SpeekuHow to say

How to say beer in European Portuguese

What people say, and how it sounds.

The answer
beer, the wordcerveja/sɨɾˈvɐʒɐ/
a small draught beer, in Lisbonimperial/ĩpɨɾiˈaɫ/

The short answer

Cerveja is the word for beer. What you order is uma imperial, a small draught beer, in Lisbon and the south; in Porto the same glass is um fino. Ask for uma cerveja and you will be asked which one.

A bottle is uma garrafa; the big draught glass is uma caneca.

ser-VAY-zha

The first e is reduced almost to nothing in Portugal, so it is s'r-VAY-zha, stress on vei, and the j is the s of pleasure. Imperial stresses its last syllable: ĩ-pe-ri-AL.

Hear it in a sentence

Every line is one the course teaches, with its European Portuguese audio.

cerveja/sɨɾˈvɐʒɐ/

beer

A cerveja checa é famosa.

Czech beer is famous.

Quero uma cerveja bem gelada.

I want an ice-cold beer.

Bebi a cerveja de um só trago.

I drank the beer in one gulp.

imperial/ĩpɨɾiˈaɫ/

imperial

A coroa imperial está no museu.

The imperial crown is in the museum.

Pedi três croquetes e uma imperial.

I ordered three croquettes and a small beer.

Ela visitou o antigo palácio imperial.

She visited the old imperial palace.

People also ask

Imperial or fino?

Imperial in Lisbon and most of the country, fino in Porto and the north. Both are the same small glass of draught lager.

How do I order one?

Uma imperial, se faz favor. For a second: mais uma.

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