The u in qua and gua in Portuguese

1. 1
   água/ˈaɡwɐ/

   waternoun

   A portion of water served for drinking.
2. 2
   linguiça/lĩˈɡwisɐ/

   sausagenoun

   Seasoned meat inside a long casing.
3. 3
   quente/ˈkẽtʃi/

   hotadjective

   At a high temperature.
4. 4
   aguado/aˈɡwadu/

   wateryadjective

   Thin, with too much water.
5. 5
   quantidade/kwɐ̃tʃiˈdadʒi/

   quantitynoun

   How much there is of something.
6. 6
   aguardar/aɡwaɾˈda/

   to waitverb

   To keep waiting until something happens.
7. 7
   quase/ˈkwazi/

   almostadverb

   Very close, but not yet.
8. 8
   quando/ˈkwɐ̃du/

   whenadverb

   At what moment.
9. 9
   tranquilo/tɾɐ̃ˈkwilu/

   calmadjective

   Without any worry.
10. 10
    qualidade/kwaliˈdadʒi/

    qualitynoun

    How good something is.

The sentences

1. Você pode me trazer um copo de água, por favor?

   Could you bring me a glass of water, please?

2. Eu vou querer uma porção de linguiça bem passada.

   I'll have a portion of sausage, well done.

3. Cuidado, o prato ainda está muito quente.

   Careful, the plate is still very hot.

4. Esse café está meio aguado, você pode fazer outro?

   This coffee is a bit watery, could you make another one?

5. A quantidade de comida aqui é sempre muito boa.

   The amount of food here is always really good.

6. Pode aguardar só um minutinho que a linguiça já sai.

   Please wait just a minute, the sausage is almost out.

7. Seu pedido já está quase pronto, só um minuto.

   Your order is almost ready, just a minute.

8. Você me avisa quando a comida sair?

   Will you let me know when the food is out?

9. Pode ficar tranquilo, eu não estou com pressa.

   Don't worry, I'm not in a hurry.

10. A carne desse boteco tem uma qualidade muito boa.

    The meat at this boteco is really good quality.

Pronunciation

• linguiça/lĩˈɡwisɐ/

  The u is pronounced: say lin-GUI-ça with a w sound, as in água.

• quente/ˈkẽtʃi/

  The en is nasal and the final te sounds like "tchi".

• quantidade/kwɐ̃tʃiˈdadʒi/

  The ti sounds like tchi, as in tia.

• aguardar/aɡwaɾˈda/

  The final r almost disappears: say aguardá.

• quando/ˈkwɐ̃du/

  The a in quan is nasal, as in canto.

• tranquilo/tɾɐ̃ˈkwilu/

  The u is pronounced: say tran-KWI-lu, with a w sound.

Good to know

boteco

It's a simple, informal bar with a counter, snacks and beer. You usually order straight at the counter or from your table, without any ceremony.

petisco

It's a portion of food for nibbling, like sausage or fries, meant to be shared. It's usually ordered together with the drinks.

gorjeta

Many places already include a 10 % service charge in the bill, and you can check this on the receipt. If it's included, you don't need to leave anything more.

comanda

In many bars you get a card or slip of paper where they note what you consume. You pay everything at the cashier on your way out.

Questions

How do I ask for a glass of water in Portuguese?

You can say "Você pode me trazer um copo de água, por favor?" The word água is a noun meaning water served to drink.

What does aguardar mean in Portuguese?

Aguardar means to keep waiting until something happens. For example: "Pode aguardar só um minutinho que a linguiça já sai."

How do I pronounce the u in linguiça?

The u is pronounced, with a w sound, as in água: lin-GUI-ça.