How to say “Who made this dish?” in Portuguese

Introduction

Asking who cooked a dish is a simple but useful question in everyday situations like dinner parties, restaurants, and family gatherings. This article explains how to say and understand Who made this dish? in Brazilian Portuguese, plus related vocabulary, polite replies, and short dialogues for beginners.

Basic phrase: Who made this dish?

The most direct way to ask Who made this dish? in Brazilian Portuguese is Quem fez este prato? This is clear and natural in many settings, from home meals to restaurants where you are complimenting the food.

Breaking down the phrase

Quem means who.

Fez is the past tense of fazer, to do or to make. Fez is used for he/she/you formal in the simple past.

Este means this. In Brazilian Portuguese, este is common in speech, but você may also hear esse in some contexts; we use este here because it points to a dish close to the speaker.

Prato means plate or dish. It can refer to a dish on a menu or a prepared food item.

Variations and alternatives

Portuguese offers several natural ways to ask the same question depending on formality and context.

Quem fez este prato? — Standard, neutral. Good for restaurants, home, or friends.

Quem fez esse prato? — Very common in casual speech; esse is used when the dish is near the listener or when pointing to something slightly less immediate.

Quem preparou este prato? — Slightly more formal; preparar emphasizes preparation rather than just making.

Quem cozinhou isto? — Uses cozinhar (to cook) and isto (this thing). Good if you want to ask specifically who cooked the food.

Polite forms and tone

When speaking with strangers or in a formal restaurant, it is polite to add a phrase like por favor or com licença.

Quem fez este prato, por favor?

If you want to be extra polite, you can start with com licença, which roughly means excuse me.

Com licença, quem fez este prato?

Useful vocabulary

Quem — who

Fez — made (past of fazer)

Fazer — to make, to do

Prato — dish, plate

Este / Esta / Isto — this (masculine / feminine / neutral)

Esse / Essa — that (near listener)

Preparar — to prepare

Cozinhar — to cook

Por favor — please

Com licença — excuse me

Example sentences with translations

Quem fez este prato? — Who made this dish?

Quem preparou a salada? — Who prepared the salad?

Quem cozinhou o feijão? — Who cooked the beans?

Este prato está delicioso — quem fez? — This dish is delicious — who made it?

Por favor, quem fez a sobremesa? — Please, who made the dessert?

Short dialogues for beginners

These short dialogues show realistic contexts where you might ask or answer the question.

Dialogue 1: At a family dinner
A: Quem fez este prato?
B: Minha mãe fez. Ela é uma ótima cozinheira.

Translation A: Who made this dish?
Translation B: My mother made it. She is a great cook.

Dialogue 2: At a potluck party
A: Com licença, quem preparou o arroz com curry?
B: Eu preparei. Quer a receita?

Translation A: Excuse me, who prepared the rice with curry?
Translation B: I prepared it. Want the recipe?

Dialogue 3: In a restaurant complimenting the chef
A: Este prato está incrível. Quem fez?
B: Foi o chefe de cozinha, o João.

Translation A: This dish is amazing. Who made it?
Translation B: It was the head chef, João.

Common replies

To answer who made the dish, use simple constructions.

Eu fiz. — I made it.

Ela fez. — She made it.

Ele fez. — He made it.

Foi a Ana. — It was Ana.

Foi o chef. — It was the chef.

Minha vó fez. — My grandma made it.

Contextual tips and cultural notes

In Brazil, complimenting food is common and appreciated. A positive comment often leads to a proud reply about who made it. If someone says the dish is delicious, you can follow with a question about the recipe.

Use você for informal you when speaking to friends or family and o senhor / a senhora in very formal service contexts, though many restaurants use informal tone with customers.

Beginner pronunciation guide

Quem — pronounce like kem (k sound + em sound). The r at the start of the word is not present; quem starts with a k-like sound.

Fez — fehz (short e like in bed, z sound at the end).

Prato — PRAH-too (stress on the first syllable, a like father).

Preparou — preh-pah-ROH (stress on the last syllable, r pronounced like an h in many Brazilian accents when between vowels depending on region).

Cozinhou — koh-zin-YOH (the nh gives a palatal nasal sound like ny in canyon, stress on last syllable).

Common mistakes to avoid

Do not translate word-for-word from English fixed structures. For example, literal Who did this dish? would be awkward. Use Quem fez este prato? or one of the natural alternatives instead.

Avoid using fazer in present tense for asking about a completed action. Do not say Quem faz este prato? unless you mean who usually makes this dish or who makes it as a habit.

Be careful with este versus esse. Use este when pointing to a dish near you; esse is natural in casual speech and near the listener.

Practical situations and sample phrases

At a restaurant when you want to compliment the kitchen staff: Este prato está maravilhoso. Quem fez?

At a dinner with friends asking who cooked a special dish: Quem cozinhou o bobó de camarão?

At a potluck checking who brought what: Quem trouxe a salada?

Asking for a recipe after learning who made it: Você poderia me passar a receita? Quem fez esse prato?

Short practice scenarios (read aloud)

Scenario 1: You taste a dessert and want the recipe — say Este doce está ótimo. Quem fez?

Scenario 2: You are at a family meal and hear applause for a dish — ask Quem preparou esse prato tão gostoso?

Scenario 3: At a friend’s BBQ you want to compliment the cook — say Nossa, quem fez a carne? Está perfeita.

Extra expressions related to food

Está delicioso — It is delicious.

Posso pegar a receita? — Can I get the recipe?

Quem é o chef? — Who is the chef?

Quem trouxe isso? — Who brought this?

When to use formal language

In upscale restaurants or when addressing older people formally, add por favor and use polite pronouns if you want to be very respectful. For example: Com licença, por favor, quem preparou este prato?

Quick reference card

Quem fez este prato? — Who made this dish?

Eu fiz. — I made it.

Foi o chef. — It was the chef.

Por favor / Com licença — Please / Excuse me.

Conclusion

Knowing how to ask Who made this dish? in Brazilian Portuguese opens up friendly conversations at meals and helps you learn recipes and cultural details. Start with Quem fez este prato?, try natural variations like Quem preparou?, and practice simple replies. Use polite phrases when appropriate and enjoy connecting over food.