Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Nós lanchamos no café.

Nós lanchamos no café.

We have a snack at the café.

Breakdown of Nós lanchamos no café.

nós

in the / on the / at the (m, f, pl forms: na, nos, nas)

o café

the café

lanchar

to have an afternoon snack

Questions & Answers about Nós lanchamos no café.

The English translation says "have a snack", but there is only one word for it here (lanchamos). How does that work?

In Portuguese, there is a specific verb just for this action: lanchar. Instead of combining words to say "we have a snack", you simply use the verb on its own, so nós lanchamos translates to "we snack". It is very commonly used for the traditional mid-afternoon snack or light meal in Portugal.

Where does the word no come from?

no is a mandatory combination of the preposition em (in/at) and the masculine word for "the", which is o. Since café is a masculine noun, we must combine them into no to mean "at the".

Do I always have to use the word nós (we) at the beginning of the sentence?

Not at all! In Portuguese, the ending of the verb usually tells you who is doing the action. The -amos ending on lanchamos already means "we", so you can easily drop the nós and just say Lanchamos no café. Including nós just adds a bit of emphasis.

Does café mean the drink or the place here?

It means the place (the coffee shop). Just like in English, the word café can mean either the cup of coffee itself or the location where you drink it. Because the sentence says we are eating "at the" (no) café, context tells us it is the place.