Learning food in Portuguese is one of the most useful steps for beginners who want to speak Brazilian Portuguese in real situations.

Food vocabulary helps you order at restaurants, shop at markets, understand menus, talk about what you like, and describe everyday meals.

In this beginner-friendly guide, you will learn basic food words in Portuguese, including bread, rice, beans, meat, chicken, cheese, coffee, water, fruit, vegetables, and useful phrases for ordering food.

Basic Food in Portuguese

Here are some common food words in Brazilian Portuguese:

For another reference, you can also check this external list of Portuguese food vocabulary.

How to Say Food in Portuguese

The word for food in Portuguese is comida.

Comida is a feminine noun, so you usually say a comida.

Examples:

• Eu gosto de comida brasileira. = I like Brazilian food.
• A comida está boa. = The food is good.
• Essa comida é deliciosa. = This food is delicious.

If you want to understand why Portuguese uses está in phrases like a comida está boa, you can also review our guide to ser vs estar in Portuguese.

Common Brazilian Food

Some food words are especially useful in Brazil because they appear in everyday meals.

Examples:

• Eu quero arroz e feijão. = I want rice and beans.
• Eu gosto de pão de queijo. = I like Brazilian cheese bread.
• Eu quero frango com salada. = I want chicken with salad.

Drinks in Portuguese

Drinks are also important when learning food vocabulary in Portuguese.

Examples:

• Eu quero água. = I want water.
• Eu quero café. = I want coffee.
• Eu quero suco de laranja. = I want orange juice.

If you want to practice colors with food and drinks, read our guide to colors in Portuguese. For example, laranja can mean both orange color and orange fruit.

How to Order Food

One of the most useful beginner phrases for ordering food is eu quero.

Eu quero means I want.

Examples:

• Eu quero água. = I want water.
• Eu quero café. = I want coffee.
• Eu quero pão de queijo. = I want Brazilian cheese bread.
• Eu quero arroz e feijão. = I want rice and beans.

You can also use por favor to sound more polite.

• Eu quero água, por favor. = I want water, please.
• Um café, por favor. = One coffee, please.
• A conta, por favor. = The bill, please.

If you want more useful everyday expressions, review our guide to common Portuguese phrases.

How to Say “I Like” Food in Portuguese

To say that you like a food, use eu gosto de.

Eu gosto de means I like.

Examples:

• Eu gosto de café. = I like coffee.
• Eu gosto de queijo. = I like cheese.
• Eu gosto de comida brasileira. = I like Brazilian food.
• Eu gosto de pão de queijo. = I like Brazilian cheese bread.

Useful Food Phrases in Portuguese

Here are some useful phrases for talking about food in Portuguese:

If you are using numbers for prices or quantities, you can practice with our guide to numbers in Portuguese.

Food at a Brazilian Market

In Brazil, you may hear many food words at a feira, which is an open-air street market.

At a feira, people often buy fruits, vegetables, snacks, and fresh ingredients.

Useful words:

• Fruta = Fruit
• Banana = Banana
• Laranja = Orange
• Maçã = Apple
• Tomate = Tomato
• Batata = Potato

Examples:

• Eu quero duas bananas. = I want two bananas.
• Quanto custa a laranja? = How much does the orange cost?
• Eu gosto de maçã. = I like apples.

Common Mistakes with Food in Portuguese

One common mistake is translating English phrases word by word.

For example, English speakers often say I am hungry. In Portuguese, the natural phrase is:

• Estou com fome. = I am hungry.

Do not say eu sou fome or eu estou fome.

Another common mistake is forgetting accents in words like água, pão, café, açaí, and feijão.

A Simple Food Conversation in Portuguese

Here is a short beginner-friendly conversation using food vocabulary in Portuguese:

Ana: Oi! O que você quer?

Mark: Eu quero café e pão de queijo, por favor.

Ana: Claro. Você gosta de café?

Mark: Sim, eu gosto de café.

English meaning:

Ana: Hi! What do you want?

Mark: I want coffee and Brazilian cheese bread, please.

Ana: Of course. Do you like coffee?

Mark: Yes, I like coffee.

Quick Practice

Try translating these food words and phrases into Portuguese:

1. Food
2. Water
3. Coffee
4. Bread
5. Rice
6. Beans
7. I want water.
8. I like coffee.
9. The bill, please.

Answers:

1. Comida
2. Água
3. Café
4. Pão
5. Arroz
6. Feijão
7. Eu quero água.
8. Eu gosto de café.
9. A conta, por favor.

Final Takeaway

Learning food in Portuguese helps you order, shop, talk about what you like, and understand everyday conversations in Brazilian Portuguese.

Start with these essential words:

• Comida = Food
• Água = Water
• Café = Coffee
• Pão = Bread
• Queijo = Cheese
• Arroz = Rice
• Feijão = Beans
• Carne = Meat
• Frango = Chicken
• Peixe = Fish
• Fruta = Fruit

After learning food vocabulary, you can keep practicing beginner Portuguese with our guide to family members in Portuguese.

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