At the Table

We spend a lot of time around the table. At home. In cafés. With friends. With family. This lesson helps you talk, ask, and understand what’s happening 'à mesa' (at the table) in Portugal.

Meals in Portugal are social events. People talk a lot! Here are some common expressions that will help you join in, ask politely, or understand what’s happening:

Pôr a mesa (Setting the table)

• 🍽️ Posso ajudar com alguma coisa? (May I help you with anything?)
• 🙋♂️ Podes pôr a mesa, por favor? (Can you set the table, please?)
• 🙏 Podes trazer os pratos, se faz favor? (Could you bring the plates, please?)

Chamadas para a mesa (Calls to the table)

• 🍽 A comida está pronta! (The food is ready!)
• 🍴 Já está na mesa / Está na mesa. (It’s already on the table / It’s on the table.)
• 🪑 Venham para a mesa! (Come to the table!)
• 🍲 Vamos comer! (Let’s eat!)

Durante a Refeição (During the meal)

• 🍽️ Bom apetite! – Enjoy your meal.
• ➕ Queres / Quer mais…? – Do you (informal / formal) want more…?
• 🧂 Passas-me / Passa-me o sal, por favor? – Could you pass (informal / formal) me the salt, please?
• 🍛 Queres / Quer provar? – Would you (informal / formal) like to try it?
• 😍 Está uma delícia! – It’s delicious!

Terminando a Refeição (Finishing the meal)

• 🏁 Já terminaste / terminou? – Have you (informal / formal) finished?
• ☕ Café, alguém quer? – Coffee, anyone?
• 😋 Estava tudo delicioso! – Everything was delicious!
• 🙋♂️ Com licença. – Excuse me.Use this to excuse yourself politely when leaving the table. It shows respect and is commonly used in family or formal settings.

Know your courses

Portuguese meals are usually simple and balanced, but it helps to know the names for the different parts of a meal.

Refeições e Horários (Meals and Timings)

These are the four main mealtimes in Portugal. Meal times tend to be later than in some other countries, especially compared to the UK. Here’s a typical schedule:

• ☕ O pequeno-almoço (Breakfast): Around 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. Usually something light like coffee and a pastry, bread, or cereal with milk.
• 🍲 O almoço (Lunch): Typically between 12:00 and 2:00 p.m. Many have a proper break from work or daily activities to enjoy a full meal, often with several courses like soup, a main dish, and dessert.
• 🧁 O lanche (snack time): In Portugal, the word ‘lanche” can refer to two different snack times:
  • O lanche da manhã (mid-morning snack): Between breakfast and lunch.
  • O lanche da tarde (mid-afternoon snack): Between lunch and dinner.

These are light meals, often just a toast, a pastry, fruit, or yoghurt, meant to keep you going between main meals. Children have both “lanches” at school, and many adults enjoy at least the afternoon one.

• 🍝 O jantar (Dinner): Usually between 7:00 and 9:30 p.m., sometimes later.

Estrutura de uma Refeição (Structure of a Meal)

Whether at home or in a restaurant, meals may include some or all of these:

• 🥗 a entrada – starter
• 🥣 a sopa – soup
• 🍽️ o prato principal – main course
  • 🥩 o prato de carne – meat dish
  • 🐟 o prato de peixe – fish dish
• 🍰 a sobremesa – dessert
• 🍷 as bebidas – drinks

O Que Está na Mesa? (What’s on the Table?)

These are the most common things you'll need when setting the table, or that you might hear someone ask for around mealtime:

• 🧺 a toalha [de mesa] (tablecloth)
• 🍽️ o prato (plate)
• 🍲 o prato de sopa (soup plate)
• 🥣 a tigela (bowl)
• 🥛 o copo (glass)
• 🍷 o copo de vinho (wine glass)
• 🍴 os talheres (cutlery)
  • 🍴 o garfo (fork)
  • 🔪 a faca (knife)
  • 🥄 a colher de sopa (table spoon)
  • 🥄 a colher de sobremesa (dessert spoon)
• 🧻 o guardanapo (napkin)
• 🫕 a travessa (serving dish / serving platter)
• 🥗 a saladeira (salad bowl)
• 🧂 o saleiro (salt shaker)
• 🌶️ o pimenteiro (pepper shaker)
• 🍾 a garrafa (bottle)
• 🫙 o jarro (jug / pitcher)