Tuesday in Portuguese: terça-feira
Pronounced TEHR-sah FAY-rah — literally “third (market) day”.
Tuesday in Portuguese at a Glance
| Portuguese word | terça-feira |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | TEHR-sah FAY-rah (ter·ça-fei·ra) |
| Literal meaning | third (market) day |
| Abbreviation | ter. / 3ª |
Literally “third feira” — counting from Sunday. The ç (c-cedilla) sounds like s. Where Spanish kept Mars (martes), Portuguese went with the church's neutral number.
How to Pronounce terça-feira
TEHR-sah FAY-rah — syllable by syllable: ter·ça-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 terça-feira
How to Say “Happy Tuesday” in Portuguese
“Boa terça-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: Tuesday in Portuguese-Speaking Countries
Brazil's Carnaval climaxes on terça-feira gorda (“Fat Tuesday”) — the same Mardi Gras the French named, renumbered the Portuguese way. In conversation it's simply terça.
Did You Know?
Literally “third feira” — counting from Sunday. The ç (c-cedilla) sounds like s. Where Spanish kept Mars (martes), Portuguese went with the church's neutral number. Curious how English got its name for Tuesday? See our guide to the origins of the days of the week.
How to Use terça-feira in a Sentence
Use na/no for “on”: na terça-feira = on Tuesday. For “every Tuesday” use às terças-feiras. In everyday speech the “-feira” is usually dropped: “terça” is completely natural.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Tuesday in Portuguese?
Tuesday in Portuguese is terça-feira, pronounced “TEHR-sah FAY-rah”. It literally means “third (market) day”.
What does terça-feira mean in English?
Literally “third feira” — counting from Sunday. The ç (c-cedilla) sounds like s. Where Spanish kept Mars (martes), Portuguese went with the church's neutral number.
How do you pronounce terça-feira?
It's pronounced “TEHR-sah FAY-rah” — broken into syllables: ter·ça-fei·ra.
Is terça-feira capitalized in Portuguese?
Portuguese weekday names are lowercase: terça-feira, not Terça-feira (except at the start of a sentence). In informal writing you'll often see the numeric shorthand instead — ter. / 3ª.
How do you say “Happy Tuesday” in Portuguese?
Boa terça-feira!. “Boa terça-feira!” is a standard friendly wish in Brazil and Portugal — on Fridays Brazilians are more likely to simply post “Sextou!”.
How is Tuesday abbreviated in Portuguese?
Tuesday (terça-feira) is abbreviated ter. / 3ª on Portuguese calendars and schedules.
Why is Tuesday called “third” 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 “terça”?
Yes — dropping “-feira” is completely normal in speech and informal writing: “Te vejo na terça” (see you on Tuesday). The numeric shorthand 3ª is also common in schedules.
How do you say “today is Tuesday” in Portuguese?
Hoje é terça-feira.