How to Say ‘I was thinking of ordering a drink.’ in Portuguese
Estava a pensar pedir uma bebida.
esh-TAH-vah ah pen-SAR peh-DEER OO-mah beh-BEE-dah
[esh-TAH-vah ah pen-SAR peh-DEER OO-mah beh-BEE-dah]
💬 Usage Tip: European Portuguese often uses [estar a] + verb for what English says with [be ...ing]: [estava a pensar], [estou a ver]. In Brazil you'll often hear [estava pensando] instead.
🇵🇹 In Portugal: This is softer than just saying you're ordering a drink. In flirting, that makes it a useful lead-in before offering to buy one.
Phrase Breakdown
Estava
[esh-TAH-vah]
I was
Imperfect tense used to make a statement sound softer and more tentative.
«Estava» ajuda a frase a soar casual.
“I was” helps the sentence sound casual.
a
[ah]
to
Connects the verb to the ongoing action in the Portuguese structure.
O «a» faz parte da construção verbal.
The “to” is part of the verbal structure.
pensar
[pen-SAR]
thinking
Part of «estar a pensar», meaning to be thinking about something.
Com «pensar», a intenção parece mais suave.
With “thinking,” the intention seems softer.
Pedir uma bebida
peh-DEER OO-mah beh-BEE-dah
to ask for a drink / to order a drink
The action of requesting a beverage, often in a café or bar.
Quero pedir uma bebida.
I want to order a drink.
Words in this phrase
pedir
[peh-DEER]
to ask for / order
Used when speaking about ordering something, especially food or drinks.
A palavra «pedir» é muito útil no bar.
The word “to order” is very useful at the bar.
uma
[OO-mah]
a
Feminine indefinite article used before «bebida».
Usei «uma» antes do nome feminino.
I used “a” before the feminine noun.
bebida
[beh-BEE-dah]
drink
A general word for a beverage in a social context.
«bebida» é uma palavra útil para convites num bar.
“drink” is a useful word for invitations in a bar.
Get the Full Learning Experience
This lesson is just a preview. Download PrettyFluent to practice pronunciation, roleplay conversations, and master vocabulary with spaced repetition.
Pronunciation Feedback
AI-powered speech recognition to perfect your accent
Spaced Repetition
Retain vocabulary long-term with smart practice
Immersive Roleplaying
Practice real conversations with AI partners
Custom Scenarios
Request lessons tailored to your specific needs
Get Full LessonWhat Learners Are Saying
“Rio de Janeiro tested my Portuguese every single day. The real-world scenarios in this app meant I could actually keep up with locals at the beach bars.”
Chris B., 33, Digital Nomad
“Moved to Lisbon with zero Portuguese and honestly thought I’d be pointing at menus forever. Three weeks in and I’m having real conversations with my landlord.”
Priya N., 35, Freelance Designer
“I hop cities every few months and this is the only app that actually prepares me for living somewhere, not just visiting. Tokyo was the real test — passed with flying colors.”
James O., 28, Remote Worker