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Using por to Express Approximation in Portuguese

LEVEL b1 TOPIC Prepositions place por time

The preposition por can carry several meanings in Portuguese, and one of its less obvious uses is to express a sense of uncertainty or approximation. This use appears both in relation to time and space. Let’s look at how it works in each case.

Quick recap: contractions with por

Before diving in, remember that por combines with definite articles:

  • por + a → pela
  • por + as → pelas
  • por + o → pelo
  • por + os → pelos

Temporal uncertainty (when something happens)

When por refers to time, it often means “around” or “about:”

  • Nós chegamos hoje ao Porto pelas 15h.
  • We are arriving in Porto around 3 p.m.

Here, pelas 15h indicates that the arrival time is approximate — not exactly at three o’clock. You could also say por volta das 15h, which means the same thing.

Another example:

  • O almoço é pelo meio-dia.
  • Lunch is around noon.

Again, this expresses approximation — not a precise time.

Spatial uncertainty (where something happens)

We also use por to indicate vagueness in location:

  • Eu acho que ele vive pelo Algarve.
  • I think he lives somewhere in the Algarve.

In this case, pelo Algarve suggests an imprecise location — we know the general area but not exactly where. Notice that we wouldn’t say por volta do Algarve here; that sounds incorrect.

Another example:

  • A Filipa trabalha lá pelos países nórdicos, não sei se é Suécia ou Dinamarca.
  • Filipa works somewhere in the Nordic countries — I’m not sure if it’s Sweden or Denmark.

Time and space combined

Finally, por can express uncertainty in both dimensions at once:

  • O Joel anda a viajar pela Ásia e volta a Portugal pelo Natal.
  • Joel is travelling around Asia and will return to Portugal around Christmas.

Até já,

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