Eu vou comer uma tosta ao pequeno‑almoço.

I am going to eat a toasted sandwich for breakfast.

Breakdown of Eu vou comer uma tosta ao pequeno‑almoço.

• eu: I
• comer: to eat
• ir: to go
• uma: a
• ao: at
• a tosta: the toasted sandwich
• o pequeno‑almoço: the breakfast

Questions & Answers about Eu vou comer uma tosta ao pequeno‑almoço.

Can I drop the subject pronoun Eu here?

Yes. Portuguese is a pro‑drop language. The verb ending in vou already shows 1st‑person singular, so Vou comer uma tosta ao pequeno‑almoço is the most natural version. Keeping Eu adds emphasis or contrast (e.g., “I am going to eat…” as opposed to someone else).

What tense/aspect is vou comer? Is it like English “going to (eat)”?

It’s the periphrastic future: ir + infinitive. It typically expresses near future or intention, much like English “I’m going to eat.”

• More conversational than the simple future comerei (which is rarer in speech, more formal, or used for strong resolve/remote future).
• You could also use the present for scheduled plans: Amanhã como uma tosta ao pequeno‑almoço (“Tomorrow I eat…”).
• For “I’m eating (right now),” use the progressive: Estou a comer (EP).

Why isn’t it ir a comer (with a preposition) after vou?

With the future meaning, Portuguese uses ir + infinitive without a preposition: vou comer, vamos sair.
Use prepositions with literal movement to places: vou ao cinema (“I’m going to the cinema”), vou a Lisboa.

Why ao pequeno‑almoço and not no pequeno‑almoço?

• ao = a + o; with meals, a is the idiomatic preposition for “at/for (a meal)” in EP: ao pequeno‑almoço / ao almoço / ao jantar.
• no = em + o, which is more “in/at (a place/time)”. You’d say No pequeno‑almoço do hotel servem fruta (“At the hotel’s breakfast they serve fruit”). But for “eat X for breakfast,” use ao.

Do I have to include the article in ao pequeno‑almoço? Could I say just a pequeno‑almoço?

You need the article. ao is the mandatory contraction of a + o: ao pequeno‑almoço. Saying a pequeno‑almoço is ungrammatical.

Can I say para o pequeno‑almoço instead of ao pequeno‑almoço?

Yes, but there’s a nuance.

• ao is the default for what you have “for a meal”: Como fruta ao pequeno‑almoço.
• para o highlights purpose/plan: Comprei iogurte para o pequeno‑almoço (“I bought yogurt for breakfast”). In your sentence, ao is the most idiomatic.

What exactly is a tosta? Is it just “toast”? What about torrada?

In Portugal:

• tosta = a toasted sandwich (often in a press), e.g., tosta mista (ham+cheese).
• torrada = sliced bread toasted and usually buttered; plain “toast.”
  So uma tosta is a toastie, not a plain slice of toast.

Why uma tosta? Is tosta feminine?

Yes. tosta is feminine, so the correct article is uma.
Singular: uma tosta; plural: tostas.

Should I use tomar with breakfast instead of comer?

• For the meal itself: tomar o pequeno‑almoço (“to have breakfast”) is idiomatic.
• For items you eat: comer. Your sentence is perfect because you’re eating a specific thing: comer uma tosta ao pequeno‑almoço.
  Note: For other meals there are dedicated verbs: almoçar (have lunch), jantar (have dinner).

Could I say Vou comer o pequeno‑almoço?

You can, and it means “I’m going to eat breakfast.” But if you specify the food, it’s more natural to keep the original pattern: Vou comer uma tosta ao pequeno‑almoço. If you just want to say you’ll have the meal, prefer Vou tomar o pequeno‑almoço.

How would a Brazilian say this?

Brazilians would typically say: Vou comer um misto‑quente no café da manhã.

• misto‑quente ≈ Portuguese tosta mista
• café da manhã = BR “breakfast” (EP: pequeno‑almoço)

How do I negate the sentence?

Place não before the conjugated verb:

• Não vou comer uma tosta ao pequeno‑almoço.

Where can I put the time/meal expression? Is word order flexible?

Yes. All are acceptable, with slight shifts in emphasis:

• Neutral: Vou comer uma tosta ao pequeno‑almoço.
• Emphasis on when: Ao pequeno‑almoço, vou comer uma tosta.
• Mid‑sentence (less common): Vou, ao pequeno‑almoço, comer uma tosta.

If I replace uma tosta with a pronoun, where does it go?

In EP:

• Affirmative (default enclisis to the infinitive): Vou comê‑la ao pequeno‑almoço.
• Negative (proclisis is common): Não a vou comer ao pequeno‑almoço.
  You’ll see both Não a vou comer and Não vou comê‑la; the first is more frequent in EP.
  Note the spelling change: comer + la → comê‑la (drop final -r and add the accent).

How do I make it plural: “We’re going to eat toasties for breakfast”?

• Vamos comer tostas ao pequeno‑almoço.
  Portuguese often omits the article in an indefinite plural. You can add it for emphasis/quantity: Vamos comer umas tostas… (“some toasties”).

How is this pronounced in European Portuguese?

Approximate guide (EP):

• Eu ≈ “eh-oo” (often just “eu” quickly)
• vou ≈ “voh”
• comer ≈ “koo-MEHR” (final r often light or barely audible)
• uma ≈ “OO-mɐ”
• tosta ≈ “TOSH-tɐ” (the s sounds like “sh”)
• ao ≈ “ow” (as in “cow”)
• pequeno ≈ “p’KEN-oo” (first e reduced)
• almoço ≈ “al-MOH-su” (ç = “s”)
  Key tips: unstressed e/o often reduce; s at syllable end before a voiceless consonant → “sh.”

Why is there a hyphen in pequeno‑almoço?

It’s a fixed compound in European Portuguese and is written with a hyphen. In Brazil the word is different (café da manhã), so you won’t see this compound there.

Can the simple present also refer to the future here?

Yes, for scheduled/regular plans:

• Amanhã como uma tosta ao pequeno‑almoço.
  It’s common when the future is part of a timetable or fixed plan; vou comer sounds more like an intention or near future.