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How to Say ‘The bacalhau à Brás (salt cod with egg and potatoes)’ in Portuguese

O bacalhau à Brás

oo buh-kuh-LYOW ah brahsh

[oo buh-kuh-LYOW ah brahsh]

💬 Usage Tip: à is a + a and is short for "in the style of". It shows up in many dish names: à Brás, à lagareiro, à Bulhão Pato.

Phrase Breakdown

O bacalhau

oo buh-kuh-LYOW

The salt cod

'Bacalhau' is dried salt cod, a Portuguese staple. Say 'oo buh-kuh-LYOW', with the stress on the last syllable.

Example

O bacalhau é muito popular.

Salt cod is very popular.

Words in this phrase

[oo]

the

A masculine singular definite article used before nouns.

Example

O prazer de participar foi grande.

The pleasure of taking part was great.

bacalhau

[buh-kuh-LYOW]

salt cod

Dried salted cod, Portugal's most beloved fish.

Example

Comemos bacalhau no Natal.

We eat salt cod at Christmas.

à Brás

ah brahsh

Brás style

'À' means 'in the style of'. Bacalhau à Brás is shredded cod with fried potatoes and egg. Say 'ah BRAHSH'.

Example

Quero o bacalhau à Brás.

I want the bacalhau à Brás.

Words in this phrase

[ah]

in the style of

Short for 'à moda de', naming how a dish is prepared.

Example

Gosto de bife à portuguesa.

I like Portuguese-style steak.

Brás

[brahsh]

Brás (name)

A surname; the cod dish with egg, onion and fried potato is named after him.

Example

O bacalhau à Brás leva ovos.

Bacalhau à Brás has eggs in it.

Guides for Portuguese learners

The Portuguese You Actually Need in Your First Month in PortugalThe European Portuguese phrases for your first weeks in Portugal: paperwork, renting a flat, the bank, the health centre, cafés, trains and your new neighbours.

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