Dividindo a Conta
Splitting the bill · a free Portuguese (Brazil) immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Vamos dividir a conta entre todos?
Shall we split the bill among everyone?
Literal Let's divide the bill between everyone?
A casual, natural way to propose splitting the bill equally among the group at the start of the conversation.
- 'Vamos' + infinitive is a go-to structure for group suggestions meaning 'let's' or 'shall we'
- 'entre todos' uses the preposition 'entre' (between/among) with 'todos' (everyone)
Quanto cada um deve pagar?
How much does each person owe?
Literal How much each one must pay?
A direct, practical question used when calculating individual shares of the bill.
- 'Quanto' opens price/quantity questions; here it asks for an amount
- 'cada um' = each one / each person — a distributive expression that never changes for gender
Poderíamos pagar metade cada um.
We could each pay half.
Literal We could pay half each one.
A polite suggestion using the conditional tense to propose splitting the bill down the middle.
- 'Poderíamos' is the first-person plural conditional of 'poder' — softer and more polite than 'podemos'
- 'metade' = half; key fraction word alongside 'um terço' (a third) and 'um quarto' (a quarter)
Você prefere pagar no cartão ou em dinheiro?
Do you prefer to pay by card or in cash?
Literal You prefer to pay in the card or in money?
Asking a friend about their preferred payment method — a very common exchange at Brazilian restaurants.
- 'no cartão' = by card, formed by the contraction em + o = no
- 'em dinheiro' = in cash — a fixed expression that does not contract
A conta deu duzentos e cinquenta reais no total.
The bill came to two hundred and fifty reais in total.
Literal The bill gave two hundred and fifty reais in the total.
Stating the grand total using Brazilian currency; 'deu' here colloquially means 'came to' or 'totaled'.
- 'deu' is the preterite of 'dar' (to give), used colloquially when a total 'comes out to' an amount
- 'reais' is the plural of 'real' (R$), Brazil's currency
Eu pago a minha parte agora.
I'll pay my share now.
Literal I pay my part now.
In Brazilian Portuguese, the present tense naturally covers near-future intentions — no future tense needed here.
- Present tense frequently replaces the future in spoken Brazilian Portuguese for immediate actions
- 'parte' = share / portion of the bill; interchangeable with 'porção' in this context
Posso te fazer uma transferência pelo aplicativo?
Can I send you a transfer through the app?
Literal Can I you make a transfer through the app?
Asking to pay digitally via an app like Pix or PicPay — extremely common in Brazil today.
- 'Posso' = can I — first-person singular present of 'poder'; used for offers and requests
- 'pelo aplicativo' = through the app, formed by the contraction por + o = pelo
Ele pediu o prato mais caro, então deveria pagar mais.
He ordered the most expensive dish, so he should pay more.
Literal He ordered the dish more expensive, then he should pay more.
Using the conditional 'deveria' to express a logical moral obligation — he should pay more because he ordered more.
- 'deveria' is the conditional of 'dever' — expresses what someone ought to do, more polite than 'deve'
- 'mais caro' = more expensive; in context it reads as superlative (the most expensive)
Divide igual para todo mundo?
Split equally for everyone?
Literal Divide equal for all world?
A quick, informal confirmation that the group agrees to an even split; 'todo mundo' is a hallmark of casual Brazilian speech.
- 'todo mundo' = everyone, literally 'all world' — extremely common in informal Brazilian Portuguese
- 'igual' functions as an adverb here meaning 'equally'; no adverb suffix needed
Não se preocupe, dessa vez eu pago.
Don't worry, I'll pay this time.
Literal Don't yourself worry, of this time I pay.
A warm, generous offer to cover the whole bill, using a reflexive verb in the negative imperative.
- 'Não se preocupe' = don't worry — reflexive verb 'preocupar-se' in the informal negative imperative
- 'dessa vez' = this time, formed by de + essa + vez — a fixed time expression
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
conta
bill / check
Pode trazer a conta, por favor?
Can you bring the bill, please?
Also means 'account' in banking; context makes the meaning clear
dividir
to split / to divide
Vamos dividir a conta?
Shall we split the bill?
Regular -ir verb; used for both math division and sharing costs among people
metade
half
Você paga metade e eu pago a outra.
You pay half and I'll pay the other.
