Portuguese · Restaurante
Starters on the table (couvert): ask whether you pay for them: what to say in Portuguese
Your order hasn't arrived yet, but there's already bread, butter and olives on the table. Nobody ordered them.
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How it's done. The bread, olives and pâtés brought before your order (couvert) are usually charged for if you eat them. You can politely decline.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, isto é pago?
Dish-KOOLP, EESH-too eh PAH-goo?
Excuse me, is this charged for?
Or say:Isto está incluído?
EESH-too shtah een-kloo-EE-doo?
THEY SAY
Sim, é o couvert. Se não quiser, levo.Seen, eh oo koo-VEHR. S now kee-ZEHR, LEH-voo.
Yes, it's the couvert. If you don't want it, I'll take it away.
They might also say:
É pago só se comer.
Eh PAH-goo soh s koo-MEHR.
You only pay if you eat it.
2
YOU FINISH
Pode levar, obrigado.
Pod lvahr, oh-bree-GAH-doo.
You can take it away, thank you.
Or say:Pode deixar, obrigado.
Pod day-SHAHR, 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
é
eh
verb
is
pago
PAH-goo
verb
(I) pay
Sim
Seen
adverb
yes
couvert
koo-VEHR
noun
starters brought to the table (charged for, you can decline)
não
now
adverb
no
10 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
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