French and Portuguese
By: Graça Gesteira
If you are a foreigner, speak French, you are hungry in a Brazilian restaurant and you want to eat a typical dish with a very northeasterly dessert, do not be intimidated. Ask the waiter for a “purée de papate douce com filet mignon e um douce de banane ou jaque”.
If you do not eat meat, “lagouste com legumes e vinaigre” can replace the “filet”. The waiters will understand you perfectly. After all, who is the Brazilian who does not understand this French?
Thanks to the similarity between French and Portuguese, it is sometimes very easy to memorize some names of fruits, vegetables, condiments and other foods.
Beware of the genre and with the pronunciation and Bon Appétit!
| FRANÇAIS |
PORTUGUÊS |
ENGLISH |
| Les fruits de mer | Os frutos do mar | Seafood |
| Farine de manioc | Farinha de mandioca | Cassava flour |
| La purée | O purê | Mashed potato |
| Le filet mignon | Filé mignon | Filet |
| Le miel | O mel | Honey |
| Le sel | O sal | Salt |
| Le vinaigre | O vinagre | Vinegar |
| Le salade | A salada | Salad |
| La patate douce | A batata doce | Sweet potato |
| La tomate | O tomate | Tomato |
| L’espinard | O espinafre | Spinach |
| Les fruits | As frutas | Fruits |
| La banane | A banana | Banana |
| Le cajou | O caju | Cashew |
| Le kaki | O caqui | Khaki |
| Le coco | O côco | Coconut |
| La goyave | A goiaba | Guava |
| La jaque | A jaca | “Jaca” |
| La mangue | A manga | Mango |
| Le melon | O melão | Melon |
| Le chocolate | O chocolate | Chocolate |
| Le guarana | O guaraná | Guarana |
| Le soda | O refrigerante | Soda |
| L’aperitif | O aperitivo | Appetizer |
| Le pain | O pão | Bread |
| La soupe | A sopa | Soup |
