Portuguese · Everyday Verbs
"to order (food)" in Portuguese: pedir
pedir
To order food in Portuguese is pedir. Say eu peço um prato or já pedi to make clear you mean the verb, not the noun pedido.
Sitting down to eat
Eu peço a feijoada e um suco de laranja.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce pedir
Say it
peh-JEER / PEH-soo
/pe.ˈdʒiʁ/
peh-JEER. Eu peço is PEH-soo
"to order (food)" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| pedir | to order / to ask for Dictionary form. | Dictionary form. |
| eu peço | I order / I ask for Clear verb form. | Clear verb form. |
| você pede | you order Questions. | Questions. |
| já pedi | I already ordered Past. | Past. |
| vamos pedir | let's order Group decision. | Group decision. |
How to use pedir in real life
- 1Sitting down to eat
Eu peço a feijoada e um suco de laranja.
I'll order the feijoada and an orange juice.
Eu peço keeps the verb clear.
- 2Sharing a table
Você pede a entrada enquanto eu escolho o prato?
Will you order the starter while I choose the main?
Você pede.
- 3Impatient wait
Já pedi há vinte minutos e nada chegou.
I ordered twenty minutes ago and nothing arrived.
Pedi = I ordered.
Mistakes English speakers make with pedir
Incorrect: Eu pedir a pizza.
Correct: Eu peço a pizza.
Conjugate: eu peço.
Incorrect: Eu quero o pedido agora (when you mean order the food)
Correct: Eu peço agora.
O pedido is also the noun order; peço marks the verb.
Good to know
In Brazilian restaurants people often call the waiter with por favor! then peço…. Delivery apps also use pedir—pedi no iFood is everyday speech.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Choosing dishes at a boteco
ChatPal
Você já sabe o que vai pedir?
Do you already know what you'll order?
You
Eu peço o pastel de carne.
I'll order the meat pastel.
ChatPal
Eu peço a porção de batata.
I'll order the portion of fries.
You
Perfeito—pedimos juntos então.
Perfect—so we'll order together.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to order (food)" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to order (food)" in Portuguese
Pedir vs encomendar?
Pedir is everyday for food; encomendar can mean place an order for goods.
I already ordered?
Já pedi.
The bill?
Different—a conta, por favor.
Noun confusion?
Prefer peço / pedi so it is clearly the verb.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
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- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
