Breakdown of O empregado de mesa traz a ementa.
trazer
to bring
a ementa
the menu
o empregado de mesa
the waiter
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Questions & Answers about O empregado de mesa traz a ementa.
Why is a waiter called empregado de mesa instead of just empregado?
Empregado simply means employee or worker. To specify that someone is a waiter, you add de mesa (of the table). If you just say empregado, people might not know which type of staff you mean, though in a restaurant context it is usually understood.
Is traz from a regular verb?
No, traz is the he/she/it form of the highly irregular verb trazer (to bring). It is tricky because the root changes depending on the person. For example, the I form is eu trago. Also, you use trazer when bringing something towards the speaker's location, which perfectly fits a waiter bringing an item to your table.
I often see the word menu used in Portuguese restaurants. What is the difference between ementa and menu?
Both words are very common. Ementa is the traditional Portuguese word for the physical list of dishes. The word menu is also used for the physical list, but it is especially common when referring to a set meal or combo deal, like the fixed-price meal of the day.
How do you pronounce the z at the end of traz?