boa comida
/ˈbo(w).ɐ koˈmi.dɐ/word by word
The English phrase "good food" is translated into Portuguese as boa comida.
boa comida is used to describe food that tastes pleasant or is of high quality.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, while you can use boa comida, people in casual conversation are more likely to use the phrase comida gostosa to describe tasty food. If you want to say "The food is sensational" in Brazil, you can use A Comida é Sensacional. In Mozambique, to say "I'm really enjoying the food", you can say Estou a Gostar Muito da Comida.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective boa (good) must agree in gender with the feminine noun comida (food).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbo(w).ɐ koˈmi.dɐ/ (4 syllables). The stress is on the 1st syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use bom comida. Because comida is a feminine noun, you must use the feminine form boa.
Did you know?
- While boa comida describes quality, the word gostosa used in Brazil for 'tasty' can also be used to describe a physically attractive person.
- The word boa can actually mean 'boa constrictor' in Portuguese. Because the name of the snake comes from the same Latin root, the word for 'good' and the name of the large snake are spelled identically.
- The term boa mesa literally means 'good table' and is used to describe a person who appreciates high-quality food and fine dining.
Examples in context
- Esse hotel serve boa comida.That hotel serves very good food.This sentence shows how to use boa comida to describe what a hotel serves.Tatoeba #8105641 by iT4LL, translation #68614 by CK
- Ele foi direto para um lugar onde boa comida era servida.He went straight to a place where good food was served.This sentence demonstrates using boa comida to describe food being served in a specific place.Tatoeba #380371 by brauliobezerra, translation #289394 by sundown
- A parte mais importante de se divertir é ter realmente uma boa comida.The most important part of having fun is having really good food.This sentence uses boa comida to link having good food with having fun.Tatoeba #8239714 by josivangoncalves, translation #8105190 by AlanF_US
Example conversation
Juliana and Rodrigo are deciding where to eat dinner.
- JulianaVocê conhece algum lugar com boa comida por aqui?Do you know any place with good food around here?
- RodrigoSim, tem um restaurante italiano excelente na esquina.Yes, there is an excellent Italian restaurant on the corner.
- JulianaPerfeito, eu estou com muita fome!Perfect, I am very hungry!
- RodrigoVamos lá, você vai adorar a boa comida deles.Let's go, you will love their good food.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (boa, comida) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries boa, comida, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
