diaria

Diaria is a term used in Spanish and Portuguese with two primary functions. As an adjective, diaria denotes something that happens every day. In Spanish, the feminine form is used to modify feminine nouns, as in tareas diarias or horas diarias. In Portuguese, diária (diária) serves a similar adjectival role and is used with feminine nouns such as tarefa diária or atividade diária.

As a noun in Portuguese, diária has a distinct meaning related to compensation. It commonly refers to a daily allowance or per diem—an amount paid to cover daily travel or lodging expenses for work. This usage is frequent in contracts, payroll, and travel policies: for example, uma diária para a viagem. Diária can also indicate a daily rate or charge in lodging or service contexts, such as diária de hotel or diária de aluguel, depending on regional practices.

Etymologically, diária derives from the Latin diaria, related to dies, meaning day. The term traveled into Romance languages through historical development of the words for “of the day” or “per day.” In contemporary usage, diarias are most prominent in Portuguese, while in Spanish the adjectival use is common, and the noun sense appears mainly in specialized legal or financial texts.

See also: diario, diurno, per diem.