Log inSign up

O chefe elogiou o jantar requintado, especialmente o aroma do molho.

O chefe elogiou o jantar requintado, especialmente o aroma do molho.
The boss praised the exquisite dinner, especially the aroma of the sauce.
FromLesson 26inHardcore Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about O chefe elogiou o jantar requintado, especialmente o aroma do molho.

What does requintado mean, and is it common to use with food?
requintado means refined, elegant, or exquisite. It’s often used in Portugal to praise gourmet or sophisticated dishes. Synonyms include sofisticado and elegante.
Why is the adjective after the noun in jantar requintado?
In Portuguese, adjectives usually follow the noun, so jantar requintado (lit. “dinner refined”) is the standard order. Placing the adjective before (requintado jantar) is grammatically possible but sounds poetic or emphatic.
How is especialmente functioning here?
especialmente means especially or particularly. It highlights a specific detail—in this case, the sauce’s aroma—that stood out to the speaker. Alternatives are principalmente or sobretudo, each with a slightly different nuance.
Is the comma before especialmente necessary?
The comma signals a pause and separates the general praise from the focal point (the sauce’s aroma). It’s optional but common for clarity. Without it, the sentence remains grammatically correct.
Why do we say do molho instead of de o molho?
Portuguese contracts de + o into do. So o aroma do molho literally means “the aroma of the sauce.” Writing de o would be ungrammatical in standard Portuguese.
Could we say o aroma de molho without o?
Not if you want to specify a particular sauce. o aroma de molho (without the article) sounds vague or incomplete. If you meant of a sauce, you’d say o aroma de um molho.
Can I use the passive voice: O jantar foi elogiado pelo chefe?
Yes. O jantar foi elogiado pelo chefe (“the dinner was praised by the boss”) is correct. The active voice (O chefe elogiou o jantar) is simply more direct and common in everyday speech.
Does jantar here mean the verb to dine or the noun dinner?
Here, jantar is a noun meaning dinner or evening meal. You can tell because it’s the direct object of elogiar. As a verb, jantar means to have dinner.
Why is there an article before chefe? Could we drop it?
Subjects in Portuguese often include a definite article, so o chefe means the boss. You can drop it in contexts like headlines (Chefe elogiou o jantar), but in full sentences, using o is the norm.
Is chefe the same as English chef?
No. chefe (pronounced /ˈʃɛ.fɨ/) means boss or head (of a department). The culinary title chef (professional cook) is borrowed in Portuguese as chef (pronounced /ʃef/) or expressed as chefe de cozinha.
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Portuguese grammar?”
Portuguese grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Portuguese

Master Portuguese — from O chefe elogiou o jantar requintado, especialmente o aroma do molho to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.

  • ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning Portuguese freeBrowse the full course