Polite ways to say “Could you tell me what is in this dish?” in Portuguese

Introduction

Knowing polite ways to ask about a dish in Brazilian Portuguese is essential when dining out, visiting friends, or exploring markets. This article teaches beginner-friendly phrases, useful vocabulary, simple explanations, and short dialogues so you can confidently ask Could you tell me what is in this dish? in Brazilian Portuguese and understand common replies.

Why politeness matters in Brazilian Portuguese dining situations

Politeness helps you sound natural and respectful in restaurants, homes, and street-food settings. Brazilians often appreciate friendly tone and expressions like por favor and com licença. Learning several ways to ask about ingredients will also help you manage allergies, dietary preferences, or curiosity about flavors.

Key vocabulary for asking about dishes

por favor — please

com licença — excuse me (to get attention politely)

o prato — the dish

os ingredientes — the ingredients

tem — has / is there

contém — contains

é feito de — is made of

senhor / senhora — sir / ma’am (polite forms, optional in casual settings)

só para confirmar — just to confirm

eu sou alérgico / eu sou alérgica — I am allergic (male / female speaker)

Simple polite phrases to ask about a dish

Here are beginner-friendly sentence patterns you can use. The first occurrence of each main Portuguese phrase is emphasized.

Com licença, você pode me dizer o que tem neste prato, por favor? — Excuse me, can you tell me what is in this dish, please?

Por favor, o que contém este prato? — Please, what does this dish contain?

Você pode me explicar do que é feito este prato? — Can you explain what this dish is made of?

Só para confirmar, este prato tem leite/ovo/nozes? — Just to confirm, does this dish have milk/egg/nuts?

Eu sou alérgico(a). Você sabe se este prato contém amendoim? — I am allergic. Do you know if this dish contains peanuts?

Breaking down the phrases for beginners

Com licença is used to get someone’s attention politely, useful in busy restaurants. Você pode me dizer literally means can you tell me. O que tem neste prato translates as what is in this dish. Use por favor at the end to sound more polite.

Contains and is made of are slightly different: contém focuses on ingredients present, while é feito de emphasizes how the dish is prepared or its main components. Both are correct depending on what you want to know.

Practical examples and short dialogues

These short dialogues show realistic exchanges at a restaurant or food stall. Use br for line breaks.

Dialogue 1 — waiter in a restaurant
Com licença, você pode me dizer o que tem neste prato, por favor?
Claro. Este prato tem arroz, feijão, frango grelhado e legumes.
Obrigado. Este prato contém lactose?
Não, não contém lactose.

Dialogue 2 — market food vendor
Por favor, o que contém esse sanduíche?
Tem pão, queijo coalho, tomate e maionese caseira.
Ah, eu sou alérgica ao queijo. Tem sem queijo?
Sim, podemos tirar o queijo.

Dialogue 3 — asking about a homemade dish
Você pode me explicar do que é feito esse prato?
É feito de batata, cebola, carne moída e temperos.
Só para confirmar, tem ovo na receita?
Não, não tem ovo.

Common replies you might hear

When you ask about ingredients, servers or hosts will often use these simple replies.

Tem arroz, feijão e carne. — It has rice, beans and meat.

Contém leite e ovo. — It contains milk and egg.

Não contém nozes. — It does not contain nuts.

É feito com tomate e cebola. — It is made with tomato and onion.

Posso tirar o queijo se quiser. — I can remove the cheese if you want.

Polite words and tone to memorize

Using a soft tone and adding small polite words makes a big difference. Memorize these and use them naturally.

por favor — please

obrigado / obrigada — thank you (male / female speaker)

com licença — excuse me

desculpe — sorry / excuse me (if you interrupt someone)

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Beginners often mix formal and informal language. Stick with você for general polite questions in casual dining. Avoid using tu unless you are sure the speaker uses that form. Also, be careful with gender agreement: use alérgico if you identify as male and alérgica if female.

Another mistake is literal word order from English. The natural Portuguese order for this question is O que tem neste prato? not Que tem neste prato? Practice the common sentence patterns rather than translating word-for-word.

Quick grammar tips for these questions

Tem functions like there is/there are or has, and is commonly used in spoken Brazilian Portuguese. Contém is slightly more formal and common on menus or ingredient labels. Use né? or certo? only in casual confirmations with friends, not with servers if you want to remain polite.

Use neste (in this) when pointing to a specific plate at the table. Use neste prato or neste sanduíche. If asking about a menu item by name, say no prato de frango, por exemplo.

Vocabulary list for common ingredients

arroz — rice

feijão — beans

frango — chicken

carne — meat

peixe — fish

leite — milk

ovo — egg

nozes — nuts

amendoim — peanuts

queijo — cheese

pimenta — pepper / chili

sal — salt

azeite — olive oil

cebola — onion

alho — garlic

Tips for real-life use

Point at the dish or the menu item while asking to avoid confusion. If you have allergies, start with Eu sou alérgico(a) to make the situation clear. If you are unsure about formal vs. informal situations, use você and polite markers like por favor and obrigado(a).

When reading menus, look for the word contém or ingredientes to find ingredient lists more quickly. If the server seems busy, use com licença to get attention before asking your question.

More sample sentences you can memorize

Com licença, este prato tem pimenta?

Por favor, este prato é picante?

Você sabe se tem glúten neste prato?

Só para confirmar, tem peixe na receita?

Eu sou alérgica a amendoim. Este prato contém amendoim?

Short practice dialogue for a beginner

Cliente: Com licença, você pode me dizer o que tem neste prato, por favor?
Garçom: Sim. Tem arroz, feijão, bife e salada.
Cliente: Obrigada. Esse prato é muito picante?
Garçom: Não, é suave. Podemos colocar pimenta à parte.

Conclusion

Learning polite ways to ask Could you tell me what is in this dish? in Brazilian Portuguese makes dining experiences smoother and more enjoyable. Focus on phrases like Com licença, você pode me dizer o que tem neste prato, por favor?, useful vocabulary, and simple replies. With these practical examples and polite markers, you will navigate restaurants, markets, and home meals with confidence.