Portuguese Phrase
Isso é uma torta de maçã e um chá.
Meaning
The sentence states that the thing being pointed at consists of an apple pie and a cup of tea. It is a simple declarative statement used to identify what is on the table or being served.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to describe a combination of foods or drinks, for example when a waiter asks what’s on the plate, or when you’re showing someone what you’ve prepared.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Issoéumatortademaçãeumchá
Demonstrative pronoun (Isso)
‘Isso’ is a neutral demonstrative pronoun used to refer to something near the listener or previously mentioned.
Verb ‘ser’ (é)
‘É’ is the third‑person singular present of ‘ser’, used for identity or classification.
Indefinite article (uma/um)
‘Uma’ and ‘um’ agree in gender with the noun they modify (feminine ‘torta’, masculine ‘chá’).
Noun + preposition (torta de maçã)
‘de’ links the main noun to its ingredient or characteristic, similar to ‘apple pie’ in English.
Coordinating conjunction (e)
‘e’ joins two noun phrases, indicating they are both present.
🗨In Conversation
O que tem no prato?
What’s on the plate?
Isso é uma torta de maçã e um chá.
It’s an apple pie and a tea.
✕Common Mistakes
Isso é uma torta de maçã e uma chá.
‘Chá’ is masculine, so the correct article is ‘um’, not ‘uma’.
Isso é um torta de maçã e um chá.
The article must agree with the noun gender; ‘torta’ is feminine, so use ‘uma’.
Isso é torta de maçã e chá.
Missing indefinite articles makes the sentence sound incomplete in Portuguese.
↔Alternatives
Aqui está uma torta de maçã com chá.
Here is an apple pie with tea.
Temos uma torta de maçã e um chá.
We have an apple pie and a tea.
É uma torta de maçã acompanhada de chá.
It’s an apple pie accompanied by tea.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, ‘chá’ usually refers to a hot infusion (often black or herbal) and is commonly served alongside desserts like ‘torta de maçã’. When ordering, you can specify the type of tea (e.g., ‘chá de camomila’ for chamomile). The phrase uses the neutral demonstrative ‘isso’, which is polite and slightly more formal than ‘isto’ when pointing to something on a table.