Introduction
Being invited to dinner in Brazil is a warm, social experience full of friendly phrases and small courtesies. This article teaches what to say in Portuguese when you are invited to dinner, covering acceptance, polite refusals, arrival phrases, compliments, and after-dinner expressions. Learn useful vocabulary, set phrases, and cultural notes to feel confident at Brazilian tables.
- Before the Dinner: Responding to an Invitation
- Arriving at the Host’s Home
- During Dinner: Useful Phrases at the Table
- Conversational Phrases: Small Talk at the Table
- After Dinner: Expressing Gratitude and Saying Goodbye
- Common Vocabulary and Short Dialogues
- Politeness and Cultural Tips
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Practice Phrases Summary
- Conclusion
Before the Dinner: Responding to an Invitation
Accepting an invitation
When someone invites you, Brazilians appreciate a warm and clear reply. A simple and polite way to accept is to say obrigado or obrigada followed by a confirmation phrase. Choose obrigado if you identify as male and obrigada if you identify as female.
Examples:
Obrigado pelo convite. Eu aceito.
Obrigada pelo convite. Vou adorar ir.
Another natural response is com prazer, which is equivalent to saying you will gladly attend.
Example:
Com prazer, estarei lá às oito.
Asking for details
If you need more information, use polite questions to confirm time, address, or what to bring. Use onde for where, que horas for what time, and posso levar for asking if you can bring something.
Example questions:
Onde vai ser o jantar?
Que horas começa?
Posso levar alguma coisa?
Usage note: When asking about what to bring, hosts often say traga or traga só to invite you to bring a particular item. If they say nothing, bringing a bottle of wine or a dessert is usually appreciated.
Politely declining
Sometimes you must refuse. Use a brief apology plus a clear reason. Start with infelizmente or desculpe and follow with a short explanation.
Example refusals:
Infelizmente não posso. Tenho outro compromisso.
Desculpe, já tenho planos para essa noite.
Usage note: Brazilians value honesty and warmth. Offering an alternative, like suggesting another day, helps maintain the relationship: Sinto muito, mas podemos marcar para sábado?
Arriving at the Host’s Home
Greeting people
When you arrive, greet the host and other guests. Use oi or olá for a casual hello, and boa noite for evening gatherings. Include a brief thanks: obrigado/obrigada pelo convite.
Sample arrival lines:
Oi, tudo bem? Obrigado pelo convite.
Boa noite! Obrigada por me receber em casa.
Usage note: A handshake is acceptable with acquaintances, while friends often exchange a light kiss on the cheek. Pay attention to the host’s cues.
Offering a gift
It is common to bring a small gift for the host, such as flowers, wine, or dessert. When you hand the gift over, say um presente para você or simply isso é para você.
Example:
Isso é para você, obrigado por nos convidar.
Usage note: If the host refuses to open the gift immediately, accept their preference; they may prefer to open it later.
During Dinner: Useful Phrases at the Table
Offering to help
Hosts sometimes appreciate help, though many will politely decline. Offer help with simple, respectful phrases like posso ajudar and quer que eu ajude.
Examples:
Posso ajudar a pôr a mesa?
Quer que eu lave os pratos depois?
Usage note: If the host says no, accept graciously: Tudo bem, obrigada. Aproveito a comida.
Complimenting the food
Compliments are always welcome. Use words like delicioso, muito bom, saboroso, or está ótimo to praise a dish. If you want to be more specific, say what you liked: o tempero, a maciez, or a apresentação.
Examples:
Que delícia! Está muito bom.
O tempero está perfeito. Obrigada!
Usage note: Brazilians love sincere praise of home-cooked food. You can also ask what ingredients or recipe the host used: Como você fez esse prato?
Asking for seconds or passing dishes
When you want more food, use posso repetir or posso mais. To ask someone to pass a dish, say me passa or pode me passar.
Examples:
Posso repetir o arroz?
Me passa o feijão, por favor.
Usage note: Always say por favor when asking for something and obrigado/obrigada when receiving it.
Dietary restrictions and preferences
If you have dietary restrictions, it’s good to mention them beforehand or discreetly at the table. Use phrases like sou alérgico/sou alérgica for allergies and não como for foods you don’t eat.
Examples:
Sou alérgico a amendoim.
Não como carne vermelha. Tem algo sem carne?
Usage note: Brazilians are generally accommodating. Say obrigado when the host adjusts the meal.
Conversational Phrases: Small Talk at the Table
Starting light conversations
Use pleasant, engaging topics such as work, family, food, or recent events. Useful starters include como foi seu dia, você trabalha com, and em que cidade você mora.
Examples:
Como foi seu dia hoje?
Você mora por aqui há muito tempo?
