Portuguese · Food & Drink
"Breakfast" in Portuguese: café da manhã
o café da manhã
Note: PT-PT: o pequeno-almoço
Breakfast in Portuguese is o café da manhã in Brazil. It literally means morning coffee, even if you drink juice. In European Portuguese the usual word is o pequeno-almoço.
Hotel morning
O café da manhã começa às sete.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce café da manhã
Say it
kah-FEH dah mah-NYAHN
/ka.ˈfɛ ˈda ma.ˈɲɐ̃/
kah-FEH dah mah-NYAHN. Soft nh like ny in canyon.
"Breakfast" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| o café da manhã | breakfast Standard Brazilian term. | Standard Brazilian term. |
| tomar café da manhã | to have breakfast Verb phrase Brazilians use. | Verb phrase Brazilians use. |
| café da manhã incluso | breakfast included Hotels and bookings. | Hotels and bookings. |
| o pequeno-almoço | breakfast (Portugal) PT-PT form; Brazilians still understand it. | PT-PT form; Brazilians still understand it. |
How to use café da manhã in real life
- 1Hotel morning
O café da manhã começa às sete.
Breakfast starts at seven.
Common hotel schedule line.
- 2Weekend plans
Vamos tomar café da manhã na padaria?
Shall we have breakfast at the bakery?
Tomar café da manhã is the natural verb.
- 3Health talk
Eu pulo o café da manhã quando acordo tarde.
I skip breakfast when I wake up late.
Pular o café da manhã is everyday speech.
Mistakes English speakers make with café da manhã
Incorrect: Eu quero o breakfast.
Correct: Eu quero o café da manhã.
Use the Portuguese phrase, not English breakfast.
Incorrect: Eu como o pequeno-almoço (in Brazil, sounding local).
Correct: Eu tomo café da manhã.
Pequeno-almoço is PT-PT. In Brazil say café da manhã.
Good to know
Brazilian café da manhã often means coffee, bread, fruit, cheese, and maybe cake at a padaria. Hotels advertise café da manhã incluso. In Portugal you will hear pequeno-almoço instead; keep café da manhã for Brazilian Portuguese.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Choosing a hotel package
ChatPal
O hotel tem café da manhã incluso?
Does the hotel include breakfast?
You
Tem. O café da manhã vai até as dez.
Yes. Breakfast goes until ten.
ChatPal
Perfeito. Prefiro café da manhã cedo.
Perfect. I prefer breakfast early.
You
Então a gente desce cedo para o café da manhã.
Then we'll go down early for breakfast.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Breakfast" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Breakfast" in Portuguese
What do Brazilians say?
Café da manhã.
What about Portugal?
Pequeno-almoço is the usual PT-PT word.
How do I say have breakfast?
Tomar café da manhã.
Breakfast included?
Café da manhã incluso / incluído.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
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- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
