How to Ask for Recommendations in Brazilian Portuguese — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Ask what someone recommends
A simple question is O que você recomenda? (What do you recommend?). Add a topic to make it specific: um restaurante, um passeio, um lugar para tomar café. If you want a suggestion for a local favorite, ask O que você gosta de fazer por aqui? (What do you like to do around here?).
The two questions ask for different things. Recommendações may draw on what the person knows suits visitors; perguntar o que a pessoa gosta invites a personal preference. Neither guarantees a particular place is open or right for you, so check current details separately.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Que restaurante você recomenda aqui perto? | Which restaurant do you recommend nearby? |
| O que você recomenda para um passeio de manhã? | What do you recommend for a morning outing? |
| Onde você gosta de tomar café nesta região? | Where do you like to get coffee in this area? |
Add your preferences so the answer fits
Give one useful constraint: a budget, food preference, time of day, or activity. A short detail often improves the recommendation more than a long explanation. If you have an allergy or dietary requirement, say it directly and confirm the information with the business before ordering.
Use perto de mim or aqui perto for nearby places, and para ir com crianças when you need a family-friendly suggestion. You can also ask whether a place is open today, but confirm current hours through the business because they change.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Você recomenda algum lugar barato para almoçar? | Do you recommend an inexpensive place for lunch? |
| Conhece um café tranquilo para trabalhar? | Do you know a quiet café where I can work? |
| Tem alguma opção sem carne por aqui? | Is there a meat-free option around here? |
Follow up and make a decision
A recommendation is the beginning of the exchange. Ask how to get there, what time to go, or what the person likes about it. If you are not sure you understood the answer, repeat the place name or detail and ask for confirmation. Then thank the person, whether or not you choose the suggestion.
This conversation pattern works beyond travel: you can ask a coworker about a lunch spot, a neighbor about a nearby market, or a friend for a book recommendation. Replace the noun and keep the question frame.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Fica a que distância daqui? | How far is it from here? |
| O que você mais gosta de pedir lá? | What do you most like to order there? |
| Então, você recomenda o café da esquina, certo? | So, you recommend the café on the corner, right? |
Remember: Practice a complete request: say what you need, add one preference, and ask one follow-up question. That gives the other person enough context to make a useful suggestion.
Check your understanding
Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.
Recall the Portuguese, then say it
Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.
Which restaurant do you recommend nearby?
Show a Portuguese answer
Que restaurante você recomenda aqui perto?
What do you recommend for a morning outing?
Show a Portuguese answer
O que você recomenda para um passeio de manhã?
Where do you like to get coffee in this area?
Show a Portuguese answer
Onde você gosta de tomar café nesta região?
Do you recommend an inexpensive place for lunch?
Show a Portuguese answer
Você recomenda algum lugar barato para almoçar?
Do you know a quiet café where I can work?
Show a Portuguese answer
Conhece um café tranquilo para trabalhar?
Is there a meat-free option around here?
Show a Portuguese answer
Tem alguma opção sem carne por aqui?
Make the phrase useful to you
Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.
Practice a complete request: say what you need, add one preference, and ask one follow-up question. That gives the other person enough context to make a useful suggestion.
Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.
Sources and your next lesson
This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our How to Ask for Recommendations in Brazilian Portuguese lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.
To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.
Browse all learning guides
