Thursday in Portuguese: quinta-feira
Pronounced KEEN-tah FAY-rah — literally “fifth (market) day”.
Thursday in Portuguese at a Glance
| Portuguese word | quinta-feira |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | KEEN-tah FAY-rah (quin·ta-fei·ra) |
| Literal meaning | fifth (market) day |
| Abbreviation | qui. / 5ª |
Literally “fifth feira”. While English Thursday honors Thor and Spanish jueves honors Jupiter, Portuguese counts: Sunday (1), Monday (2), Tuesday (3), Wednesday (4), Thursday (5).
How to Pronounce quinta-feira
KEEN-tah FAY-rah — syllable by syllable: quin·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 quinta-feira
How to Say “Happy Thursday” in Portuguese
“Boa quinta-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: Thursday in Portuguese-Speaking Countries
Shortened to quinta in speech — not to be confused with uma quinta, which in Portugal means a farm or wine estate (as on Port wine labels: Quinta do Noval). Context makes it obvious.
Did You Know?
Literally “fifth feira”. While English Thursday honors Thor and Spanish jueves honors Jupiter, Portuguese counts: Sunday (1), Monday (2), Tuesday (3), Wednesday (4), Thursday (5). Curious how English got its name for Thursday? See our guide to the origins of the days of the week.
How to Use quinta-feira in a Sentence
Use na/no for “on”: na quinta-feira = on Thursday. For “every Thursday” use às quintas-feiras. In everyday speech the “-feira” is usually dropped: “quinta” is completely natural.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Thursday in Portuguese?
Thursday in Portuguese is quinta-feira, pronounced “KEEN-tah FAY-rah”. It literally means “fifth (market) day”.
What does quinta-feira mean in English?
Literally “fifth feira”. While English Thursday honors Thor and Spanish jueves honors Jupiter, Portuguese counts: Sunday (1), Monday (2), Tuesday (3), Wednesday (4), Thursday (5).
How do you pronounce quinta-feira?
It's pronounced “KEEN-tah FAY-rah” — broken into syllables: quin·ta-fei·ra.
Is quinta-feira capitalized in Portuguese?
Portuguese weekday names are lowercase: quinta-feira, not Quinta-feira (except at the start of a sentence). In informal writing you'll often see the numeric shorthand instead — qui. / 5ª.
How do you say “Happy Thursday” in Portuguese?
Boa quinta-feira!. “Boa quinta-feira!” is a standard friendly wish in Brazil and Portugal — on Fridays Brazilians are more likely to simply post “Sextou!”.
How is Thursday abbreviated in Portuguese?
Thursday (quinta-feira) is abbreviated qui. / 5ª on Portuguese calendars and schedules.
Why is Thursday called “fifth” 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 “quinta”?
Yes — dropping “-feira” is completely normal in speech and informal writing: “Te vejo na quinta” (see you on Thursday). The numeric shorthand 5ª is also common in schedules.
How do you say “today is Thursday” in Portuguese?
Hoje é quinta-feira.