How To Talk About Food And Drink In Portuguese

As a student of Portuguese, you’re going to want to knock out a few basics fairly quickly, such as how to say hello and how to name colors. But don’t sleep on Portuguese food vocabulary, because you’ll be sorely wishing you learned how to ask for seconds as soon as the pão de queijo comes out.

To help you make the most of your food adventures, we’ve compiled a guide to all of the Portuguese food vocabulary you’re likely to encounter along your way, together with audio to help you nail your pronunciation.

Note: the following terms are specific to Brazilian Portuguese, but if you’re hungry for a meal from Portugal, don’t miss our guide to hosting the perfect Portuguese dinner party.

Portuguese Food Vocabulary To Get The Meal Started

Meal-Related Words

To eat — comer

Starter — a entrada

Main dish — o prato principal

Side dish — o acompanhamento

Dessert — a sobremesa

Vegetarian — vegetariano

Vegan — vegano

Gluten-free — sem glúten

Lactose-free — sem lactose

Food Words

Meat — a carne

Beef — a carne de vaca

Pork — a carne de porco

Poultry — as aves

Fish — o peixe

Seafood — os frutos do mar

Vegetable soup — a sopa de legumes

Chicken — o frango

Lamb — o carneiro

Fruit — a fruta

Potato — a batata

Cheese — o queijo

Bread — o pão

Drink Words

To drink — beber

The drink — a bebida

Lemonade — uma limonada

Mineral water — a água mineral

Juice — o suco

Coffee — o café

Milk — o leite

Wine — o vinho

Beer — a cerveja

Tea — o chá

Tap water — a água da torneira