Saturday in Portuguese: sábado
Pronounced SAH-bah-doo — literally “Sabbath day”.
Saturday in Portuguese at a Glance
| Portuguese word | sábado |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | SAH-bah-doo (sá·ba·do) |
| Literal meaning | Sabbath day |
| Abbreviation | sáb. |
From Latin sabbatum — the Hebrew Sabbath. The numbering stops at the weekend: Saturday and Sunday kept their ancient religious names even in Martin of Braga's reform.
How to Pronounce sábado
SAH-bah-doo — syllable by syllable: sá·ba·do.
- 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 sábado
How to Say “Happy Saturday” in Portuguese
“Bom sábado!” 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: Saturday in Portuguese-Speaking Countries
Note the gender switch: it's no sábado (masculine), not na — the “-feira” days are feminine but sábado is masculine. Saturday is feijoada day in many Brazilian homes and restaurants.
Did You Know?
From Latin sabbatum — the Hebrew Sabbath. The numbering stops at the weekend: Saturday and Sunday kept their ancient religious names even in Martin of Braga's reform. Curious how English got its name for Saturday? See our guide to the origins of the days of the week.
How to Use sábado in a Sentence
Use na/no for “on”: no sábado = on Saturday. For “every Saturday” use aos sábados. In everyday speech the “-feira” is usually dropped: “sábado” is completely natural.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Saturday in Portuguese?
Saturday in Portuguese is sábado, pronounced “SAH-bah-doo”. It literally means “Sabbath day”.
What does sábado mean in English?
From Latin sabbatum — the Hebrew Sabbath. The numbering stops at the weekend: Saturday and Sunday kept their ancient religious names even in Martin of Braga's reform.
How do you pronounce sábado?
It's pronounced “SAH-bah-doo” — broken into syllables: sá·ba·do.
Is sábado capitalized in Portuguese?
Portuguese weekday names are lowercase: sábado, not Sábado (except at the start of a sentence). In informal writing you'll often see the numeric shorthand instead — sáb..
How do you say “Happy Saturday” in Portuguese?
Bom sábado!. “Bom sábado!” is a standard friendly wish in Brazil and Portugal — on Fridays Brazilians are more likely to simply post “Sextou!”.
How is Saturday abbreviated in Portuguese?
Saturday (sábado) is abbreviated sáb. on Portuguese calendars and schedules.
Why doesn't sábado end in -feira?
Only Monday through Friday use the numbered -feira names. Sábado kept its ancient religious name — Sabbath day — even when the weekdays were renumbered.
Is sábado masculine or feminine?
Masculine: no sábado, aos sábados — unlike the feminine -feira weekdays, which take na and às.
How do you say “today is Saturday” in Portuguese?
Hoje é sábado.