Olá, cervejeiros! If you love beer and are learning Portuguese, this blog post is for you. Today, we’re diving into the wonderful world of beer vocabulary in Portuguese, phrases to help you order like a local, and a little bit about the beer culture in Brazil. Vamos lá!
Beer Vocabulary in Portuguese: The Basics
First things first, let’s learn how to say beer in Portuguese. It’s cerveja (pronounced ser-VAY-zha). You will hear it in the audio file below.
Let’s also add some more beer-related words to your vocabulary arsenal.
The words below are in alphabetical order with the Portuguese word first. “F” indicates a feminine word and “M” indicates a masculine word.
🎧 In the audio file, podcaster and YouTuber Dion Cosetin says each word twice. Listen to his beautiful accent from Rio Grande do Sul. Notice the sound of the letter R.
- Aroma (f): aroma
- Bar (m): Bar
- Caneca (f): Mug
- Carbonatação (f): Carbonation
- Cardápio (m): Menu
- Carta de cervejas (f): Beer list, beer menu
- Cerveja (f): Beer
- Cervejaria (f): Brewery
- Cervejaria cigana (f): literally: Gypsy brewery. These are breweries that don’t have their own manufacturing facility, so they outsource their production
- Chope (m): Draft beer (often spelled “chopp” but that’s not the correct spelling)
- Com colarinho/Sem colarinho: with head/without head
- Copo (m): Glass
- Espuma (f):Foam, head
- Estupidamente gelada: ridiculously cold (that’s how we like our beer!)
- Fenóis(m): Phenols
- Fermentação (f): Fermentation
- Garçom (m)/Garçonete (f): Waiter/Waitress
- Garrafa (f): Bottle
- Gelada: Cold (used to describe a cold beer)
- Lata/Latinha (f): Can
- Levedura (f): Yeast
- Lúpulo (m): Hop
- Malte (m): Malt
- Pasteurização (f): Pasteurization
- Refermentação na garrafa (f): Bottle conditioning
- Saúde!: Cheers! (saúde means health)
- Sazonal: Seasonal
- Sedimento (m): Sediment
- Tanino (m): Tannin
- Teor Alcoólico por Volume – ABV (m): Alcohol by Volume
- Turbidez (f): Turbidity
- Unidades de Amargor Internacional – UBI (f): International Bitterness Units
Brazilian Beer Slang
When traveling through Brazil, you might hear different slang terms for beer depending on the region.
Two popular slang words you’ll come across are cerva and breja (listen to the pronunciation in phrases # 10 and # 11 below).
The term cerva is short for cerveja, and it’s widely used in many parts of Brazil. It’s a casual and affectionate way to refer to beer, much like saying “brew” in English.
Breja is another popular slang for beer, commonly used in São Paulo and some other regions. It has a laid-back, colloquial vibe and is often heard among friends enjoying a drink together.
Phrases to Order Beer Like a Local in Brazil
Knowing the vocabulary is great, but you need to put it into action! Here are some key phrases to help you order a beer in Brazil.
In the sentences below, I use three different ways we commonly call the waiter in restaurants and bars. It doesn’t make sense in English, but it’s common in Brazil. Notice in sentence # 1 we call the waiter “mestre” (literally: master). In sentence # 6, we use “chefe” (boss), and in sentence # 7, we have “companheiro” (pal, mate). These terms are more commonly used when the waiter is a man.
In # 8 I use “amigo” (friend), which is also a very common way to call your server. If the server is female, use “amiga”.
1) Mestre, traz uma cerveja estupidamente gelada, por favor. (Master, bring a ridiculously cold beer, please.)
2) Qual cerveja você recomenda? (Which beer do you recommend?)
3) Eu gostaria de um chope. (I’d like a draft beer.)
4) Tem cerveja artesanal? (Do you have craft beer?)
5) Uma cerveja bem gelada, por favor. (A really cold beer, please.)
6) Chefe, posso ver a carta de cervejas? (Boss, can I see the beer list?)
7) Companheiro, uma cerveja, por favor. (Pal, one beer, please.)
8) Traz outra gelada, amigo? (Bring us another cold one, my friend?)
And here are some phrases to invite your friends to grab a cold one
9) Topa tomar uma cervejinha mais tarde? (Are you up for having a beer later?)
10) Vamos tomar uma cerva hoje? (Shall we have a beer today?)
11) Hoje é dia de breja gelada! (Today is a day for cold beer!)
👉🏼 Make sure you visit my lesson on how to order food and drinks in Brazil – and how not to order 🙀
A Little Bit About Brazilian Beer
Brazil has a vibrant beer culture that’s worth exploring. The country is one of the largest beer producers in the world, and we Brazilians love uma cervejinha bem gelada.
Here are a few popular Brazilian beer brands you might encounter:
• Skol: One of the most popular beers in Brazil, known for its light and refreshing taste.
• Brahma: Another favorite, offering a smooth and crisp flavor.
• Antarctica: Famous for its classic Pilsen style. It was my dad’s favorite.
• Bohemia: Brazil’s oldest brewery, offering a variety of beer styles.
In recent years, the craft beer scene in Brazil has blossomed, with microbreweries popping up all over the country. If you’re a beer enthusiast, you’ll love exploring the diverse range of artisanal beers available, from fruity IPAs to rich stouts.
When my husband Carl was in Brazil for the first time, all the way back in 2009, he wrote about his beer experience there. The beer scene has sure changed since then but Carl’s list of microbrews to try is still a good one.
Fun Cultural Facts
Sharing is Caring
It’s common to order a large bottle of beer to share with friends, pouring it into smaller glasses.
The large beer bottle is placed in an insulate bottle holder in the center of the table to keep the beer cold.
- Isopor: styrofoam
- Porta-garrafas: bottle holder
We love drinking beer in small glasses because we can slowly drink without letting the beer warm up in the glass.
Fun fact: we call these small glasses “copo americano”:
We also have small beer bottles, which we call “long neck” 😄 When you order a long neck, many bars and restaurants bring an ice bucket (balde de gelo) with several bottles so you can serve yourself as you like and always have a cold beer.
Beach Vibes
Enjoying a cold beer on the beach is a quintessential Brazilian experience. Look for vendors selling cold beer right on the sand. I miss that!
And do ask for “uma cerveja bem gelada” when you order!
Practice Makes Perfect
Now that you have the vocabulary and phrases down, it’s time to practice. Head to your favorite Brazilian bar or restaurant, order a cerveja, and impress your friends with your new Portuguese skills. Who knows, you might even make some new Brazilian friends along the way!
Not sure if you’ll know how to order? I’ve got you covered.
Get access to interactive exercises to practice various phrases for ordering food and drinks in Brazil and more.
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✓ 21 Idiomatic Expressions with Colors
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