Reacting to stories and jokes
Respond with short, encouraging phrases: que legal, que interessante, nossa, and muito engraçado. These keep the conversation flowing and show interest.
Examples:
Nossa, que legal! Conta mais.
Muito engraçado, você sempre foi assim?
Usage note: Brazilians appreciate warmth and humor. Laughing and smiling are natural reactions.
Polite interruptions
If you need to interject or ask a question, use com licença or desculpe interromper to be courteous.
Examples:
Com licença, posso fazer uma pergunta?
Desculpe interromper, você falou algo sobre a receita?
After Dinner: Expressing Gratitude and Saying Goodbye
Thanking the host
End the evening with clear gratitude. Use phrases like muito obrigado/muito obrigada, obrigado pelo jantar, or obrigada pela noite. Add a compliment to make it warmer.
Examples:
Muito obrigada pelo jantar, estava tudo delicioso.
Obrigado pela hospitalidade. Amei a sobremesa.
Usage note: If you brought a gift, remind the host they can call you later about it: Se precisar, me avisa.
Saying goodbye
Common farewells include até logo, boa noite, and até mais. If you plan to meet again soon, say nos vemos em breve.
Examples:
Boa noite, obrigada por tudo. Até mais!
Até logo! Foi ótimo te ver.
Following up the next day
A quick message the next day is a polite touch. Send a text or call saying obrigado novamente or muito obrigado pela noite. Mention something specific you enjoyed to be sincere.
Example message:
Obrigado novamente pela noite de ontem. A comida estava incrível e adorei a conversa.
Usage note: This small gesture strengthens friendships and shows appreciation for the invitation.
Common Vocabulary and Short Dialogues
Key vocabulary
convite invitation
convite can be used to refer to any kind of invitation, formal or informal.
jantar dinner
jantar is typically used for evening meals; almoço refers to lunch.
hospedeiro or anfitrião host
anfitrião is commonly used; hospedeiro is more formal or regional.
receber to receive, to host
receber appears in phrases like Obrigado por nos receber.
Short dialogues
Dialogue 1 — Accepting
Amiga: Você vem jantar aqui no sábado?
Você: Sim, obrigada. Que horas?
Amiga: Às oito. Traga uma sobremesa se quiser.
Você: Perfeito. Obrigada, até sábado!
Dialogue 2 — Arriving
Você: Oi, boa noite! Obrigado pelo convite.
Anfitrião: Boa noite! Que bom que veio. Pode entrar.
Você: Obrigada. Trouxe um vinho para você.
Dialogue 3 — Leaving
Você: Muito obrigado pela noite, estava tudo maravilhoso.
Anfitrião: Que bom que gostou! Obrigado por vir.
Você: Até mais, nos vemos em breve.
Politeness and Cultural Tips
Be warm and sincere
Brazilians value warmth and personal connection over strict formality. Use a friendly tone and genuine compliments. Saying obrigado/obrigada sincerely goes a long way.
Timing and punctuality
Brazilian social events often start a little later than the scheduled time. Arrive within a reasonable window: if the invitation says 20:00, arriving 10–20 minutes later is usually acceptable for casual dinners. For formal events, aim to be punctual.
Dress code and presentation
Ask the host if there is a dress code. For most home dinners, casual-smart attire is fine. If you bring food, present it in a clean container or nicely wrapped.
Children and plus-ones
If you want to bring a guest or a child, ask beforehand. Use the phrase Posso levar um convidado? or Posso levar meu filho? Hosts may say sim or pedir confirmação about space and food.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Overstaying
Be mindful of cues that the evening is winding down. Thank the host and offer to leave if others start to tidy up: Não quero atrapalhar, podemos ir indo.
Being too formal or too blunt
A balance between polite and friendly works best. Avoid extremely formal phrases unless the setting calls for it, and avoid blunt negative comments about the food or home.
Not responding to invitations promptly
Replying quickly helps the host plan. If you need time to decide, give a clear deadline: Posso te confirmar até amanhã?
Practice Phrases Summary
Short list of ready-to-use phrases for a dinner invitation
Obrigado/Obrigada pelo convite.
Com prazer, estarei lá.
Onde vai ser o jantar?
Posso levar alguma coisa?
Oi, boa noite! Obrigado por me receber.
Posso ajudar?
Que delícia! Está muito bom.
Muito obrigado pela noite.
Conclusion
Knowing what to say in Portuguese when invited to dinner helps you join Brazilian social life with confidence. Use friendly acceptance phrases, polite arrival greetings, appreciative compliments during the meal, and sincere thanks afterward. Remember small cultural cues like warmth, slight flexibility on timing, and offering a small gift when appropriate. These simple phrases and tips will help you connect and enjoy Brazilian dinners with ease.
