Hoje

Hoje is a Portuguese adverb that denotes the present day, the day on which the action occurs. It is used to refer to the current date in statements about events, plans, or actions. In everyday language, hoje can be combined with modifiers and prepositional phrases such as hoje de manhã, hoje à tarde, or hoje à noite to specify time of day. In addition to literal references to the present day, the phrase hoje em dia is commonly used to mean nowadays or in modern times, signaling a general contrast with the past.

Etymology: The word derives from Late Latin hodie, from hoc die, meaning on this day, which evolved in the Romance languages into forms such as hoje in Portuguese. The transformation reflects regular sound changes in the language family.

Usage notes: Hoje functions as an adverb of time and is most often placed before the verb or at the start of the sentence. It is common in both European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese, though regional speech may prefer alternative expressions in certain contexts. In formal writing, hoje is still appropriate when referring to the current day.

Other notes: In translation, hoje corresponds to English today; a similar semantic range exists in other Romance languages (hoy in Spanish, oggi in Italian, aujourd'hui in French).