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