No Supermercado: Comprando com Confiança
Grocery shopping · a free Portuguese (Brazil) immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Onde fica a seção de frutas e verduras?
Where is the fruits and vegetables section?
Literal Where is-located the section of fruits and greens?
A practical question for navigating a Brazilian supermarket. 'Fica' (from 'ficar') is the natural way to ask where something is located.
- 'Onde fica' is the standard phrase for 'where is' when asking about locations
- 'Seção' is feminine: a seção
Quanto custa esse quilo de tomate?
How much does this kilogram of tomatoes cost?
Literal How much costs this kilo of tomato?
'Quanto custa' is the go-to phrase for asking prices. 'Esse' (this, masculine) points to something near the speaker.
- 'Quanto custa?' = 'How much does it cost?' — custa is third-person singular of custar
- 'Esse' is a masculine demonstrative; 'essa' is feminine
Você tem manga mais madura?
Do you have riper mangoes?
Literal You have mango more ripe?
Using 'mais + adjective' forms a comparative. A natural way to ask for better-quality produce at the market.
- 'Mais + adjective' = comparative: mais madura = riper
- In Brazilian Portuguese, 'você tem?' doubles as 'do you have?'
Me dá um pacote de arroz integral, por favor.
Give me a package of brown rice, please.
Literal Me give a packet of whole rice, please.
'Me dá' is an informal imperative used for polite requests in Brazilian Portuguese — softer than a formal command and very natural in shops.
- 'Me dá' (imperative of 'dar') is less formal than 'Dê-me' but entirely polite in everyday Brazilian speech
- 'Um pacote de' is a quantity expression: a package/bag of
Essas bananas estão bem frescas hoje.
These bananas are very fresh today.
Literal These bananas are well fresh today.
'Bem' before an adjective intensifies it in casual Brazilian speech. 'Estão' (from estar) is used because freshness is a temporary state.
- 'Estar' (estão) describes temporary or changeable states; 'ser' would imply a permanent characteristic
- 'Bem + adjective' = very/quite in colloquial Brazilian Portuguese
Vou levar dois quilos de frango.
I'll take two kilos of chicken.
Literal I-go take two kilos of chicken.
'Vou levar' uses the 'ir + infinitive' structure for near-future actions. 'Levar' (to take) is the standard verb for purchasing items at a counter.
- 'Ir + infinitive' expresses near future: vou levar = I'll take / I'm going to take
- 'Dois quilos de' is a plural quantity expression
O preço do queijo subiu muito esse mês.
The price of cheese went up a lot this month.
Literal The price of-the cheese rose much this month.
A natural comment you might overhear or say at the market. 'Subiu' is the preterite of 'subir' (to go up/rise).
- 'Do' = de + o (contraction before masculine nouns)
- 'Subiu' is pretérito perfeito (simple past) of 'subir'
Pode me ajudar a encontrar o molho de tomate?
Can you help me find the tomato sauce?
Literal Can me help to find the sauce of tomato?
A polite request using 'pode' (can you) + infinitive. This structure is widely used when asking store staff for assistance.
- 'Pode + infinitive' = polite 'Can you...?' or 'Could you...?'
- 'Ajudar a + infinitive' = to help (someone) do something
Preciso de uma dúzia de ovos e um litro de leite.
I need a dozen eggs and a liter of milk.
Literal I-need of a dozen of eggs and a liter of milk.
Stacking quantity expressions naturally in one sentence. 'Preciso de' (I need) is the core phrase for expressing shopping needs.
- 'Preciso de' = I need — always followed by 'de' before the noun
- 'Uma dúzia de' and 'um litro de' are standard quantity expressions
Você aceita cartão de débito no caixa?
Do you accept debit card at the checkout?
Literal You accept card of debit at-the checkout?
An essential phrase at the end of any shopping trip. 'No caixa' (at the checkout) uses the contraction 'no' = em + o.
- 'No' = em + o (preposition + masculine definite article)
- 'Aceita' = accepts / do you accept (present tense, você-form of aceitar)
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
fresco
fresh
O peixe está bem fresco hoje.
The fish is very fresh today.
Use 'fresca' with feminine nouns: a salada está fresca
quilo
kilogram
Quanto custa um quilo de uva?
How much does a kilogram of grapes cost?
Abbreviated to 'kg' on labels; plural is 'quilos'
verduras
vegetables / leafy greens
Comprei verduras frescas na feira.
I bought fresh vegetables at the market.
