Meaning
To eat the evening meal.
Cultural Background
Dinner is often the main social event of the day. It starts late (8-9 PM) and can last for hours with multiple courses. In many Brazilian cities, dinner is a full meal like lunch, but in some families, it's replaced by a heavy snack called 'lanche'. Dinner often features traditional dishes like Funge. It is a deeply communal meal. Dinner might include 'Cachupa', the national dish, especially on special occasions.
The 'o' is key
Always include the 'o' when using 'tomar'. Saying 'tomar jantar' sounds incomplete to native ears.
Don't say 'comer o jantar'
While understandable, it sounds very child-like or overly literal. Stick to 'tomar o jantar' or just 'jantar'.
Meaning
To eat the evening meal.
The 'o' is key
Always include the 'o' when using 'tomar'. Saying 'tomar jantar' sounds incomplete to native ears.
Don't say 'comer o jantar'
While understandable, it sounds very child-like or overly literal. Stick to 'tomar o jantar' or just 'jantar'.
Dinner time
If you are in Portugal, don't expect to take dinner before 8 PM. Most restaurants don't even open until 7:30 PM!
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'tomar'.
Eu ______ o jantar às oito horas.
The subject is 'Eu' (I), so the verb 'tomar' must be in the first person singular present tense.
Which sentence is correct?
Select the natural way to say 'We are having dinner'.
Portuguese uses 'tomar' conjugated for 'nós' (tomamos) plus the article 'o' and the noun 'jantar'.
Complete the dialogue.
Ana: 'Você já tomou o jantar?' Pedro: 'Não, ______.'
Pedro is answering that he hasn't had dinner yet but is going to have it now.
Match the phrase to the time of day.
Tomar o jantar
Dinner (jantar) is an evening meal, typically eaten around 20:00 (8 PM).
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Meals of the Day
Morning
- • Pequeno-almoço
- • Café da manhã
Midday
- • Almoço
Evening
- • Jantar
- • Ceia
Practice Bank
4 exercisesEu ______ o jantar às oito horas.
The subject is 'Eu' (I), so the verb 'tomar' must be in the first person singular present tense.
Select the natural way to say 'We are having dinner'.
Portuguese uses 'tomar' conjugated for 'nós' (tomamos) plus the article 'o' and the noun 'jantar'.
Ana: 'Você já tomou o jantar?' Pedro: 'Não, ______.'
Pedro is answering that he hasn't had dinner yet but is going to have it now.
Tomar o jantar
Dinner (jantar) is an evening meal, typically eaten around 20:00 (8 PM).
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsIt's neutral. It's perfectly fine for both family settings and business meetings.
Yes! In fact, in Brazil, 'jantar' (the verb) is much more common than the full phrase.
'Jantar' is the main evening meal. 'Ceia' is a lighter meal or snack eaten very late at night.
Yes, when using the verb 'tomar', the article 'o' is required.
Use 'Estou a fazer o jantar' (PT-PT) or 'Estou fazendo o jantar' (PT-BR).
Yes, it is understood, but Brazilians prefer the verb 'jantar'.
It's a big, informal dinner party with lots of people and food.
It's rare. For lunch, we almost always use the verb 'almoçar'.
You can say: 'Queres tomar o jantar comigo?'
Water, wine (vinho), or juice (sumo/suco) are the most common.
Related Phrases
Tomar o pequeno-almoço
similarTo have breakfast
Almoçar
similarTo have lunch
Lanchar
similarTo have a snack
Ceia
specialized formSupper / Late night meal
Mesa de jantar
builds onDining table
