Food & Drinks

1. A carta, por favor

   The menu, please

   Usage

   The first thing to ask at a restaurant. A fixed-price meal is "o menú"

   Grammar Note

   carta is feminine and also means a restaurant menu. "A" is the feminine definite article

2. Quería un café con leite, por favor

   I'd like a coffee with milk, please

   Usage

   A polite way to order a coffee with milk. "Café solo" is black coffee

   Grammar Note

   "Quería" is the imperfect of querer, used for polite requests. leite is the Galician word for milk (Spanish leche; spelled as in Portuguese)

3. A conta, por favor

   The bill, please

   Usage

   The standard way to ask for the check at the end of a meal

   Grammar Note

   conta means bill or account and is feminine. Spelled differently from Spanish "cuenta"

4. Está delicioso!

   It's delicious!

   Usage

   Praise for a dish. For several dishes: "Están deliciosos / deliciosas"

   Grammar Note

   estar is used for a state of the moment. Only the closing "!" is written. "Está moi bo!" means the same

5. Ten unha mesa para dous?

   Do you have a table for two?

   Usage

   Ask for a free table when you enter (to vostede)

   Grammar Note

   dous is the masculine form of "two" (dúas is feminine); here it counts people. The verb is ten, not Portuguese "tem"

6. Quería unha ración de polbo á feira

   I'd like a portion of polbo á feira

   Usage

   Orders Galicia's signature dish of boiled octopus. A portion is a "ración"

   Grammar Note

   octopus is polbo, not Spanish "pulpo". á is the contraction a + a and the accent is required

7. Non como carne

   I don't eat meat

   Usage

   Tells the restaurant you are vegetarian. If you avoid fish too: "Non como carne nin peixe"

   Grammar Note

   "non" goes before the verb. carne is feminine but takes no article here

8. Hai menú do día?

   Do you have a menu of the day?

   Usage

   Asks about the set lunch menu (starter, main and so on)

   Grammar Note

   hai is the invariable "there is" (Spanish hay). do is the contraction de + o. Only the closing "?" is written

9. Pode traer máis pan, por favor?

   Could you bring more bread, please?

   Usage

   A polite way to ask for more bread at the table (to vostede)

   Grammar Note

   máis carries an accent (not Spanish "más"). pan is masculine

10. Onde está o baño?

    Where is the restroom?

    Usage

    Asks for the restroom in a restaurant. Signs often say "Servizos" or "Aseos"

    Grammar Note

    baño is written with ñ (not Portuguese "banho"). It is short for cuarto de baño

11. o arroz

    Rice (cooked)

    Usage

    For a side of rice or a rice dish

    Grammar Note

    arroz is masculine and is rarely pluralised

12. o pan

    Bread

    Usage

    For asking for bread at a meal or in a bakery

    Grammar Note

    pan is masculine. Its plural is pans (-n → -ns)

13. os fideos

    Noodles / pasta

    Usage

    Noodles in soup or pasta. Macaroni is "os macarróns"

    Grammar Note

    fideo is masculine and is normally used in the plural. Pasta in general is "a pasta"

14. picante

    Spicy (hot)

    Usage

    Chilli heat only; "hot" for temperature is "quente". To ask for mild: "Sen picante"

    Grammar Note

    Same form for both genders; plural picantes. Spelled as in Spanish and Portuguese

15. doce

    Sweet

    Usage

    Says that something tastes sweet. As a noun, "o doce" is a sweet

    Grammar Note

    Same form for both genders; plural doces. It is spelled like the numeral doce (twelve) but is a different word

16. cru

    Raw (uncooked)

    Usage

    Describes food that is not cooked. Feminine: crúa

    Grammar Note

    Feminine is crúa, with an accent. No -do ending as in Spanish "crudo"

17. a sopa

    Soup

    Usage

    For ordering soup. Galicia's typical soup is "o caldo galego"

    Grammar Note

    sopa is feminine; the RAG dictionary defines it as a dish of broth with solid ingredients

18. a froita

    Fruit

    Usage

    For asking for fruit, or whether fruit is on the dessert list

    Grammar Note

    Spelled froita (with -oi-), not Spanish "fruta". Used as a collective noun in the singular

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