Food & Drinks

1. Mba'e tembi'úpa iporãvéva ko'ápe?

   Mba-'e tem-bi-'ú-pa i-po-rã-vé-va ko-'á-pe?

   What do you recommend?

   Usage

   Asking for a recommendation at a restaurant

   Grammar Note

   The interrogative "-pa" attaches to the questioned constituent. porã ("good") + comparative -ve + relativizer -va gives "the best one". Guaraní has no fixed verb for "recommend", so this phrasing is used

2. Reguerekópa chipa?

   Re-gue-re-kó-pa chi-pa?

   Do you have chipa?

   Usage

   Asking for chipa, the traditional Paraguayan cheese bread

   Grammar Note

   guereko means "to have"; re- is the 2nd person singular prefix and -pa the yes/no question marker

3. Reipotápa sopa paraguaya?

   Rei-po-tá-pa so-pa pa-ra-gua-ya?

   Would you like sopa paraguaya?

   Usage

   Offering sopa paraguaya, Paraguay's traditional cornbread

   Grammar Note

   pota means "to want" (aipota "I want" / reipota "you want"); -pa turns it into a question

4. Mba'épa oĩ ko tembi'úpe?

   Mba-'é-pa o-ĩ ko tem-bi-'ú-pe?

   What ingredients are in this dish?

   Usage

   Used when checking ingredients for allergy or dietary reasons

   Grammar Note

   The existential oĩ plus the locative -pe asks what is inside something. tembi'u means "food/dish"

5. Eme'ẽmi chéve peteĩ mate.

   E-me-'ẽ-mi ché-ve pe-te-ĩ ma-te.

   One mate tea, please.

   Usage

   Ordering mate tea, the national drink of Paraguay

   Grammar Note

   me'ẽ means "to give". e- is the imperative prefix and -mi adds politeness — Guaraní has no standalone word for "please", the suffix carries it

6. Ha'use mbeju.

   Ha-'u-se mbe-ju.

   I want to eat mbejú

   Usage

   Ordering mbejú, the traditional Paraguayan cassava flatbread

   Grammar Note

   The verb 'u ("to eat/drink") is irregular (che ha'u / nde re'u / ha'e ho'u); -se is the desiderative suffix

7. Eme'ẽmi chéve tereré.

   E-me-'ẽ-mi ché-ve te-re-ré.

   Please give me tereré

   Usage

   Ordering tereré, Paraguay's famous cold herbal drink (cold mate)

   Grammar Note

   The imperative of me'ẽ ("to give") plus the politeness suffix -mi. tereré is registered as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage

8. Oĩpa rambosa?

   O-ĩ-pa ram-bo-sa?

   Is breakfast available?

   Usage

   Asking whether breakfast is served at a hotel or restaurant

   Grammar Note

   rambosa means "breakfast" and also works as a verb (arambosa "I have breakfast"). "Oĩpa …?" is the set pattern for "is there …?"

9. Che ryguatãma.

   Che ry-gua-tã-ma.

   I am full

   Usage

   Letting the host or waiter know you are full after a meal

   Grammar Note

   ryguatã is a stative word whose subject is a pronoun (Che ryguatã. "I am full"); -ma means "already"

10. Jakaru oñondive tembi'u he'ẽva!

    Ja-ka-ru o-ñon-di-ve tem-bi-'u he-'ẽ-va!

    Let us eat delicious food together

    Usage

    A warm invitation to share a meal together

    Grammar Note

    karu means "to eat a meal"; ja- is the 1pl inclusive prefix (jakaru oñondive "let's eat together"). he'ẽ ("sweet/tasty") plus the relativizer -va

11. so'o

    Meat

    Usage

    Meat in general; use "kure" for pork and "ryguasu" for chicken

12. mbujape

    Bread

    Usage

    For ordering or shopping

13. arro

    Rice

    Usage

    For ordering

14. juky

    Salt

    Usage

    To ask for salt at the table

15. asuka

    Sugar

    Usage

    To ask for sugar at the table

16. ñandy

    Oil

    Usage

    To ask whether oil was used

17. kesu

    Cheese

    Usage

    For checking if a dish contains cheese

18. sevói

    Onion

    Usage

    To say you cannot eat onion

19. sevoiry

    Garlic

    Usage

    To say you cannot eat garlic

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