sem carne
/ˈsẽj̃ ˈkaʁ.ni/word by word
The Portuguese phrase for "no meat" is sem carne.
The phrase sem carne is used to specify that a dish or a meal should be prepared without any meat products.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the preposition sem (without) and the noun carne (meat).
How does it change in a sentence?
Because carne is a non-count noun in this context, you do not need to add an article or make it plural to say "no meat".
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈsẽj̃ ˈkaʁ.ni/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- In many Portuguese-speaking regions, saying sem carne might lead a waiter to ask if you want 'chicken' or 'fish' instead, as 'carne' often implies red meat specifically.
- The word carne descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *(s)ker-, which meant 'to cut off'.
- Because carne refers to flesh, it is used in Portuguese to describe both a steak and the physical skin or 'flesh' of a human being.
Examples in context
- Nada de carne para mim, por favor.No meat for me, please.
- Sem carne para mim, tá?No meat for me, okay?
- Pode tirar a carne, eu sou vegetariano/vegetariana.You can remove the meat, I'm a vegetarian.
- Não como carne.I don't eat meat.
- Eu sou vegetariano/vegetariana.I'm vegetarian.
- Não como carne, pois sou vegano/vegana.I don't eat meat because I'm vegan.
- Que pratos vegetarianos vocês têm?What vegetarian dishes do you have?
- Este prato é sem carne.This dish is without meat.
- Eu quero um hambúrguer sem carne.I want a hamburger without meat.
- Ela faz uma dieta sem carne.She follows a meat-free diet.
Example conversation
Camila and Lucas are ordering food at a restaurant.
- CamilaLucas, você quer a pizza com calabresa?Lucas, do you want the pizza with sausage?
- LucasNão, eu prefiro uma pizza sem carne.No, I prefer a pizza with no meat.
- CamilaTudo bem, vou pedir a de queijo.All right, I will order the cheese one.
- LucasObrigado, Camila!Thank you, Camila!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sem, carne) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries carne, sem, CC BY-SA 4.0.
