Share Fridge and Storage Space with Roommates in Portuguese — Practice

Ask where to put your things

Prateleira is shelf and espaço is space. When you move in or buy groceries, ask which shelf or cabinet is available. It is easier to agree before the refrigerator fills up than after someone needs to move another person's things.

For food that is for everyone, use compartilhado (shared). For an item that belongs to one resident, use pessoal (personal) or add a name label.

Make a practical space agreement

Ask whether large items, meal-prep containers, or household supplies need a particular place. Some roommates prefer separate shelves; others divide space by container. Choose an arrangement people can understand without a long explanation.

Use vamos deixar… aqui? to propose a location and check whether it works for everyone.

Check before throwing something away

An old container may belong to someone who plans to use it later. Ask whether it can be discarded and, if food is shared, check who will replace it. Clear labels with a name or date can help people make that decision themselves.

Use ainda está bom? to ask whether something is still good, but do not rely on another person's answer when food safety is uncertain. Follow appropriate storage guidance for food.

Remember: Agree on shelves and shared containers, label personal items, and ask before moving or discarding someone else's things.

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.

1. Which shelf can I use?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Qual prateleira posso usar?

2. Is this container shared or personal?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Esta caixa é compartilhada ou pessoal?

3. Shall we keep the spices on this shelf?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Vamos deixar os temperos nesta prateleira?

4. Where do we keep the cleaning supplies?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Onde guardamos os produtos de limpeza?

5. Is that container yours? Should I keep it or throw it away?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Esse pote é seu? Posso guardar ou descartar?

6. Do you want to save that food for later?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Você quer guardar esse alimento para depois?

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.

Agree on shelves and shared containers, label personal items, and ask before moving or discarding someone else's things.

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 Share Fridge and Storage Space with Roommates in 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.