Portuguese Phrase
Meu bife não tá bem passado.
Meaning
The speaker is saying that their steak is not cooked to a well‑done level. It can be a polite complaint in a restaurant, indicating the meat is undercooked for the diner's preference.
When to use
Use this sentence when you receive a steak that is not as well‑done as you ordered, especially in casual dining settings. It’s also handy when you want to describe how you like your meat cooked.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Meubifenãotábempassado.
Possessive adjective (Meu)
‘Meu’ agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies; here it is masculine singular to match ‘bife’.
Colloquial ‘tá’ (está)
‘Tá’ is the informal spoken form of the verb ‘estar’, used for temporary states like how food is cooked.
Negation (não)
Place ‘não’ directly before the verb to negate the statement.
Adverb + past participle (bem passado)
‘Bem’ modifies the past participle ‘passado’, forming a fixed expression that describes a steak cooked thoroughly.
Past participle as adjective
When a past participle describes a state (e.g., ‘passado’ = ‘well‑done’), it functions like an adjective and agrees with the noun.
🗨In Conversation
Como está o seu bife?
How is your steak?
Meu bife não tá bem passado.
My steak is not well‑done.
✕Common Mistakes
Meu bife não é bem passado.
Use ‘estar’ (or its colloquial form ‘tá’) for temporary states like cooking level; ‘ser’ describes permanent characteristics.
Meu bife está o bem passado.
‘Passado’ here is an adjective, not a noun. Do not say ‘o bem passado’ when referring to the steak’s doneness.
Meu bife não tá passado bem.
The adverb ‘bem’ must come before the past participle; swapping the order sounds unnatural.
↔Alternatives
Meu bife está mal passado.
My steak is undercooked.
Meu bife não está bem cozido.
My steak isn’t cooked well.
Meu bife está ao ponto?
Is my steak medium‑rare?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, steak doneness is a frequent topic at churrascarias and restaurants. ‘Bem passado’ (well‑done) is the most cooked level, but many Brazilians prefer ‘ao ponto’ (medium) or ‘mal passado’ (rare). When speaking to waitstaff, using the informal ‘tá’ is common in casual eateries, but in more formal settings you’d say ‘está’. Also, be aware that regional terms like ‘mal passado’ (rare) and ‘no ponto’ (medium) vary across the country.