How to order a smoothie in Brazilian Portuguese

Introduction

Ordering a smoothie in Brazil gives you a chance to practice basic Portuguese in a relaxed, everyday situation. The phrases you need are simple and practical. You can start with just a few words and gradually add more detail as you feel comfortable. This guide walks you through exactly what to say, word by word, to order a smoothie in Brazilian Portuguese.

What Brazilians call smoothies

In Brazil, what Americans call a smoothie is usually called a vitamina (vee-tah-MEE-nah). A vitamina is a blended drink made with fresh fruit, milk or water, and sometimes ice. You can find vitaminas at juice bars, cafes, and small restaurants called lanchonetes.

Brazilians also have other blended drinks with different names. A suco (SOO-koo) is typically a juice that may or may not be blended. An açaí (ah-sah-EE) is a thick purple smoothie made from açaí berries, usually eaten with a spoon. When ordering a vitamina, you're asking for what you likely think of as a smoothie.

The basic order: I want a smoothie

The simplest way to order is:

Eu quero uma vitamina.

Let's break down each word:

Eu (AY-oo) means "I." You can actually leave this word out and just say "Quero uma vitamina." Brazilians often drop the word for "I" because the verb form already tells you who wants the smoothie.

Quero (KEH-roo) means "I want." This comes from the verb querer (to want). The "r" sound in Brazilian Portuguese is softer than in English, almost like an "h" sound in some regions.

Uma (OO-mah) means "a" or "one." In Portuguese, this little word changes depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine. Words in Portuguese have gender, which is a grammar feature that doesn't exist in English. Each noun is either masculine or feminine, and you use different words with each type.

Vitamina is a feminine word, so you use "uma" instead of "um." If you were ordering something masculine, like um suco (a juice), you would say "um" instead of "uma." You don't need to memorize rules about which words are masculine or feminine right now. You'll learn the gender as you learn each word.

Vitamina (vee-tah-MEE-nah) means "smoothie." The word looks like the English word "vitamin," and that's because vitaminas are considered healthy and full of vitamins.

So when you put it together: Eu quero uma vitamina means "I want a smoothie."

Choosing your flavor

Most vitaminas are named after their main fruit. Here are common flavors you might see:

Vitamina de banana (vee-tah-MEE-nah jee bah-NAH-nah) means "banana smoothie." The word de (jee) means "of" or shows what the smoothie is made from.

Other popular options include:

  • Vitamina de morango (moo-RAHN-goo) - strawberry smoothie
  • Vitamina de mamão (mah-MAH-oo) - papaya smoothie
  • Vitamina de abacate (ah-bah-KAH-chee) - avocado smoothie (yes, as a sweet drink)
  • Vitamina de manga (MAHN-gah) - mango smoothie

To order a specific flavor, you say:

Eu quero uma vitamina de banana.

This means "I want a banana smoothie."

Making your smoothie with milk or water

Vitaminas can be made with milk or water. If you want to specify, you use the word com (koh) which means "with."

Eu quero uma vitamina de morango com leite.

This means "I want a strawberry smoothie with milk."

Leite (LAY-chee) means "milk." Notice that the "e" at the end sounds like "ee" in English, and the "t" before it sounds like "ch." This is a common pattern in Brazilian Portuguese.

If you want your smoothie made with water instead, you say:

Eu quero uma vitamina de manga com água.

Água (AH-gwah) means "water."

If you want your smoothie without something, you use the word sem (say) which means "without."

Eu quero uma vitamina sem açúcar.

Açúcar (ah-SOO-kahr) means "sugar." The little mark under the "c" (called a cedilla) makes it sound like an "s."

This sentence means "I want a smoothie without sugar."

Adding please and thank you

In Brazilian culture, being polite is important. You can make your order more polite by adding por favor (pohr fah-VOHR), which means "please."

You can put "por favor" at the end of your sentence:

Eu quero uma vitamina de banana, por favor.

This means "I want a banana smoothie, please."

After you receive your smoothie, you say thank you:

Obrigado (oh-bree-GAH-doo) if you're a man, or obrigada (oh-bree-GAH-dah) if you're a woman.

The person serving you might respond with de nada (jee NAH-dah), which means "you're welcome."

Asking how much it costs

To ask how much your smoothie costs, you say:

Quanto custa? (KWAHN-too KOOS-tah)

Quanto means "how much." Custa means "does it cost" or "it costs."

You can also ask before ordering:

Quanto custa uma vitamina?

This means "How much does a smoothie cost?"

Putting it all together

Here's what a complete exchange might sound like:

You: Oi. Eu quero uma vitamina de morango com leite, por favor. (Hi. I want a strawberry smoothie with milk, please.)

Server: Prontinho. (Right away/Coming up.)

Server: Aqui está. (Here you go.)

You: Obrigado. Quanto custa? (Thank you. How much does it cost?)

Server: Dez reais. (Ten reais.)

You: Obrigado. (Thank you.)

Starting simple and building confidence

You don't need to use every phrase in this guide right away. You can start by just saying the basic order:

Uma vitamina de banana, por favor.

Even without "eu quero," people will understand you want to order. As you feel more comfortable, you can add more details. You can specify milk or water. You can ask for no sugar. You can ask the price.

Each time you order a smoothie, you're practicing real Portuguese in a real situation. The person taking your order wants to help you and wants you to get the smoothie you want. If they don't understand something, they might ask you to repeat it or point to a menu. That's normal and okay.

Start with what feels manageable. Each successful order builds your confidence and prepares you for the next conversation.