Key fraction word; pair with 'um terço' (a third) and 'um quarto' (a quarter)
transferência
transfer (digital payment)
Posso te fazer uma transferência agora?
Can I send you a transfer now?
Often used with Pix, Brazil's instant payment system
dinheiro
money / cash
Você tem dinheiro ou prefere cartão?
Do you have cash or do you prefer card?
'em dinheiro' = in cash — a fixed, non-contracting expression
cartão
card
Prefiro pagar no cartão.
I prefer to pay by card.
'cartão de crédito' = credit card; 'cartão de débito' = debit card
reais
reais (Brazilian currency)
A conta foi oitenta reais.
The bill was eighty reais.
Plural of 'real' (R$); singular: 'um real' — always lowercase in running text
parte
share / part
Cada um paga a sua parte.
Each person pays their own share.
Interchangeable with 'porção' when referring to one's portion of a shared bill
poderíamos
we could
Poderíamos pagar juntos.
We could pay together.
Conditional of 'poder'; signals polite group suggestions — softer than 'podemos' (we can)
cada
each / every
Cada um deve pagar a sua parte.
Each one should pay their share.
Always followed by a noun or 'um/uma'; invariable — never changes for gender or number
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Depois de um jantar animado com quatro amigos, o garçom trouxe a conta: trezentos e vinte reais. Marina logo sugeriu: 'Poderíamos dividir igual para todo mundo?' Mas Carlos lembrou que tinha pedido apenas uma entrada e água. Então, decidiram que cada um pagaria conforme o que pediu. Marina e Ana pagaram oitenta reais cada uma, Carlos pagou quarenta, e Rodrigo — que pediu o prato mais caro e a sobremesa — pagou cento e vinte. 'Posso te fazer uma transferência pelo Pix agora?' Ana perguntou a Marina. 'Claro, não se preocupe,' Marina respondeu com um sorriso.
Sentence by sentence
Poderíamos dividir igual para todo mundo?
We could split equally for everyone?
The conditional 'poderíamos' softens the suggestion into a polite proposal. 'Igual para todo mundo' means an even split — a natural, idiomatic phrasing in casual Brazilian Portuguese.
cada um pagaria conforme o que pediu
each person would pay according to what they ordered
'Cada um' distributes responsibility individually. 'Pagaria' is the conditional of 'pagar' (would pay). 'Conforme o que pediu' = according to what they ordered — linking payment to the order.
Posso te fazer uma transferência pelo Pix agora?
Can I send you a Pix transfer right now?
Pix is Brazil's widely used instant payment network. 'Fazer uma transferência pelo Pix' = to make a Pix transfer. 'Posso te' positions the indirect object 'te' (you) before the verb — standard in Brazilian Portuguese.
Não se preocupe
Don't worry
Reflexive verb 'preocupar-se' in the informal negative imperative (tu/você). A warm, reassuring phrase heard constantly in everyday Brazilian conversation.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Polite Suggestions with the Conditional: poderíamos / poderia
In Brazilian Portuguese, the conditional tense of 'poder' makes suggestions sound cooperative rather than demanding. 'Poderíamos' (we could) invites the group to consider an option; 'poderia' (you/he/she could) politely suggests an action to someone else. This register is essential for social negotiations like splitting a bill.
Sujeito + poderíamos / poderia + infinitivo
Poderíamos dividir a conta em partes iguais.
We could split the bill in equal parts.
Você poderia pagar a sua parte agora?
Could you pay your share now?
Poderíamos pedir a conta juntos.
We could ask for the bill together.
Ele poderia pagar um pouco mais, já que pediu mais.
He could pay a bit more, since he ordered more.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
How much should each person pay?
Hint Use 'quanto' for 'how much' and 'cada um' for 'each person'.
Vamos dividir a conta entre todos?
Hint Think of 'vamos' as a suggestion ('let's / shall we').
Poderíamos pagar ___ cada um. (We could each pay half.)
Hint The missing word means 'half'.
You want to politely offer to cover the bill this time. Which phrase fits best?
Hint Look for the phrase with 'dessa vez' (this time).
Rewrite this sentence using 'poderia' to make it more polite: "Você pode fazer uma transferência?"
Hint Swap the present tense 'pode' for the conditional form.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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