — though Sexta-feira Santa (Good Friday) keeps its full ceremony.
How to Pronounce sexta-feira
SES-tah FAY-rah (BR) / SAYSH-tah (PT) — syllable by syllable: sex·ta-fei·ra.
- In Brazilian Portuguese, final unstressed o sounds like “oo” (sábado ≈ “SAH-bah-doo”).
- The -eira ending sounds like “AY-rah”.
- European Portuguese swallows unstressed vowels more than Brazilian — both pronunciations are shown where they differ.
Example Sentences with sexta-feira
How to Say “Happy Friday” in Portuguese
“Boa sexta-feira!” is a standard friendly wish in Brazil and Portugal — on Fridays Brazilians are more likely to simply post “Sextou!”.
All 7 Days of the Week in Portuguese
Portuguese is the only major European language that numbers its weekdays: Monday through Friday are literally the “second” through “sixth” days (segunda- to sexta-feira). The naming goes back to the 6th-century bishop Martin of Braga, who refused to keep the pagan god names — and won, but only in Portuguese.
| English | Portuguese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | segunda-feira | seh-GOON-dah FAY-rah |
| Tuesday | terça-feira | TEHR-sah FAY-rah |
| Wednesday | quarta-feira | KWAR-tah FAY-rah |
| Thursday | quinta-feira | KEEN-tah FAY-rah |
| Friday | sexta-feira | SES-tah FAY-rah (BR) / SAYSH-tah (PT) |
| Saturday | sábado | SAH-bah-doo |
| Sunday | domingo | doh-MEEN-goo |
See the full guide: Days of the Week in Portuguese.
Cultural Notes: Friday in Portuguese-Speaking Countries
“Sextou!” — roughly “It's Friday, let's go!” — is one of Brazil's favorite words, posted millions of times every sexta. The x in sexta sounds like s in Brazil and sh in Portugal.
Did You Know?
Literally “sixth feira”. Venus's day in Spanish (viernes) and French (vendredi) became a simple number in Portuguese — though Sexta-feira Santa (Good Friday) keeps its full ceremony. Curious how English got its name for Friday? See our guide to the origins of the days of the week.
How to Use sexta-feira in a Sentence
Use na/no for “on”: na sexta-feira = on Friday. For “every Friday” use às sextas-feiras. In everyday speech the “-feira” is usually dropped: “sexta” is completely natural.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Friday in Portuguese?
Friday in Portuguese is sexta-feira, pronounced “SES-tah FAY-rah (BR) / SAYSH-tah (PT)”. It literally means “sixth (market) day”.
What does sexta-feira mean in English?
Literally “sixth feira”. Venus's day in Spanish (viernes) and French (vendredi) became a simple number in Portuguese — though Sexta-feira Santa (Good Friday) keeps its full ceremony.
How do you pronounce sexta-feira?
It's pronounced “SES-tah FAY-rah (BR) / SAYSH-tah (PT)” — broken into syllables: sex·ta-fei·ra.
Is sexta-feira capitalized in Portuguese?
Portuguese weekday names are lowercase: sexta-feira, not Sexta-feira (except at the start of a sentence). In informal writing you'll often see the numeric shorthand instead — sex. / 6ª.
How do you say “Happy Friday” in Portuguese?
Boa sexta-feira!. “Boa sexta-feira!” is a standard friendly wish in Brazil and Portugal — on Fridays Brazilians are more likely to simply post “Sextou!”.
How is Friday abbreviated in Portuguese?
Friday (sexta-feira) is abbreviated sex. / 6ª on Portuguese calendars and schedules.
Why is Friday called “sixth” in Portuguese?
Portuguese counts its days from Sunday (day one), following the 6th-century reform of Martin of Braga, who replaced the pagan planetary names with church Latin numbers. That's why Monday is segunda (2nd) and Friday is sexta (6th).
Can I just say “sexta”?
Yes — dropping “-feira” is completely normal in speech and informal writing: “Te vejo na sexta” (see you on Friday). The numeric shorthand 6ª is also common in schedules.
How do you say “today is Friday” in Portuguese?
Hoje é sexta-feira.