Portuguese · Reunião de pais
Ask about grades and the marking system: what to say in Portuguese
You want to understand the grading system in a Portuguese school.
💡
How it's done. In primary school marks are given in words (Suficiente, Bom, Muito Bom), then from 1 to 5, and in the upper years from 0 to 20.Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.
Cheat sheet for your visit
The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.
1
YOU START
Como funcionam as notas aqui?
KOH-moo foon-SYOH-now uhzh NOH-tuhsh uh-KEE?
How do marks work here?
THEY SAY
No quinto ano é de um a cinco.Noo KEEN-too AH-noo eh d oon uh SEEN-koo.
In the fifth year it's from one to five.
They might also say:
Do quinto ano, as notas vão de um a cinco.
Doo KEEN-too AH-noo, uhzh NOH-tuhsh vow d oon uh SEEN-koo.
From the fifth year, marks go from one to five.
2
YOU REPLY
Um três é uma boa nota?
Oon tresh eh OO-muh BOH-uh NOH-tuh?
Is a three a good mark?
THEY SAY
Três é positivo, é suficiente.Tresh eh poo-zee-TEE-voo, eh soo-fee-see-AYNT.
Three is a pass, it's sufficient.
3
YOU REPLY
Ah, é diferente da Ucrânia. Quando é que recebemos as notas?
Uh, eh dee-fih-RAYNT duh oo-KRAH-nyuh. KWAHN-doo eh k rih-sih-BEH-mooz uhzh NOH-tuhsh?
Ah, it's different from Ukraine. When do we get the marks?
THEY SAY
No fim de cada período.Noo feen d KAH-duh pih-RIH-oo-doo.
At the end of each term.
4
YOU FINISH
Muito obrigado!
MWEE-too oh-bree-GAH-doo!
Thank you very much!
Or say:Obrigado, até logo!
oh-bree-GAH-doo, uh-TEH LOH-goo!
The course is in the app
This dialogue is part of the course “Portuguese for life in Portugal”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.
Words worth knowing
Como
KOH-moo
adverb
how
funcionam
foon-SYOH-now
verb
work, are arranged
notas
NOH-tuhsh
noun
banknotes
aqui
uh-KEE
adverb
here
ano
AH-noo
noun
year
é
eh
verb
is
25 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
Pode falar mais devagar, por favor?
Pod fuh-LAHR mighzh dvuh-GAHR, poor fuh-VOR?
Can you speak more slowly, please?
Pode escrever, por favor?
Pod shkrih-VEHR, poor fuh-VOR?
Can you write it down, please?
Similar situations
Ask people to speak more slowly in front of everyoneReunião de pais · A1 in the app
→Other parents after the meeting: small talkReunião de pais · A1 in the app
→Introduce yourself at a parents' meetingReunião de pais · A1 in the app
→Understand the school rules and timetableReunião de pais · A2 in the app
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