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Antes que os convidados cheguem, mete uma fatia de queijo em cada prato.

Antes que os convidados cheguem, mete uma fatia de queijo em cada prato.
Before the guests arrive, put a slice of cheese on each plate.
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Questions & Answers about Antes que os convidados cheguem, mete uma fatia de queijo em cada prato.

Why is cheguem used instead of chegam?

Because antes que normally triggers the subjunctive in Portuguese.

Here, cheguem is the present subjunctive of chegar for eles/elas. Portuguese uses the subjunctive after antes que because the guests’ arrival is something that has not happened yet and is being treated as expected or pending.

  • antes que os convidados cheguem = before the guests arrive
  • not chegam, because that would be the indicative, which is not the usual choice after antes que
Why does the sentence use antes que? Could it also use antes de?

Yes, both are possible, but the structure changes.

  • antes que
    • a conjugated verb
      • Antes que os convidados cheguem
  • antes de
    • an infinitive
      • Antes de os convidados chegarem

Both are natural. A learner should notice that:

  • antes que is followed by the subjunctive
  • antes de is followed by the infinitive (here, the personal infinitive: chegarem)

So the original sentence is using one perfectly standard pattern, but there is a common alternative.

What form is mete?

Mete is the affirmative imperative of meter for tu.

So it is a command or instruction addressed to one person informally:

  • tu metes = you put
  • mete! = put!

This is the form you use when telling one person you know well what to do.

Who is being addressed by mete?

It is addressed to one person, using the informal tu form.

That means the speaker is talking to:

  • one person
  • in an informal or familiar way

If the speaker were addressing someone more formally, they would usually say:

  • meta for você / o senhor / a senhora

If speaking to more than one person:

  • metam for vocês

So mete clearly points to informal singular.

Why does Portuguese use meter here? Doesn’t it literally mean to put in?

In European Portuguese, meter is very commonly used in everyday speech to mean put, place, or stick something somewhere.

So in Portugal, mete uma fatia de queijo em cada prato sounds very natural.

Other verbs are possible too:

  • pôr = to put
  • colocar = to place

But the tone changes a bit:

  • meter = very common and everyday in Portugal
  • pôr = also very common
  • colocar = a bit more neutral or formal

So this sentence sounds like normal spoken European Portuguese.

Why is it os convidados and not just convidados?

Portuguese uses definite articles more often than English does.

So os convidados means the guests, referring to the specific guests expected in this situation. In English, we might sometimes omit the article in similar contexts, but Portuguese often keeps it.

That is why:

  • os convidados sounds natural
  • just convidados would sound less complete here
Why is it cada prato and not cada pratos?

Because cada is followed by a singular noun in Portuguese.

So you say:

  • cada prato
  • cada convidado
  • cada pessoa

Even though the meaning is distributive and applies to many plates, the noun after cada stays singular.

Why does it say em cada prato when English would often say on each plate?

Because Portuguese often uses em in places where English chooses in or on.

With plates, em cada prato is a normal Portuguese way to say that something is being placed on each plate.

So this is not a mistake or a weird choice. It is just a difference between the two languages:

  • English often says on the plate
  • Portuguese often says no prato / em cada prato
What exactly does uma fatia de queijo mean?

Fatia means a slice, usually a fairly thin, flat piece.

So uma fatia de queijo suggests:

  • a slice of cheese
  • not a big chunk
  • not just any random piece

If you wanted to say a piece of cheese more generally, you might use um pedaço de queijo.

So:

  • fatia = slice
  • pedaço = piece/chunk
Is the comma necessary after cheguem?

Yes, in standard writing it is the normal choice.

The sentence begins with a subordinate clause:

  • Antes que os convidados cheguem, ...

When that kind of clause comes first, Portuguese normally separates it from the main clause with a comma.

So the comma helps show the structure clearly:

  • first, the time clause
  • then, the main instruction

Without the comma, the sentence would still be understandable, but the version with the comma is the standard written form.

Why is there no subject pronoun like tu before mete?

Because Portuguese often leaves subject pronouns out when the verb already makes the person clear.

Here, mete already tells you that the instruction is for tu, so adding tu is unnecessary in most contexts.

That is very common in Portuguese:

  • Mete uma fatia... = perfectly natural
  • Tu mete uma fatia... = only for special emphasis, and much less usual

So learners should get used to Portuguese often omitting subject pronouns.

Why is gu written in cheguem?

The gu is there to keep the hard g sound of chegar before e.

In Portuguese spelling:

  • ge normally gives a soft sound, like in gelo
  • gue keeps a hard g sound

So cheguem is written with gu so it stays connected to the verb chegar and keeps the expected consonant sound.

This is a common spelling pattern in Portuguese verbs.