Consulta vs. compromisso vs. hora marcada vs. marcação vs. horário
While English often uses the single word appointment for various situations, Portuguese has specific terms depending on the context. The choice between consulta, compromisso, hora marcada, marcação, and horário depends on whether the meeting is medical, a general obligation, a specific time slot, or the act of scheduling itself.
Consulta
A2This word is strictly used for appointments involving professional advice, diagnosis, or examination. You mostly use consulta for doctors, dentists, psychologists, and lawyers.
Eu tenho uma consulta com o dentista amanhã cedo.
(I have a dentist appointment early tomorrow morning.)
A consulta médica demorou mais do que o esperado.
(The medical appointment took longer than expected.)
Quanto custa uma consulta com este advogado?
(How much does a consultation with this lawyer cost?)
Compromisso
B1This is the broadest term, translating best to commitment or engagement. Compromisso is used for general business meetings, social obligations, or simply saying you are busy without specifying why.
Infelizmente não posso ir, tenho um compromisso nessa hora.
(Unfortunately I can't go, I have an appointment at that time.)
Ele desmarcou todos os compromissos para ficar em casa.
(He cancelled all his appointments to stay at home.)
É um compromisso profissional muito importante.
(It is a very important professional commitment.)
Hora marcada
B1Literally translating to marked hour, this phrase emphasizes that a specific time has been reserved. It is often used to describe services that require a reservation (by appointment) rather than walk-ins.
O salão de beleza só atende com hora marcada.
(The beauty salon only sees clients by appointment.)
Cheguei na hora marcada, mas tive que esperar.
(I arrived at the scheduled time, but I had to wait.)
Para fazer o passaporte, é preciso ter hora marcada.
(To get a passport, usually you need to have a scheduled appointment.)
Marcação
B2This refers to the act of booking or the reservation record itself. While consulta is the event, marcação is the logistic process. In European Portuguese, it is also commonly used as a direct synonym for appointment.
Liguei para a clínica para confirmar a marcação.
(I called the clinic to confirm the booking.)
Houve um erro na marcação dos lugares.
(There was an error in the booking of the seats.)
A marcação foi feita para as duas da tarde.
(The appointment was scheduled for two in the afternoon.)
Horário
A1This word generally means schedule or timetable, but in the context of appointments, it refers to a specific available time slot. You use horário when asking if a professional has an opening.
Você tem algum horário livre na sexta-feira?
(Do you have any open appointment slot on Friday?)
O meu horário é às três horas.
(My time slot is at three o'clock.)
Consegui encaixar um horário na agenda dele.
(I managed to squeeze a time slot into his schedule.)
Summary
Use consulta for medical or legal advice; use compromisso for general obligations or business meetings; use hora marcada to emphasize a reserved time or by appointment only policies; use marcação for the act of booking the slot; and use horário when referring to a specific time slot on a schedule.