How to Say ‘A coffee, please’ in Portuguese
Um café, por favor
oom kah-FEH poor fah-VOR
[oom kah-FEH poor fah-VOR]
🇵🇹 In Portugal: In Portugal, asking for just [um café] usually means a standard espresso. If you want a milkier drink, say the type directly, like [um galão] or [um cappuccino].
Phrase Breakdown
Um
[oom]
a / one
Masculine singular indefinite article, used before masculine nouns like 'café'.
Um café, por favor, e um copo de água.
A coffee, please, and a glass of water.
café
[kah-FEH]
coffee
Can mean coffee in general, or in Portugal often a standard espresso at a café.
Um café, por favor, antes de sair.
A coffee, please, before leaving.
por
[poor]
for / by
In 'por favor', it is part of the fixed expression meaning 'please'.
Um café, por favor, se faz favor.
A coffee, please, if you please.
favor
[fah-VOR]
favor
Literally means favor; in 'por favor' it forms the polite expression 'please'.
Um café, por favor, com pouco açúcar.
A coffee, please, with little sugar.
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