Eu prefiro a salada sem molho.

Yes. In Brazilian Portuguese, the subject pronoun is often omitted when the verb already makes the subject clear.

So both of these are natural:

• Eu prefiro a salada sem molho.
• Prefiro a salada sem molho.

Including eu can add emphasis, clarity, or contrast, such as I prefer it that way.

Prefiro is the first-person singular form of the verb preferir, meaning to prefer.

Conjugation in the present tense:

• eu prefiro = I prefer
• você/ele/ela prefere = you/he/she prefers
• nós preferimos = we prefer
• vocês/eles/elas preferem = you all/they prefer

The ending -o is typical for many eu forms in the present tense.

Also note that preferir is slightly irregular because the stem changes:

• preferir
• eu prefiro
• você prefere

Portuguese often uses the definite article more than English does.

So a salada literally means the salad, but in many situations it sounds natural even when English might simply say salad.

Compare:

• Eu prefiro a salada sem molho. = I prefer the salad without dressing / I prefer salad without dressing.
• Eu prefiro salada sem molho. = I prefer salad without dressing.

Both can be possible, but a salada may sound more like a specific salad or the salad option being discussed, while salada can sound more general.

Because sem + noun often uses a noun with no article when the meaning is general.

• sem molho = without sauce/dressing
• sem açúcar = without sugar
• sem leite = without milk

If you use an article, it usually points to a specific thing:

• sem o molho = without the sauce / without that specific dressing

So in your sentence, sem molho means without any dressing/sauce in general.

It can mean either, depending on context.

In a salad sentence, molho usually means dressing.

Examples:

• salada sem molho = salad without dressing
• macarrão com molho = pasta with sauce

So the exact English word depends on what food you are talking about.

Yes. This is a very standard Portuguese word order:

• Eu = subject
• prefiro = verb
• a salada = direct object
• sem molho = prepositional phrase describing the salad

So the structure is basically:

Subject + verb + object + complement

This is the most natural order for a simple statement like this.

Not always. Preferir already contains the idea of preference, so if you are only stating one preference, your sentence is complete as it is:

• Eu prefiro a salada sem molho.

If you want to compare two things, Portuguese commonly uses:

• Eu prefiro a salada sem molho à salada com molho.
• Eu prefiro a salada sem molho do que a salada com molho.

In careful grammar, many teachers prefer preferir X a Y rather than preferir X do que Y, but in everyday Brazilian Portuguese, both patterns are heard.

Also, many grammar guides recommend not using mais with preferir, because preferir already means to like better.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

eh-ooh preh-FEE-roh ah sah-LAH-dah seng MOH-lyoo

A few notes:

• Eu often sounds like eh-ooh in Brazilian Portuguese.
• prefiro has stress on fi: pre-FI-ro
• salada has stress on la: sa-LA-da
• sem often sounds close to seng before the next sound
• molho has the lh sound, similar to the lli in some pronunciations of million, though not exactly the same

Pronunciation varies a bit by region, but this is a good Brazilian approximation.

Sem is a preposition meaning without.

Examples:

• sem molho = without dressing/sauce
• sem sal = without salt
• sem açúcar = without sugar
• sem gelo = without ice

It is a very common and useful word in restaurants and everyday conversation.

It can be understood either way depending on context, but a salada often suggests a more specific or identifiable salad.

For example:

• At a restaurant, Eu prefiro a salada sem molho may mean I prefer the salad without dressing.
• In a more general statement, many speakers might also say Eu prefiro salada sem molho.

So context helps decide whether it sounds specific or general.

Yes, absolutely. It sounds natural and useful, especially in a restaurant or when talking about food preferences.

Very natural variations include:

• Prefiro a salada sem molho.
• Eu prefiro salada sem molho.
• Quero a salada sem molho. = I want the salad without dressing.
• Pode ser sem molho? = Can it be without dressing?

So your sentence is grammatically correct and practical.