Hello everyone! Today, let’s talk about something that looks yummy just thinking about: pingado coffee! did you know this expression in Portuguese is a variation of coffee with milk? Do you think carioca coffee and espresso take milk in their composition? Or perhaps média coffee does? Well, pick up your mugs and let’s discover more about it!
There are two different meanings for this expression in Portuguese. We have a beverage called coffee with milk, but also an expression used to describe people. Shall we see them?
Let’s begin with the most basic one: coffee and milk is obviously an incredibly famous beverage in Portuguese, mainly in our breakfasts. It’s a must-to if you are in Brazil, even more when it’s made with authentic Brazilian coffee. In Portuguese, we have a few variations for coffee and milk, that are really common to order it at lanchonetes and bakeries.
To begin, let’s make sure you understand carioca coffee and espresso are not types of coffee with milk. Carioca coffee is a type of coffee prepared with more water in their composition than regular coffee, while carioca espresso is a variation that takes espresso coffee. So, don’t mix things up, ok?
Pingado Coffee: The word pingado it’s related to the word pingo, which means a drop. For example: pingo de água (drop of water). We call this style of coffee a pingado because it’s a coffee with just a drop of milk. It’s interesting understanding where the words come from, right? In Brazil, we have different names for different types of coffee, if you want to learn them, click here.
Média Coffee: Média means middle, so yes, this is exactly what you are thinking! Média coffee doesn’t have just a splash of milk, but rather 50% of milk and 50% of coffee. This is a very famous coffee for children and teenagers.
Check out one of our teachers having a pingado at a lanchonete!
But there is another meaning for this expression. We can call people café com leite! This happens when someone is really bad at something, like an activity or a sport. Also, it can happen when someone is too young to comprehend the rules for a game. Check out some examples:
Elas são café com leite neste jogo! As duas tem apenas cinco anos!
They are café com leite in this game! They are both just five years old!
Isadora é café com leite no surf! Nunca conseguiu ficar em pé na prancha!
Isadora is café com leite at surf! She could never stand up on the board!
Look at this video one of our students, Angélica, made with our teachers. Let’s learn more about the expression coffee with milk in Portuguese!
If you want to get as fluent as Angélica, come to Rio and study Portuguese with us! We are sure you won’t regret it!
Pedro: Estou com fome, vamos na lanchonete?
Marcos: Ótima ideia! Vamos sim!
Pedro: Que bom!
Marcos: Já sabe o que vai pedir?
Pedro: Sim! Eu quero um café. Mas como não gosto de café puro, vou pedir um pingado.
Marcos: Boa ideia! Também vou tomar um pingado.
Pedro: Vai comer algo?
Marcos: Claro! Um pão de queijo! Melhor combinação.
Pedro: Hahaha, verdade.. Mas eu prefiro com bolo!
Marcos: Muito bom também!
Pedro: I’m hungry, let’s go to the lanchonete?
Marcos: Great ideia! Let’s go!
Pedro: Great!
Marcos: Do you already know what you are going to order?
Pedro: Yes! I want coffee. But I don’t like black coffee, I’ll order a pingado.
Marcos: Good idea! I’ll also get a pingado.
Pedro: Are you going to eat something?
Marcos: Of course! Pão de queijo! It’s the best combination.
Pedro: Hahaha, true.. But I prefer it with cake!
Marcos: Very good too!
Do you like pingado? So does Hugh Jackman! Check out this video below of the famous celebrity Hugh Jackman taking a pingado in São Paulo:
Have a class with us and with our Livelearning methodology we’ll take you out, have coffee together and you’ll learn how to order in a lanchonete and much more.
Now let’s take a look in all the vocabulary you’ve learned today:
| Pingado | Coffee with a drop of milk |
| Café | Coffee |
| Café puro | Black coffee |
| Leite | Milk |
| Pão de queijo | Brazilian cheese bread |
| Bolo | Cake |
| Comer | Eat |
| Pedir | Order |
| Fome | Hunger |
| Lanchonete | Snack bar |
| Pingo | Drop |
Well, that was it for pingado coffee in Portuguese! And you guys? Do you drink pingado coffee during breakfast, or you prefer a média? Would you rather have a simple carioca coffee or an espresso? Tell us what at the comments! We hope you like this Dica and see you on our next one!
Hugs from Rio de Janeiro!
Click in the links below to see more related Dicas
Pois não in Portuguese
Eu, hein! in Portuguese
Brazilian Coffee
How to Order Coffee in Brazil
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