What is your favorite food?
Do you know to say it in Portuguese?
If you don’t, then this post is just for you.
Not that we think you aren’t good enough in Portuguese, but sometimes people need a little extra help to keep their language knowledge and boost their vocabulary in some other, not-so-bookish way.
We believe that you don’t want to write about some things that don’t concern food in Portuguese so we will be strict and get straight to the point.
In the following lines, we’ve provided you words and phrases about food in Portuguese, so no matter if you prepare yourself to visit some of the Portuguese speaking countries or you want to boost your vocabulary so that you can watch Portuguese movies on Netflix, these words are ideal for any Portuguese learner, even you.
And now, let’s get started.
Try Portuguese Food First
Before you visit any of the Portuguese countries, we suggest you try their food first.
Why?
It is simple: first, you will know if that kind of food suits your stomach. It isn’t rare that people get sick from some food while others can eat it the whole day. And second of all, you can find the new taste and be prepared for when you go in the restaurants or bars to ask for a specific food.
In Brazil, for example, one of their popular food is ‘feijoada’ which is a dish with beans and different pig parts. Even though it is very delicious, you can’t know if that suits you, so maybe before you go there, you should find a place near your home to try it first.
Portuguese Food Vocabulary: 99 Portuguese Food-Related Words And Phrases
Are you hungry?
Even if you aren’t prepared to be because we’ve come to the point where we finally start learning Portuguese food vocabulary!
In case you want to save it for later, make flashcards to memorize faster or simply to add to your vocabulary list of Portuguese phrases you need to know, we suggest you download the PDf file for free at the end of the post.
Palavras De Refeição (Meal Words)
For a start, let’s take a peek at some meal words about food in general.
- café da manhã — breakfast
- almoço — lunch
- jantar — dinner
- sobremesa — dessert
- lanche — snack
- entrada- starter
- o prato principal- main dish
- o acompanhamento- side dish
- vegetariano- vegetarian
- vegano- vegan
Palavras Gelais de Comida (General Food Words)
Do you know how to say ‘spoon’ in Portugues?
Or perhaps ‘table’?
Oh, there’s nothing to worry about because here, you can find some general food-related words.
And you will memorize them in no time.
- açúcar- sugar
- arroz- rice
- cadeira- chair
- colher- spoon
- comer- to eat
- garfo - fork
- faca- knife
- guardanapo- napkin
- mesa- table
- sal- salt
- vinagre- vinegar
Vegetais (Vegetables)
Portuguese-speaking countries are known for their love for vegetables. Besides being very healthy, vegetables are an inevitable part of any dish.
Here are some vegetable words in Portuguese.
- abacate — avocado
- abóbora — pumpkin
- alface — lettuce
- alho — garlic
- tomate — tomato
- batata — potato
- brócolis — broccoli
- cebola — onion
- cenoura — carrot
- cogumelo- mushroom
- ervilha — peas
- feijão — green beans
- pepino — cucumber
- Salada- green salad
- salsinha — parsley
Frutas (Fruits)
Who doesn’t like fruits?
We are sure that no person can say they don’t eat fruits. Or at least Portuguese language learners and people who like bright colors and amazing tastes.
- abacaxi — pineapple
- açaí — acai berry
- banana —banana
- caju — cashew
- guaraná — guarana
- laranja — orange
- limão — lemon
- maçã — apple
- mamão — papaya
- maracujá — passionfruit
- melão — melon
- morango — strawberry
- pera — pear
- tangerina, mexerica — tangerine
- uvas — grapes
Carne e Peixe (Meat And Fish)
Thanks to the famous Brazilian dish called feijoada, which is made of different pg parts and beans, you can only say that the Portuguese kitchen is something very special and unique.
Having that in mind, you should learn words about meat and fish.
- frango — chicken
- bife — beef
- cachorro quente — hot dog
- carne de porco — pork
- cordeiro — lamb
- hiambre- ham
- salsicha, linguiça — sausage
- camarão — shrimp
- peixe — fish
- presunto — ham
Laticínios (Dairy Products)
Dairy products are something everyone likes. Maybe you don’t drink milk perhaps, but you surely enjoy eating cheese. Or you just are that type of person who can’t start a day without a glass of yogurt.
So, this is an ideal opportunity to learn some basic words of dairy products in Portuguese.
- iogurte — yogurt
- leite — milk
- leite condensado — condensed milkt
- manteiga — butter
- queijo — cheese
Lanches (Snacks)
- batatas fritas- fries
- cachorro-quente- hot dog
- croissant- croissant
- omelete- omelette
- panqueca- pancake
- pizza- pizza
- sopa - soup
Sobremesas (Desserts)
And something very sweet, like a cherry on a delicious cake, for the last part.
Desserts.
Admit that you are already thinking about some delicious fice pudding or just a little cookie.
But get back here for a minute or two and learn some words for desserts.
- biscoito — cookie
- bolo — cake
- brigadeiro — chocolate ball
- chocolate — chocolate
- flan, torta doce — flan
- pudim — rice pudding
- sorvete — ice cream
- torta de bolacha — cookie cake
Algo Para Beber? (Something to Drink?)
Do you have your favorite Portuguese drink? Or do you just drink water?
No matter if you have (or not) names of drinks are essential and an inevitable part of the food world, so let’s take a look at some of the common names of drinks in Portuguese.
- água — water
- beber- to drink
- café- coffee
- cerveja — beer
- chá- tea
- chimarrão — hot mate
- limonada- lemonade
- refrigerante — soda
- sumo de maçã- apple juice
- tereré — cold mate
- vinho — wine
Food-Related Portuguese Phrases
- Quero _____. — I would like _____
- Tem um menu de sobremesa? — Can I see the dessert menu?
- A conta, por favor. — Check, please!
- One está o/a _____? — Where can I find the _____?
- Quanta é _____? — How much does ______ cost?
- Tem _____? — Do you have _____?
Final Thoughts
After these words and some basic phrases about food, you are ready to chit-chat with Portuguese natives, prepare yourself for real situations or simply learn to enjoy amazing Portuguese tastes.
In the end, food is always a great way to make people closer.
If you’re Looking to advance your Portuguese vocabulary, here are some excellent online resources to consider: Babbel provides enjoyable, straightforward lessons ideal for weaving into your daily activities. If you're aiming for comprehensive knowledge, Udemy’s thorough Portuguese course provides detailed insights from the basics to advanced topics. For learners who value direct communication, Preply offers opportunities to engage with native speaking tutors, significantly improving your speaking skills. Right now you can get 50% off your first lesson at Preply.com, through this link.
