A Cada vs. Por Semana: Intervals and Weekly Counts in Portuguese

An interval and a count do not give the same calendar

• Reviso as frases a cada dois dias. — “I review the phrases every two days.”
• Converso com meu colega duas vezes por semana. — “I talk with my classmate twice a week.”
• A reunião acontece a cada quinze dias. — “The meeting happens every fifteen days.”

In the interval pattern, count the days between the occurrences. In the weekly-count pattern, count how many occurrences fall within a week. Two conversations could happen on consecutive days or be spaced apart. The sentence does not decide that for you.

Caldas Aulete’s hora entry includes por hora for a per-hour rate. The schedules below are original examples applying the distinction between a rate, an interval and a duration. The reference was checked on October 21, 2026.

Make the starting point explicit when spacing matters

For this fictional review plan, start on Monday and repeat at two-day intervals: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. In a plan of two sessions per week, you could instead choose Tuesday and Saturday. The first describes an interval; the second satisfies a weekly count. They need not produce the same number of sessions within every calendar week.

• A primeira revisão é na segunda. Depois, a cada dois dias. — “The first review is on Monday. After that, every two days.”
• Quais dias da semana funcionam para você? — “Which days of the week work for you?”
• Vamos confirmar as próximas datas. — “Let’s confirm the next dates.”

These are language-practice calendars, not an app scheduling feature or a prescribed learning plan. With a real activity, confirm the first date and the next occurrence instead of assuming both people are counting from the same point.

Original dialogue: a weekly count still needs actual days

The follow-up turns a count into a usable arrangement. Tuesday-to-Friday and Friday-to-next-Tuesday have different gaps, so this is not a constant two-day interval. Keep the concrete dates in view when a recurring arrangement crosses a weekend or a month boundary.

Por can also introduce how long an action lasts

• Estudo por vinte minutos. — “I study for twenty minutes.”
• Faço uma pausa a cada vinte minutos. — “I take a break every twenty minutes.”
• Faço duas sessões por semana. — “I do two sessions per week.”

The first measures one activity’s duration. The second gives spacing between breaks. The third counts sessions within a week. Look at the entire phrase rather than assigning por one universal English equivalent.

For always, usually or sometimes without a fixed count, see Portuguese frequency words. For a repeated event triggered by another action rather than a clock interval, compare cada vez que.

Practice: build the right schedule

1. Does twice a week necessarily mean every two days?
2. Translate a cada três dias.
3. You study for twenty minutes in one session. Say the duration.
4. A fictional plan starts Monday and repeats every two days. What is the next day?
5. Ask which fixed weekdays someone prefers.

Continue with real conversation practice

For longer listening about daily habits, use the Brazilian habits episode guide. These dialogues and exercises are original written practice. Choose one pattern, change a detail and use it to describe your own experience.

Continue with Real Life Portuguese for native Brazilian audio and everyday expressions. Choose a short exchange available in the app. Listen for the speaker’s intention, then use a pattern from this activity to prepare a reply that fits your own situation. Bruno Lopes is a co-founder of the app.