Evening Plans: Understanding 9 Pm In Portugal

Portugal has two time zones and observes daylight saving time. Most of Portugal, including the capital Lisbon, uses the time zone UTC+00:00, also known as Western European Time (WET). The Portuguese islands of the Azores use the time zone UTC-01:00. From the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October, most of Portugal observes daylight saving time and moves to UTC+01:00, while the Azores move to UTC+00:00. In Portugal, the 24-hour clock is typically used in formal contexts. So, if you're in Lisbon or elsewhere in mainland Portugal, 2100 is 21:00 or 9:00 pm in the evening. If you're in the Azores, 2100 is 20:00 or 8:00 pm in the evening.

Portugal's time zones

Portugal has two time zones:

Mainland Portugal and Madeira

This region follows Western European Time (WET), which is UTC+00:00. This means that during the winter months, it is the same time as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

The Azores

The Azores, a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, follow Azores Time (AZOT), which is UTC-01:00. This means that the time in the Azores is one hour behind the main part of Portugal.

Daylight Saving Time

Portugal observes Daylight Saving Time (DST), also known locally as "Hora de Verão" or "summer time". During DST, clocks are advanced by one hour. DST begins on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October.

During DST, Mainland Portugal and Madeira switch to Western European Summer Time (WEST), UTC+01:00, while the Azores switch to Azores Summer Time (AZOST), UTC+00:00.

So, to answer your question, 21:00 in Portugal would be 20:00 in the Azores, as the Azores are one hour behind the mainland.

Daylight saving time in Portugal

Portugal has two time zones and observes daylight saving time. In 2025, the clocks go forward by one hour at 1:00 am on Sunday, March 30, marking the start of daylight saving time. This date falls around the time that Portugal usually switches to summer time, which is on the last Sunday in March.

During daylight saving time, Continental Portugal and Madeira use UTC+01:00, while the Azores use UTC+00:00. This is one hour ahead of their usual time zones.

On Sunday, October 26, 2025, at 2:00 am, the clocks will go back one hour to mark the end of daylight saving time. This will be the last Sunday in October, which is usually when DST ends in Portugal.

Telling the time in Portuguese

Portugal has two time zones and observes daylight saving time. Continental Portugal and Madeira use UTC+00:00, while the Azores use UTC–01:00. Portuguese is a Romance language spoken in Portugal, Brazil, and several other countries.

Asking for the Time

To ask for the time in Portuguese, you can say:

• "Que horas são?"
• "Por favor, que horas são?"
• "Você tem horas?"
• "Que horas tens (ou você tem)?"
• "Tem horas que me diga?"

Telling the Time

When telling the time, you first say the hour number, then "e", and finally, the minute number. For example:

• "São dez e vinte." (It's ten twenty)
• "São cinco e meia." (It's five thirty)

For "sharp", you can say:

• "São sete horas." (It's 7 o'clock)
• "São sete horas em ponto." (It's 7:00 am sharp)

To specify "am" or "pm", use the expressions "da manhã", "da tarde", or "da noite". For example:

• "Cinco da manhã." (5 AM)
• "Três da tarde." (3 PM)
• "Sete da noite." (7 PM)

If you want to express that an event occurs at a precise time, use the preposition "às" (at):

"A cerimônia começa às 9:00." (The ceremony starts at nine o'clock)

For midnight and midday, you can say:

• "É meia-noite." (It's midnight)
• "É meio-dia." (It's noon)

Subdivisions of the Hour

To refer to the other minutes in the hour, there are different expressions:

• "e" or "e meia" – meaning "and" or "and a half"
• "para a" or "para as" – meaning "until", used for referring to 1 in the morning or afternoon, it's singular, and for any other hour, it's plural
• "meia" – meaning "half"
• "um quarto" – meaning "a quarter"
• "São três horas e quinze." (It's quarter past three)
• "São três horas e quarenta e cinco." (It's quarter to four)
• "São três horas e meia." (It's half past three)

12-hour vs 24-hour Clock

Portugal usually uses the 24-hour clock, especially in formal contexts. However, in informal situations, the 12-hour system may be used, specifying whether it's morning, afternoon, or evening/night:

• "São 7h30 da manhã." (It's 7:30 am)
• "São 2 da tarde." (It's 2 in the afternoon)
• "São 10 da noite." (It's 10 in the evening)

Written Format

The written format in Portugal often uses the 0h00 format (e.g., 23h30, 7h15). If it's right on the hour, you might see just 3h instead of 3h00. Using colons (e.g., 23:30, 7:15) is also acceptable.

Lisbon's current local time

Lisbon, Portugal currently observes Western European Time (WET), which is a UTC+00:00 time zone. This means that when it is 21:00 in Lisbon, it is also 21:00 in the UK and Ireland, which observe the same time zone.

Portugal has two time zones and does observe daylight saving. Lisbon is in the time zone of Continental Portugal and Madeira, which is UTC+00:00. The Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal, uses UTC–01:00.

Daylight saving time, locally known as Hora de Verão or "summer time", is observed nationwide from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. During this period, Lisbon and the rest of Continental Portugal and Madeira advance one hour to UTC+01:00, and the Azores advances one hour to UTC+00:00.

In the early 19th century, Portugal adopted mean solar time. The Navy in Lisbon and Coimbra Astronomical Observatories calculated solar time, which was used as legal time in their longitude regions. In 1861, the Astronomical Observatory of Lisbon was founded and tasked with calculating its mean solar time and transmitting it to the rest of the country's public services.

In 1911, it was agreed that standard time in Portugal should be defined in accordance with the 1884 prime meridian system. By the Decree of 26 May 1911, a reform was approved, and mainland Portugal adopted UTC+00:00 as its time zone, despite most of the country being located west of the 7º 30'W meridian (the theoretical zone of UTC-01:00 time zone).

Portugal first observed daylight saving time during World War I, from 17 June to 1 November 1916, and it consisted of advancing clocks by one hour. In subsequent years until 1921, it was observed from 1 June to 14 October.

Time in Portugal vs. Washington DC

Portugal and Washington, DC observe different time zones. Portugal has two time zones, with Continental Portugal and Madeira using UTC+00:00, and the Azores using UTC-01:00. Meanwhile, Washington, DC is in the Eastern Time Zone (EST), which is UTC/GMT -5 hours.

In Portugal, daylight saving time, locally known as "Hora de Verão" or "summer time", is observed nationwide from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. During this period, Continental Portugal and Madeira advance one hour to UTC+01:00, while the Azores advance one hour to UTC+00:00. On the other hand, Washington, DC also observes daylight saving time. In 2025, it will start on Sunday, March 9, and end on Sunday, November 2.

To illustrate the time difference between Portugal and Washington, DC, let's consider an example. If it is 21:00 in Portugal (Continental Portugal or Madeira) during daylight saving time, it would be 15:00 in Washington, DC, assuming they are both observing daylight saving time. If it is 21:00 in Portugal (Continental Portugal or Madeira) outside of daylight saving time, it would be 16:00 in Washington, DC, assuming standard time in both locations.

It is important to note that time zones can vary within a country, and both Portugal and the United States have multiple time zones. Therefore, when comparing time in Portugal and Washington, DC, it is essential to specify the exact locations and consider any daylight saving time adjustments.

Frequently asked questions