Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Se calhar é melhor reservar uma mesa online. - Maybe it’s better to book a table online.

Se calhar means “maybe/perhaps.” It’s very common in Portugal in everyday speech. It’s not used in Brazil (they prefer talvez or the colloquial de repente). Tone-wise, se calhar feels casual and conversational.

Do I need a comma after Se calhar?

It’s optional in informal writing: Se calhar é melhor… In more careful writing, a comma can set it off as a parenthetical: Se calhar, é melhor… Both are accepted.

Why is it é melhor (indicative) and not seja melhor (subjunctive) after Se calhar?

Because se calhar doesn’t trigger the subjunctive; it behaves like an adverb (“maybe”). With talvez, you normally use the subjunctive: Talvez seja melhor reservar… With se calhar, the indicative é is standard.

Can I say Talvez seja melhor reservar uma mesa online? Is it different from Se calhar?

Yes. Talvez seja melhor… is slightly more neutral/formal and tends to be used in writing as well as speech. Se calhar é melhor… is very colloquial in Portugal. Meaning-wise, both are “maybe it’s better…”.

There’s no subject “it” in Portuguese—how is é melhor working here?

Portuguese uses an impersonal construction: é melhor = “it is better.” The verb é (from ser) appears in 3rd person singular with no explicit subject pronoun. This is natural and very common.

How do I specify who should reserve?

Use the personal infinitive:

É melhor reservares (you, sing.)
É melhor reservarmos (we)
É melhor reservarem (they/you plural)

You can also use the subjunctive with que:

É melhor que tu reserves / que nós reservemos / que vocês reservem.

Is reservar uma mesa the most natural phrase?

Yes. Also very common: fazer uma reserva or fazer a reserva online. Marcar uma mesa is heard, but reservar/fazer uma reserva are safer in Portugal. Agendar is not usual for restaurants in Portugal.

Where should I place online? Could reservar online uma mesa work?

You’ll most often see reservar uma mesa online or simply reservar online. Reservar online uma mesa is possible but less common. To avoid any hint of “mesa online,” many prefer reservar online or fazer a reserva online.

Does …uma mesa online sound like “an online table”?

In real use, no—people interpret online as “by/over the internet.” If you want zero ambiguity, say reservar online, fazer a reserva online, or reservar uma mesa na/pela internet.

Should online be hyphenated or translated?

Modern Portuguese generally writes online (no hyphen). On-line still appears, especially in older texts. In formal/official EU contexts you may see em linha. It’s invariable (no gender/number change).

Why uma and not um? Can I drop the article?

Mesa is feminine, so uma. You might hear reservar mesa (article drop) in very casual speech, but reservar uma mesa or fazer uma reserva is standard and safest.

How do I add “for two people” or a time?

Use para for purpose/slot: reservar uma mesa para duas pessoas / para dois, para as 20h. You’ll also hear time with às: …às 20h. With reservations, para as 20h is very common and idiomatic.

How would I negate this correctly? Is there a difference between Se calhar não é melhor reservar… and Se calhar é melhor não reservar…?

Se calhar não é melhor reservar… = “Maybe it isn’t better to book…” (doubting the advantage)
Se calhar é melhor não reservar… = “Maybe it’s better not to book…” (recommending against booking) They’re not equivalent; choose based on what you mean.

Can I move Se calhar elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes: É melhor reservar uma mesa online, se calhar. or É, se calhar, melhor reservar… Position affects tone (more parenthetical/hesitant), but it’s acceptable.

Any quick pronunciation tips (European Portuguese)?

Se calhar kah-LYAR” (the lh is a palatal sound, like ‘lli’ in “million”; final r is a light tap).
melhor lh; final r tap.
reservar r is a guttural sound [ʁ]; s between vowels sounds like [z].
mesa = [z].
online ~ close to English; [ɔ̃nˈlajn] is common.

Could I make it softer/more tentative?

Yes: Se calhar seria melhor reservar uma mesa online. Using the conditional (seria) makes it sound more tentative/polite.

How would I express “Should we book a table online?” instead?

Devemos reservar uma mesa online?
Será melhor reservarmos uma mesa online? (very natural, hedged)
Acham que é melhor reservarmos uma mesa online? (asking others’ opinion)

If I replace uma mesa with a pronoun, what happens?

In European Portuguese, attach it to the infinitive: Se calhar é melhor reservá-la online. (mesa is feminine singular, so -la; add the accent to keep the stress.)

Any Brazilian Portuguese differences to note?

Avoid Se calhar in Brazil; use Talvez seja melhor reservar uma mesa online or colloquially De repente é melhor… Both reservar uma mesa and fazer uma reserva are fine there; agendar is also heard. Pronunciation and some pronoun-placement norms differ from Portugal.

Are there other natural alternatives to é melhor?

Yes: Convém reservar uma mesa online., É aconselhável fazer a reserva online., Recomenda-se reservar online., Mais vale reservar uma mesa online. Each carries a slightly different shade of advice/recommendation.