In this lesson you'll learn:
- Everyday words for food and drinks
- How to order politely at a café or restaurant
- How to ask for the bill
- A few Brazilian dishes you have to try
Food and drinks
| Portuguese | Sounds like | English |
|---|---|---|
| a água | ah AH-gwah | water |
| o café | oo kah-FEH | coffee |
| o suco | oo SOO-koo | juice |
| a cerveja | ah sehr-VAY-zhah | beer |
| o pão | oo powng | bread |
| o queijo | oo KAY-zhoo | cheese |
| o arroz | oo ah-HOHS | rice |
| o feijão | oo fay-ZHOWNG | beans |
| a carne | ah KAR-nee | meat, beef |
| o frango | oo FRAHNG-goo | chicken |
| o peixe | oo PAY-shee | fish |
| a salada | ah sah-LAH-dah | salad |
| a fruta | ah FROO-tah | fruit |
| a sobremesa | ah soh-bree-MAY-zah | dessert |
O or a? Every noun in Portuguese is masculine (o) or feminine (a). Words ending in -o are usually masculine and words ending in -a usually feminine, but not always (o dia, a carne). It's best to learn each word together with its o or a.
Meals
| Portuguese | Sounds like | English |
|---|---|---|
| o café da manhã | oo kah-FEH dah mah-NYAHNG | breakfast |
| o almoço | oo ow-MOH-soo | lunch |
| o jantar | oo zhahn-TAR | dinner |
Lunch is the main meal of the day in Brazil. Many restaurants serve a prato feito (a set plate, usually rice, beans, meat and salad) or comida a quilo, a buffet where you pay by the weight of your plate.
At the restaurant
| Portuguese | Sounds like | English |
|---|---|---|
| Uma mesa para dois, por favor. | OO-mah MAY-zah PAH-rah doys, poor fah-VOHR | A table for two, please. |
| O cardápio, por favor. | oo kar-DAH-pee-oo, poor fah-VOHR | The menu, please. |
| Eu queria… | EH-oo keh-REE-ah | I'd like… |
| Vou querer o frango. | voh keh-REHR oo FRAHNG-goo | I'll have the chicken. |
| Para beber? | PAH-rah beh-BEHR | Anything to drink? |
| Uma água sem gás, por favor. | OO-mah AH-gwah sayng gahs, poor fah-VOHR | A still water, please. |
| Estava delicioso! | ees-TAH-vah deh-lee-see-OH-zoo | It was delicious! |
| A conta, por favor. | ah KOHN-tah, poor fah-VOHR | The bill, please. |
| Posso pagar com cartão? | PAW-soo pah-GAR kohng kar-TOWNG | Can I pay by card? |
Eu queria literally means "I wanted", but it's the polite way to say "I'd like". It sounds much softer than eu quero ("I want").
A dialogue at a restaurant
| Who | Portuguese | English |
|---|---|---|
| Waiter | Boa noite! Mesa para quantas pessoas? | Good evening! A table for how many? |
| You | Para duas, por favor. | For two, please. |
| Waiter | Aqui está o cardápio. | Here's the menu. |
| You | Obrigado. Eu queria o frango com salada. | Thanks. I'd like the chicken with salad. |
| Waiter | E para beber? | And to drink? |
| You | Um suco de laranja, por favor. | An orange juice, please. |
| Waiter | Mais alguma coisa? | Anything else? |
| You | Não, obrigado. Só isso. | No, thanks. That's all. |
| You | A conta, por favor. | The bill, please. |
| Waiter | Aqui está. Crédito ou débito? | Here you go. Credit or debit? |
| You | Crédito. | Credit. |
Paying: Many restaurants add a 10% service charge (os dez por cento) to the bill. It's optional, but most people pay it. Cards are accepted almost everywhere, and many places also take Pix, Brazil's instant payment system.
Brazilian food to try
- Arroz e feijão: rice and beans, eaten almost every day.
- Feijoada: a rich black-bean stew with pork, traditionally eaten on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
- Pão de queijo: warm, chewy cheese bread from Minas Gerais.
- Coxinha (koh-SHEE-nyah): a teardrop-shaped fried snack filled with chicken.
- Açaí (ah-sah-EE): a frozen purple berry bowl, often topped with granola and banana.
- Brigadeiro (bree-gah-DAY-roo): a chocolate sweet served at every birthday party.
Practice
How would you say these in Portuguese?
- I'd like a coffee, please.
- The bill, please.
- A table for two, please.
- Still water
- It was delicious!
Show answers
- Eu queria um café, por favor.
- A conta, por favor.
- Uma mesa para dois, por favor.
- água sem gás
- Estava delicioso!