Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| café da manhã | /kaˈfɛ da mɐ̃ˈɲɐ̃/ (Brazil) | Brazil |
| desjejum | /dez.ʒeˈʒũ/ (Brazil) /d͡ʒiz.ʒeˈʒũ/ (Brazil) |
rare |
| pequeno-almoço | /piˌkẽ.nu.awˈmo.su/ (Brazil) /peˌkẽ.nu.awˈmo.su/ (Brazil) |
Portugal |
| mata-bicho | /ˌma.tɐˈbi.ʃu/ (Brazil) /ˌma.tɐˈbi.ʃu/ (Portugal) |
Angola, Mozambique |
The term refers to the first meal of the day. In Brazil, the most natural way to say 'to have breakfast' is to use the verb tomar (to take/drink) with the phrase tomar o café da manhã rather than using the verb comer (to eat).
What does it mean word for word?
The Brazilian term café da manhã literally translates to 'morning coffee'. The Portuguese term pequeno-almoço literally translates to 'small lunch'.
Which one should you use?
café da manhã is the standard term used in Brazil, whereas pequeno-almoço is the term used in Portugal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, use café da manhã. In Portugal, use pequeno-almoço. In parts of Angola and Mozambique, the term mata-bicho is occasionally used to mean breakfast.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verbal phrase tomar o café da manhã to mean 'to have breakfast', the article o is typically included.
How do you pronounce it?
/kaˈfɛ da mɐ̃ˈɲɐ̃/
Did you know?
- The expression mata-bicho literally means 'kill the bug'. It refers to the idea of killing the hunger-bug or parasite in the stomach with the first meal of the day.
Examples in context
- Tome o café da manhã.Have breakfast.This sentence shows how to use café da manhã as a command to have breakfast.Tatoeba #4865601 by carlosalberto, translation #4625806 by Arondayot
- Ela fez café da manhã.She made breakfast.This sentence shows the use of café da manhã when someone has prepared the meal.Tatoeba #2868859 by alexmarcelo, translation #2868011 by Amastan
- Tomamos o café da manhã.We had breakfast.This sentence shows how to use café da manhã to state that a group of people had the meal.Tatoeba #3466015 by piterkeo, translation #2241100 by CK
- Café da manhã é a refeição mais importante do dia.Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
- Vamos tomar café da manhã juntos amanhã?Shall we have breakfast together tomorrow?
- Que horas é o desjejum do hotel?What time is breakfast at the hotel?
- Vamos tomar um café da manhã reforçado antes do trabalho?Let's have a hearty breakfast before work.
- Hoje acordei com vontade de comer um pequeno-almoço típico.Today, I woke up wanting to have a typical breakfast.
- 318 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is in the kitchen in the morning.
- GabrielCamila, o café da manhã está na mesa.Camila, breakfast is on the table.
- CamilaObrigada, Gabriel. Eu estava com muita fome.Thanks, Gabriel. I was very hungry.
- GabrielVocê quer um pouco de café também?Do you want some coffee too?
- CamilaSim, por favor, eu adoraria.Yes, please, I would love some.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “breakfast” translations and entries café da manhã, desjejum, pequeno-almoço, mata-bicho, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries café, café da manhã, da, desjejum, manhã, mata-bicho, pequeno-almoço, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
