How do you say grocery store in Brazilian Portuguese?

Supermercado means supermarket. Mercado can mean a market and, depending on context, a grocery store. The name people use may depend on the type of shop and region.

How do I ask where something is in a supermarket?

Ask ‘Onde fica o arroz?’ (Where is the rice?) or ‘Onde eu encontro o leite?’ (Where can I find the milk?). Replace the item with what you need.

How do I ask the price per kilo?

Ask ‘Quanto custa o quilo?’ (How much is a kilo?). You can also ask ‘Pode pesar, por favor?’ (Could you weigh it, please?) when buying produce by weight.

Brazilian Grocery Store Portuguese: Useful Shopping Phrases

Use the episode as a listening prompt. First, listen for the overall topic. On a second listen, note any words you recognize and replay the parts you want to understand better. The examples below are written for this companion guide.

Ask where to find something

In a supermarket, a short question is often enough. Pointing or naming the item can help if you do not know the aisle.

Onde fica o arroz? — Where is the rice?
Onde eu encontro o café? — Where can I find the coffee?
Você sabe onde fica o leite? — Do you know where the milk is?
Fica em qual corredor? — Which aisle is it in?

Corredor means aisle. A store employee might answer with a number, such as no corredor três (“in aisle three”). That is an example response; store layouts vary.

Buy fruit and vegetables by weight

Some produce is priced by weight. These phrases let you check the price and ask for help weighing it:

Quanto custa o quilo? — How much is a kilo?
Pode pesar, por favor? — Could you weigh it, please?
Quero meio quilo de tomate. — I’d like half a kilo of tomatoes.
Onde eu peso isso? — Where do I weigh this?

In some stores, produce is weighed in the section; in others, it is weighed at checkout. If you are unsure, ask Onde eu peso isso?

Finish at the checkout

É só isso, obrigado. — That’s all, thank you. (masculine speaker)
É só isso, obrigada. — That’s all, thank you. (feminine speaker)
Precisa de sacola? — Do you need a bag?
Sim, por favor. — Yes, please.
Não, obrigado. — No, thank you. (masculine speaker)

For a checkout question about Pix, cash, or cards, see our guide to paying in Brazil.

Try a short supermarket conversation

This is an original practice dialogue for the guide, not dialogue from the podcast.

You: Com licença, onde fica o café?
Excuse me, where is the coffee?

Employee: Fica no corredor três.
It’s in aisle three.

At checkout: É só isso. Precisa de sacola?
That’s all. Do you need a bag?

You: Não, obrigado. Quanto ficou?
No, thank you. How much is it?

Practice before your next shopping trip

Listen to the episode once for the general topic.
Choose three phrases from this guide and say them aloud.
Listen again and notice which Portuguese words you can recognize without reading.
Change the products in the examples to match what you actually buy.

Continue with more Portuguese phrases for travel, practice everyday listening in the Real Life Portuguese app, or speak with a teacher in a trial lesson.