Portuguese · Food & Drink
"Garlic" in Portuguese: alho
o alho
Garlic in Portuguese is o alho. In recipes you will hear dente de alho for a clove. Alho frito is a common topping on Brazilian beans and rice.
Cooking at home
Refoga a cebola com dois dentes de alho.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce alho
Say it
AH-lyoo
/ˈa.ʎu/
AH-lyoo. The lh is like the lli in million.
"Garlic" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| o alho | garlic Default noun. | Default noun. |
| dente de alho | garlic clove Recipe measure. | Recipe measure. |
| alho frito | fried garlic Crispy topping in Brazil. | Crispy topping in Brazil. |
| alho poró | leek Different vegetable; do not confuse. | Different vegetable; do not confuse. |
| sem alho | without garlic Allergy or preference ask. | Allergy or preference ask. |
How to use alho in real life
- 1Cooking at home
Refoga a cebola com dois dentes de alho.
Sauté the onion with two garlic cloves.
Dente de alho is the recipe unit.
- 2Restaurant request
Pode fazer o prato sem alho, por favor?
Can you make the dish without garlic, please?
Useful allergy or preference line.
- 3Feijoada plate
Eu adoro feijão com bastante alho frito.
I love beans with plenty of fried garlic.
Alho frito is a classic Brazilian touch.
Mistakes English speakers make with alho
Incorrect: A alho.
Correct: O alho.
Alho is masculine: o alho.
Incorrect: Eu comprei ajo (Spanish).
Correct: Eu comprei alho.
Portuguese is alho, not Spanish ajo.
Good to know
Garlic is central in Brazilian home cooking—refogados often start with onion and alho. Crispy alho frito shows up on feijão, rice, and some street snacks. If you dislike it, saying sem alho is completely normal when ordering.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Prepping dinner together
ChatPal
Você corta o alho ou eu corto?
Do you chop the garlic or should I?
You
Eu corto o alho bem miudinho.
I'll chop the garlic very fine.
ChatPal
Perfeito. Quatro dentes de alho bastam?
Perfect. Are four garlic cloves enough?
You
Pode ser. Sem alho a comida fica sem graça.
Sure. Without garlic the food tastes flat.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Garlic" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Garlic" in Portuguese
How do I say a clove of garlic?
Um dente de alho.
What is alho frito?
Fried garlic bits used as a crunchy topping.
Masculine or feminine?
Masculine: o alho.
How do I ask for no garlic?
Sem alho, por favor.
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
