Quando estou com dor na garganta, eu prefiro beber água quente com mel.

Because estar is used for temporary states or conditions, and having a sore throat is temporary.

• estou = I am
• sou = I am from ser, which is used for identity, permanent traits, origin, etc.

So:

• estou com dor na garganta = I have a sore throat / I’m with throat pain
• sou com dor na garganta is not correct

In Portuguese, physical conditions like pain, hunger, sleepiness, and illness often use estar:

• estou com fome = I’m hungry
• estou com sono = I’m sleepy
• estou com febre = I have a fever

Brazilian Portuguese often expresses physical symptoms with estar com.

So:

• estou com dor na garganta literally means I am with pain in the throat
• natural English translates this as I have a sore throat or I have throat pain

This pattern is very common:

• estou com dor de cabeça = I have a headache
• estou com dor nas costas = My back hurts / I have back pain
• estou com gripe = I have the flu

You may also hear tenho dor na garganta, and it is understandable, but estou com dor na garganta sounds more natural in everyday Brazilian Portuguese.

In this sentence, na garganta is the natural choice because it specifies the location of the pain.

• dor na garganta = pain in the throat / sore throat

Here, na is a contraction:

• em + a = na

So:

• na garganta = in the throat

By contrast, de garganta would not sound natural here. Portuguese usually says:

• dor na garganta not
• dor de garganta

A helpful comparison:

• dor de cabeça = headache
• dor na cabeça = pain in the head

Both can exist, but they are not always used the same way. For garganta, dor na garganta is the usual expression.

Yes, it can be omitted.

Portuguese is a pro-drop language, which means subject pronouns are often left out when the verb already makes the subject clear.

So both are correct:

• Quando estou com dor na garganta, eu prefiro beber água quente com mel.
• Quando estou com dor na garganta, prefiro beber água quente com mel.

Including eu can:

• add emphasis
• make the sentence clearer
• sound a little more explicit or contrastive

In normal conversation, many speakers would simply say:

• Quando estou com dor na garganta, prefiro beber água quente com mel.

Because after preferir, Portuguese commonly uses an infinitive when the next action has the same subject.

• prefiro beber = I prefer to drink

This is similar to English prefer to drink.

Examples:

• Prefiro descansar. = I prefer to rest.
• Ela prefere ficar em casa. = She prefers to stay home.
• Nós preferimos comer cedo. = We prefer to eat early.

So in your sentence:

• eu prefiro beber água quente com mel = I prefer to drink hot water with honey

Yes, but the meaning changes.

• prefiro beber água quente com mel = I prefer to drink hot water with honey
• gosto de beber água quente com mel = I like to drink hot water with honey

Preferir implies a choice or preference, often compared with other options. Gostar de simply states that you like something.

So if the idea is when I have a sore throat, this is my preferred remedy, prefiro is a very good choice.

Because the sentence is talking about water in a general sense, not a specific glass or bottle of water.

• beber água quente com mel = to drink hot water with honey

In Portuguese, uncountable substances like water, milk, coffee, tea, etc. often appear without an article when speaking generally.

Compare:

• Eu bebo água. = I drink water.
• Ela comprou a água. = She bought the water.
  
  • Here it is specific.

So in this sentence, no article is needed.

Great question. Água is grammatically feminine, but the adjective here is quente, and quente has the same form for masculine and feminine singular nouns.

So:

• água quente
• sopa quente
• café quente

All use quente.

Some adjectives change:

• menino bonito
• menina bonita

But others do not:

• livro interessante
• história interessante

Quente belongs to the second group.

Yes, morna could also work, but it means something slightly different.

• quente = hot / warm
• morna = lukewarm

So:

• água quente com mel = hot water with honey
• água morna com mel = lukewarm water with honey

In everyday usage, people may say quente even when the water is not extremely hot. If you want to be more precise and say it is only mildly warm, morna is a good choice.

Not exactly.

• dor na garganta = pain in the throat / sore throat
• garganta inflamada = inflamed throat

The second expression sounds a bit more specific or medical. A person can say estou com dor na garganta even without knowing the exact cause. It is a very common everyday phrase.

You may also hear:

• minha garganta está doendo = my throat hurts
• estou com a garganta irritada = my throat is irritated

In this sentence, quando is best understood as when or whenever, depending on the context.

Because the verb is in the present tense and the sentence describes a usual reaction, it has a habitual feeling:

• Quando estou com dor na garganta, eu prefiro beber água quente com mel. = When/Whenever I have a sore throat, I prefer to drink hot water with honey.

So this is not necessarily about one single moment. It often means every time this happens.

Portuguese often uses the simple present for repeated or habitual situations.

So:

• Quando estou com dor na garganta...
  can mean
• When I have a sore throat...
• Whenever I get a sore throat...

This is very normal in Portuguese. The present tense can describe:

• what is happening now
• what usually happens
• general truths

The context tells you which meaning is intended.

Na is a contraction of:

• em = in
• a = the

So:

• em + a = na

Other common contractions:

• em + o = no
• de + a = da
• de + o = do

Examples:

• na casa = in the house
• no carro = in the car
• da escola = from the school / of the school
• do médico = from the doctor / of the doctor

In your sentence:

• na garganta = in the throat

Yes, a little.

The original sentence is completely natural:

• Quando estou com dor na garganta, eu prefiro beber água quente com mel.

You could also say:

• Quando estou com dor na garganta, prefiro beber água quente com mel.
• Eu prefiro beber água quente com mel quando estou com dor na garganta.

All of these are grammatical. The original version sounds very natural and clear because it starts with the condition first, then gives the preference.

In Brazilian Portuguese, garganta is pronounced roughly like gar-GAN-ta, but with Portuguese sounds.

A few notes:

• the stressed syllable is gan
• the r in the middle of garganta is not the strong word-initial Brazilian r sound
• the final a is clear and open

Also:

• água is stressed on á
• quente is stressed on quen
• prefiro is usually pronounced pre-FI-ro

Exact pronunciation varies by region, but those stress patterns stay the same.

Yes, absolutely. That would also sound very natural.

• Quando estou com dor na garganta, prefiro beber chá com mel. = When I have a sore throat, I prefer to drink tea with honey.

Both are common home-remedy ideas. The grammar stays the same:

• prefiro beber + thing

So once you know the structure, you can swap in other drinks:

• chá com limão
• leite morno
• água com limão
• suco