Refers to leafy greens; 'legumes' covers harder vegetables like carrots and potatoes
dúzia
dozen
Me dá uma dúzia de ovos, por favor.
Give me a dozen eggs, please.
Always paired as 'uma dúzia de + noun'
pesar
to weigh
Pode pesar essas maçãs para mim?
Can you weigh these apples for me?
Common at produce counters and deli sections in Brazilian supermarkets
caixa
checkout / cashier
A fila no caixa está grande.
The checkout line is long.
Can also mean 'box' or 'cash register'; context usually makes it clear
oferta
sale / special offer
Esse iogurte está em oferta hoje.
This yogurt is on sale today.
'Em oferta' = on sale/promotion; a very common phrase in Brazilian supermarkets
maduro
ripe / mature
Você tem abacate mais maduro?
Do you have a riper avocado?
Use 'madura' with feminine nouns: a manga está madura
embalagem
packaging / package
A embalagem diz que tem 500 gramas.
The packaging says it has 500 grams.
The word you need when reading product labels in the store
comprar
to buy / to purchase
Vou comprar mais café amanhã.
I'm going to buy more coffee tomorrow.
Core shopping verb; pairs naturally with 'ir + comprar' for near-future plans
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Dona Cláudia foi ao supermercado na sexta-feira para comprar ingredientes para o almoço de domingo. Ela pegou um carrinho e foi direto para a seção de frutas e verduras, onde escolheu tomates bem maduros, um molho de cheiro-verde e duas cenouras grandes. Na peixaria, perguntou ao atendente quanto custava o salmão e decidiu levar meio quilo. Quando chegou no caixa, reparou que o azeite estava em oferta e colocou uma garrafa no carrinho antes de pagar.
Sentence by sentence
foi ao supermercado
went to the supermarket
'Foi' is the simple past of 'ir' (to go). 'Ao' = 'a + o' — the preposition 'a' contracts with the masculine article 'o' before 'supermercado'.
para comprar ingredientes
to buy ingredients
'Para + infinitive' expresses purpose (in order to). This structure transfers to any goal-explaining sentence.
foi direto para a seção
went straight to the section
'Direto' functions as an adverb here (straight/directly). 'Para a seção' uses 'para' before a feminine noun — no contraction occurs with feminine 'a'.
perguntou quanto custava
asked how much it cost
'Perguntou' (she asked) introduces an indirect question. 'Custava' is the imperfect past of 'custar', used for ongoing or background states in the past.
decidiu levar meio quilo
decided to take half a kilo
'Decidiu + infinitive' = decided to do something. 'Meio quilo' (half a kilo) is one of the most common quantity expressions at a market counter.
o azeite estava em oferta
the olive oil was on sale
'Estar em oferta' is the fixed phrase for something being on promotion. 'Estava' is the imperfect past of 'estar', indicating a state that was ongoing at that moment.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Quantity Expressions: um quilo de, uma dúzia de, um pacote de
In Brazilian Portuguese, quantities are built with an article or number + unit of measurement + 'de' + noun. The noun after 'de' does not change based on gender — the 'de' creates a fixed link. Mastering these expressions lets you shop, cook, and talk about food naturally.
[article / number] + [unit] + de + [noun]
Quero um quilo de carne moída.
I want a kilogram of ground beef.
Me dá uma dúzia de ovos, por favor.
Give me a dozen eggs, please.
Vou levar dois pacotes de macarrão.
I'll take two packages of pasta.
Preciso de meio litro de leite.
I need half a liter of milk.
Ela comprou três latas de feijão.
She bought three cans of beans.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Portuguese (Brazil): 'I need a dozen eggs and a liter of milk.'
Hint Use 'uma dúzia de' for a dozen and 'um litro de' for a liter.
Complete the sentence: 'Vou levar dois ______ de frango.' (I'll take two kilos of chicken.)
Hint The word means 'kilos' — the plural of the unit of weight.
You want to ask if the store accepts debit card at the checkout. Which sentence is correct?
Translate to English: 'O preço do queijo subiu muito esse mês.'
Hint 'Subiu' comes from the verb 'subir', meaning to rise or go up.
Rewrite using a quantity expression: 'Quero arroz integral.' → Add 'um pacote de' to make it more specific.
Hint Use 'Me dá' to politely ask for something in a shop, and add 'por favor' at the end.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
Nice work, you understood something real today. Come back tomorrow for a fresh one.
Make one about your own world
This is a ready-made capsule from our library. Sign up free to generate a daily Portuguese (Brazil) capsule about any theme you choose, hear it spoken, and save the bits you want to keep.