How to respond in Portuguese when someone asks if a table is reserved

Introduction

Learning how to respond when someone asks if a table is reserved is a useful, everyday skill for anyone visiting a restaurant, café, or bar in Brazil. This article teaches beginner-friendly phrases, vocabulary, simple dialogues, and polite responses in Brazilian Portuguese so you can understand and speak confidently in common dining situations.

Why this situation matters

Asking about a reservation is a common interaction at restaurants. Knowing how to understand the question and give a clear answer helps avoid confusion, gets you seated faster, and shows politeness. This topic also introduces basic grammar patterns, common verbs, and simple politeness phrases that are useful in many service interactions.

Key vocabulary and grammar

Reservado – reserved (adjective)

Reservar – to reserve (verb)

Mesa – table

Sim – yes

Não – no

Tem – there is/there are (from ter)

Por favor – please

Obrigado / Obrigada – thank you (male / female speaker)

The verb structure for saying a table is reserved: Mesa + está + reservada. For asking, common patterns use Tem + mesa + reservada? or A mesa está reservada?

Common questions you will hear

Essa mesa está reservada? – Is this table reserved?

Tem mesa reservada para dois? – Is there a reserved table for two?

Tem reserva no nome de…? – Is there a reservation under the name…?

Vocês têm reserva? – Do you have a reservation?

Simple, polite responses

If the table is reserved and you are confirming:

Sim, a mesa está reservada. – Yes, the table is reserved.

Sim, temos uma reserva no nome de Silva. – Yes, we have a reservation under the name Silva.

If no reservation exists:

Não, essa mesa não está reservada. – No, this table is not reserved.

Não temos reserva para esse horário. – We do not have a reservation for that time.

If you need a moment to check or to call a manager:

Um momento, por favor. Vou verificar. – One moment, please. I will check.

Posso verificar com o gerente? – Can I check with the manager?

Short dialogs beginners can use

At the table

Customer: Essa mesa está reservada?
Host: Não, está livre. Pode sentar.

Reservation by name

Customer: Tem reserva no nome de Oliveira?
Host: Sim, tem. A reserva é para quatro pessoas.

Need to check

Customer: Essa mesa é para mim?
Host: Um momento, por favor. Vou verificar a lista de reservas.

Polite ways to offer a seat if the table is free

Pode sentar, por favor. – Please, have a seat.

Esta mesa está livre. – This table is free.

Posso acompanhar vocês até a mesa? – May I accompany you to the table?

How to ask for clarification or additional details

If you need to confirm the number of people:

Para quantas pessoas é a reserva? – For how many people is the reservation?

If you want the reservation time:

Qual o horário da reserva? – What time is the reservation?

If you need the reservation name or spelling:

Qual o nome da reserva?
Como você soletra o sobrenome? – What is the reservation name? / How do you spell the last name?

Common short phrases for staff and guests

Está ocupado – It is occupied

Está livre – It is free

Reservado para… – Reserved for…

Tem reserva? – Do you have a reservation?

Sem reserva – No reservation

Politeness tips and cultural notes

In Brazil, being polite and friendly goes a long way. Simple words like por favor and obrigado/obrigada are expected. When staff checks for a reservation, a calm response and patience are appreciated. Also, greetings are common: a short bom dia, boa tarde, or boa noite before asking makes the interaction smoother.

When in doubt about gendered words: the word reservada modifies mesa, which is feminine in Portuguese, so use reservada not reservado when talking about a table.

Useful vocabulary in context

Chegada – arrival

Lista de reservas – reservation list

Fila de espera – waiting list

Horário – time, schedule

Example sentence combining words:

Chegamos e perguntamos se nossa reserva estava na lista de reservas. – We arrived and asked if our reservation was on the reservation list.

Common mistakes beginners make

Using the wrong gender for adjectives: remember mesa is feminine, so say reservada not reservado.

Omitting por favor: in service situations, forgetting por favor can sound blunt. Use por favor when asking someone to check or wait.

Confusing ter and estar: to say a table is reserved, use estar: a mesa está reservada, not a mesa tem reservada.

Realistic scenarios and sample responses

Scenario: You arrive at a busy restaurant without a reservation and ask if a table is reserved.

Customer: Bom dia. Essa mesa está reservada?
Host: Bom dia. Não, está livre. Quantas pessoas?
Customer: Somos três.
Host: Perfeito, sigam-me, por favor.

Scenario: You are a host confirming a reservation by phone.

Host: Boa tarde. Aqui é o Restaurante Verde. Você tem uma reserva para hoje às 19h no nome de Costa?
Caller: Sim, essa reserva é minha. Obrigada.

Practical phrases for special situations

If the table is reserved for later and you want to sit now:

A reserva é só depois. Podemos sentar agora? – The reservation is only later. Can we sit now?

If there is a waiting list:

Tem fila de espera? – Is there a waiting list?

Sim, a espera é de cerca de 20 minutos. – Yes, the wait is about 20 minutes.

Quick reference cheat sheet

Tem reserva? – Do you have a reservation?

Essa mesa está reservada? – Is this table reserved?

Sim, está reservada. – Yes, it is reserved.

Não, está livre. – No, it is free.

Um momento, por favor. – One moment, please.

How to practice these phrases

Practice by imagining common situations: arriving at a café, being seated, or calling to confirm. Repeat the short dialogues out loud, switch roles between customer and host, and focus on pronunciation of key words like reservada, mesa, and reserva. Listening to simple Brazilian Portuguese dialogues online and repeating them helps build natural rhythm and confidence.

Conclusion

Knowing how to respond when someone asks if a table is reserved gives you practical language tools for everyday life in Brazil. With the vocabulary, sample replies, short dialogues, politeness tips, and common mistakes shown here, beginners can handle real restaurant interactions confidently. Practice the simple phrases and soon these conversations will feel natural.