Wednesday in Portuguese: quarta-feira
Pronounced KWAR-tah FAY-rah — literally “fourth (market) day”.
Wednesday in Portuguese at a Glance
| Portuguese word | quarta-feira |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | KWAR-tah FAY-rah (quar·ta-fei·ra) |
| Literal meaning | fourth (market) day |
| Abbreviation | qua. / 4ª |
Literally “fourth feira”, counting from Sunday as day one. Feria in Church Latin meant a weekday free of feasts; in Portuguese, feira also came to mean “street market” — which still sets up weekly in many neighborhoods.
How to Pronounce quarta-feira
KWAR-tah FAY-rah — syllable by syllable: quar·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 quarta-feira
How to Say “Happy Wednesday” in Portuguese
“Boa quarta-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: Wednesday in Portuguese-Speaking Countries
Quarta-feira de Cinzas (Ash Wednesday) officially ends Carnaval in Brazil — the most famous quarta of the year. Mid-week football (“futebol de quarta”) is a Brazilian TV tradition.
Did You Know?
Literally “fourth feira”, counting from Sunday as day one. Feria in Church Latin meant a weekday free of feasts; in Portuguese, feira also came to mean “street market” — which still sets up weekly in many neighborhoods. Curious how English got its name for Wednesday? See our guide to the origins of the days of the week.
How to Use quarta-feira in a Sentence
Use na/no for “on”: na quarta-feira = on Wednesday. For “every Wednesday” use às quartas-feiras. In everyday speech the “-feira” is usually dropped: “quarta” is completely natural.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say Wednesday in Portuguese?
Wednesday in Portuguese is quarta-feira, pronounced “KWAR-tah FAY-rah”. It literally means “fourth (market) day”.
What does quarta-feira mean in English?
Literally “fourth feira”, counting from Sunday as day one. Feria in Church Latin meant a weekday free of feasts; in Portuguese, feira also came to mean “street market” — which still sets up weekly in many neighborhoods.
How do you pronounce quarta-feira?
It's pronounced “KWAR-tah FAY-rah” — broken into syllables: quar·ta-fei·ra.
Is quarta-feira capitalized in Portuguese?
Portuguese weekday names are lowercase: quarta-feira, not Quarta-feira (except at the start of a sentence). In informal writing you'll often see the numeric shorthand instead — qua. / 4ª.
How do you say “Happy Wednesday” in Portuguese?
Boa quarta-feira!. “Boa quarta-feira!” is a standard friendly wish in Brazil and Portugal — on Fridays Brazilians are more likely to simply post “Sextou!”.
How is Wednesday abbreviated in Portuguese?
Wednesday (quarta-feira) is abbreviated qua. / 4ª on Portuguese calendars and schedules.
Why is Wednesday called “fourth” 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 “quarta”?
Yes — dropping “-feira” is completely normal in speech and informal writing: “Te vejo na quarta” (see you on Wednesday). The numeric shorthand 4ª is also common in schedules.
How do you say “today is Wednesday” in Portuguese?
Hoje é quarta-feira.