In Portuguese, using the present tense to ask for things (like quero or pode) can sometimes sound a bit too direct. To soften your requests and sound polite, especially when ordering at a café or asking for assistance, we use the Pretérito Imperfeito (Imperfect) tense.
The Polite Forms: "Queria" and "Podia"
The two most common verbs for making polite requests are querer (to want) and poder (can). By shifting them into the Imperfect tense, they translate to "would like" and "could."
| Pronoun | Querer (Imperfect) | Poder (Imperfect) |
|---|---|---|
| eu / você / ele / ela | queria | podia |
| nós | queríamos | podíamos |
| vocês / eles / elas | queriam | podiam |
Ordering with "Queria"
Use queria when you are telling someone what you would like to have. It is the standard, polite way to order food or drinks.
| I would like a cup of coffee at the counter, please. | Queria uma chávena de café ao balcão, por favor. |
| I would like a portion of fish with a lot of olive oil. | Queria uma dose de peixe com muito azeite. |
Asking for Assistance with "Podia"
When you need someone to do a favor for you, such as bringing an extra item to the table, use podia (meaning "could you", addressed politely to você, o senhor, or a senhora).
| Could you bring me one more slice and a bottle of water? | Podia trazer-me mais uma fatia e uma garrafa de água? |
| Could you bring a clean knife and fork, please? | Podia trazer uma faca e um garfo limpos, por favor? |
| Could you bring me a napkin, please? | Podia trazer-me um guardanapo, por favor? |
Making Requests for a Group
If you are ordering on behalf of the whole table, use queríamos (we would like). If you are addressing multiple servers or people, use podiam (could you all).
| We would like two cups of tea and a slice of cake. | Nós queríamos duas chávenas de chá e uma fatia de bolo. |
| Could you bring the dessert at eight o'clock? | Vocês podiam trazer a sobremesa às oito horas? |