Portuguese · Café / Pastelaria
Ask if a table on the terrace is free: what to say in Portuguese
It's sunny, and you want to sit on the café terrace. You need to ask whether you can.
💡
How it's done. The café terrace is a esplanada; there you're often served by a waiter, so you can sit down and wait.Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.
Cheat sheet for your visit
The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.
1
YOU START
Desculpe, esta mesa está livre?
Dish-KOOLP, ESH-tuh MEH-zuh shtah leevr?
Excuse me, is this table free?
Or say:Posso sentar-me na esplanada?
POH-soo sayn-TAHRM nuh shpluh-NAH-duh?
THEY SAY
Sim, pode sentar-se onde quiser.Seen, pod sayn-TAHRS ohnd kee-ZEHR.
Yes, sit wherever you like.
They might also say:
Essa está reservada, desculpe.
EH-suh shtah rih-zir-VAH-duh, dish-KOOLP.
That one's reserved, sorry.
Só um momento, que eu limpo a mesa.
Soh oon moo-MAYN-too, k eh-oo LEEM-poo uh MEH-zuh.
Just a moment, I'll wipe the table.
2
YOU FINISH
Obrigado.
Oh-bree-GAH-doo.
Thank you.
Or say:Não faz mal, obrigado.
Now fahzh mahl, oh-bree-GAH-doo.
THEY SAY
De nada!d NAH-duh!
You're welcome!
They might also say:
Não tem de quê!
now tayn d keh!
Don't mention it!
Disponha!
deesh-POH-nyuh!
Any time!
The course is in the app
This dialogue is part of the course “Portuguese for life in Portugal”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.
Words worth knowing
Desculpe
Dish-KOOLP
verb
sorry, excuse me
mesa
MEH-zuh
noun
table
está
shtah
verb
is, is located (now)
livre
leevr
adjective
free
Sim
Seen
adverb
yes
pode
pod
verb
can
7 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
Desculpe, não percebi.
Dish-KOOLP, now pir-sih-BEE.
Sorry, I didn't understand.
Similar situations
Found a mistake? Write to us and we will fix it. This is language help, not medical or legal advice.Report