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Today, we’re going to learn language to use at a restaurant.

Poderia me trazer o cardápio, por favor?
Quero uma água com gas.
Ela gostaria de um copo de vinho tinto.
Queremos a cesta de pães como petisco, para compartilhar.
Para a entrada, gostaria de salada verde.
Para o prato principal, picanha, por favor.
Me traz outro copo de vinho, por favor?
Para a sobremesa, queremos o mousse de maracujá.

To make a polite request, we use the conditional tense of poder (can). We could also use the present tense (pode), which means “can you,” but like in English, it’s more polite to say (poderia), which means “could you.” All together this means, “Could you bring me a menu, please?”

Next, we can also make requests with the present tense of “querer”, to want. It’s always more polite to say thank you after using “querer” in the present tense, but it’s common to hear it without. In this case, the sentence means: “I want a seltzer.”

We can also use the conditional tense with “gostar” (to like) when making a request. To put a regular verb in the conditional tense, you just add an “ia” to the infinitive in the first and third person. Here, we say: “She would like a glass of red wine.” Note that when we talk about wine, red is “tinto” and white is “branco.”

Again, we use “querer” as a request. Let’s look at some of the vocabulary. “Cesta de pães” is a bread basket (which you should not expect for free at most Brazilian restaurants). “Petisco” is appetizer or finger food (like tapas), and “compartilhar” is “to share.” All together, it means: “We want the bread basket as an appetizer to share.”

This means: “For the appetizer, I would like the green salad.” “Entrada” means appetizer, and “salada” is salad.

“Prato principal” means main course. “Picanha” is rump steak, a popular cut of meat in Brazil. All together, this means, “For the main course, the rump steak, please.” Note that we don’t need a verb here when we use “para” and “por favor” together.

We can use “trazer” in the present tense to make a request, particularly at a restaurant. Here, this means “Will you bring me another glass of wine, please?” Literally, “me traz” means “you bring me,” but in context means “Will you bring me.” This is true of other verbs in the present tense used as requests.

Finally, this means “For dessert, we want the passion fruit mousse.” Note that dessert is “sobremesa” and that passion fruit is called “maracujá.” Here we use “para” with a verb, which also works to make a request.