Portuguese Phrase
Este prato não tem laticínios?
Meaning
The speaker is asking whether the dish they are looking at or being served contains any dairy products. It is a polite way to check for lactose‑intolerance, vegan, or dietary preferences.
When to use
Use this question in restaurants, cafés, or at a friend's house when you need to know if a dish includes milk, cheese, butter, cream, or other dairy items. It works both in formal settings (talking to a waiter) and informal conversations (asking a host).
✦Grammar Breakdown
Estepratonãotemlaticínios?
Demonstrative adjective (Este)
‘Este’ points to something close to the speaker and agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
Negation (não)
‘não’ is placed before the verb to make the statement negative.
Verb ‘ter’ (tem)
‘tem’ is the third‑person singular present of ‘ter’, used here to ask if the dish possesses something.
Plural noun (laticínios)
‘laticínios’ is a plural noun meaning ‘dairy products’; it takes the accent on the í.
Question intonation
In spoken Portuguese the rising intonation at the end signals a yes/no question; the written question mark is optional in informal speech.
🗨In Conversation
Este prato não tem laticínios?
Does this dish contain dairy?
Não, ele só tem legumes e arroz.
No, it only has vegetables and rice.
✕Common Mistakes
Este prato não tem laticínio?
‘Laticínio’ is singular and refers to a dairy product; the correct plural for ‘dairy products’ is ‘laticínios’.
Este prato não é laticínios?
Learners sometimes replace ‘tem’ with ‘é’ (ser) – ‘Este prato não é laticínios?’ – which is grammatically wrong because ‘ser’ is not used for possession.
Este prato tem não laticínios?
Placing ‘não’ after the verb (e.g., ‘Este prato tem não laticínios?’) is incorrect; negation must precede the verb.
↔Alternatives
Este prato contém laticínios?
Does this dish contain dairy?
Esse prato tem laticínios?
Does that dish have dairy?
Este prato tem algum produto lácteo?
Does this dish have any dairy product?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil many traditional dishes—like feijoada, pão de queijo, or certain desserts—use cheese, cream, or milk. When you ask about laticínios, do it with a smile; staff will usually appreciate the clarity, especially in larger cities where vegan and lactose‑free options are becoming more common. In the South, ‘lácteo’ is sometimes used instead of ‘laticínio’, but the meaning is the same.