Learn Portuguese Language Basics with dialogues – part 3 (Order in a Cafe)

If a tourist comes to major tourist cities in Portugal, then he can easily speak in English. However, once you leave those cities, in not every, but rather in rare cafes, it will be difficult to get by without the portuguese basics. Let’s look at an example dialogue to understand how to place an order, get the exact type of coffee you want, pay, and still remain polite.

Dialogue

Empregado: Bom dia. Faz favor. (Good morning. Please.)

João: Bom dia! Queria um café, por favor. (Good morning! I would like a coffee, please.)

Empregado: Com certeza. E para a senhora? (For sure. And for you?)

Maria: Um galão, por favor. E pode trazer um pastel de nata? (A galão, please. And can you bring a pastel de nata?)

Empregado: Claro. E para o senhor? (Of course. And for you?)

Rui: Eu queria um chá de camomila e uma torrada sem manteiga, por favor. (I would like some chamomile tea and some toast without butter, please.)

Empregado: Mais alguma coisa? (Anything else?)

João: Sim, eu também queria uma torrada, mas com manteiga. (Yes, I wanted toast too, but with butter.)

Empregado: Certo. Mais alguma coisa? (Right. Anything else?)

Maria: Pode trazer também um copo de água, por favor? (Could you also bring a glass of water, please?)

Empregado: Com certeza. Então, temos um café, um galão com um pastel de nata, um chá de camomila com uma torrada sem manteiga, e uma torrada com manteiga. Mais alguma coisa? (For sure. So, we have a coffee, a galão with custard tart, chamomile tea with toast without butter, and toast with butter. Anything else?)

Rui: Não, é tudo. Quanto é? (No, that’s all. How much is it?)

Empregado: São seis euros e cinquenta, por favor. Deseja fatura com contribuinte? (It’s six euros and fifty, please. Do you want to invoice a taxpayer?)

João: Não, obrigado. Aqui está. (No thanks. Here it is.)
(entrega uma nota de 10 euros) (hands over a 10 euro note))

Empregado: Obrigado. Aqui está o troco, três euros e cinquenta. Aqui têm: um café, um galão com um pastel de nata, um chá de camomila, duas torradas e um copo de água. (Thanks. Here’s the change, three euros and fifty. Here you have: a coffee, a gallon of custard tart, chamomile tea, two pieces of toast and a glass of water.)

First, let’s look at the grammar, and then move on to the more entertaining and informative part of this topic.

The word “QUERIA”

We know the popular verb “querer” (to want). If we just replace the ending, then its form will immediately become very polite. Using this form, we can not only place an order in a cafe, but also make any polite request. Let’s look at the table:

Verb “TER”

There are several ways to say that a particular item is in stock or to list an order. However, today we don’t want to complicate things. On the contrary, we want to show that the most basic words and rules are suitable for any situation. This time we suggest using the verb “ter” (to have). It is irregular, so let’s look at the rules for its conjugation and additional examples of its use:

Tem chá verde? (Is there any green tea?)
Então, temos um chá verde com açúcar. (So ​​your order: green tea with sugar.)
Aqui têm o seu troco. (Here is your change.)

“Coffee” in Portugal and other drinks

If you order just “café” (coffee) in a Portuguese cafe or restaurant, it automatically means that you have requested an espresso. To order a cappuccino or other type of coffee, you must specify this.
To expand your knowledge of coffee names on a basic portuguese menu, here is a list of the main ones:

• Bica – espresso
• Café duplo – double espresso
• Café curto – ristretto (30 ml of coffee)
• Meia de leite – cappuccino
• O galão – large glass of coffee with milk, where milk predominates in quantity
• O garoto – something in between espresso and cappuccino
• O café pingado – espresso with a drop of milk
• O café com cheirinho – espresso with brandy added
• O abatanado – basically a cappuccino, but with water instead of milk/cream
• O carioca – coffee made from reusing coffee grounds

Simply choose your favorite type, order it consistently, and don’t worry about what all the other names mean.
Vocabulary that will be useful when ordering drinks in a cafe or restaurant:

água (water), leite (milk), sumo de… (juice from…), cerveja (beer),
ginja (cherry liqueur), cidra (cider), aguardente (brandy), bagaço (drink of bagasse)

And here is a list of wine types you can indulge in Portugal:

vinho tinto (red wine), vinhos branco (white wine), vinho verde (green wine), vinho rosé (rose wine),
vinho frisante (sparkling wine), vinho espumante (champagne), vinho do Porto (port wine)

Então, sugiro um brinde! (So, let’s make a toast!)

What does “contribuinte” mean? In the dialogue, there is a question about a receipt with “contribuinte”. Literally, “contribuinte” translates to “taxpayer”. The full name is “Número de contribuinte”. In official documents, you may encounter a more formal equivalent – “Número de Identificação Fiscal”, or shortly “NIF”.
Portuguese people often provide their NIF when making payments in order to receive a tax refund at the end of the year.

Conclusion

This topic is so extensive that it is impossible to cover everything in detail. We have selected the most important information that will help you engage in a basic conversation with a waiter. Do not be afraid to make mistakes. Only through practice will you achieve perfection!