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Portuguese Phrase

O que é isso na minha comida?

/u ˈke ˈɛ ˈi.su na ˈmi.ɲa koˈmi.dɐ/

Meaning"What is this in my food?"

💡

Meaning

Literally, 'What is this in my food?' It is used when you notice something unexpected—like a hair, a bug, or an ingredient you didn’t order—inside the dish you are about to eat.

🎯

When to use

Say this in a restaurant, at a buffet, or even at home when you discover something odd in your plate. It’s a polite but direct way to ask the staff to explain or remove the unwanted item.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Oqueéissonaminhacomida?

1

O que

The interrogative phrase 'o que' means 'what' and is used to ask about the identity of something.

2

é (ser)

The verb 'ser' in the present tense third‑person singular, used for identification.

3

isso

Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'this' (referring to something near the speaker).

4

na = em + a

The preposition 'em' (in/on) contracts with the feminine article 'a' to form 'na'.

5

minha

Possessive adjective agreeing in gender and number with the noun that follows.

6

comida

Noun meaning 'food' or 'dish'; feminine singular.

🗨In Conversation

A

O que é isso na minha comida?

What is this in my food?

Desculpe, parece que caiu um pedaço de casca de banana. Vou trocar o prato imediatamente.

Sorry, it looks like a piece of banana peel fell in. I’ll replace the dish right away.

B

✕Common Mistakes

Qual é isso na minha comida?
‘Qual’ asks for a choice among options, not for identification of an unknown object.
O que é isso no minha comida?
‘No’ contracts ‘em + o’, which is masculine; ‘comida’ is feminine, so the correct form is ‘na’.
O que é isso na minha comida?
If you want to refer specifically to the plate, use ‘prato’; ‘comida’ is more general.

↔Alternatives

O que há na minha comida?
What is there in my food?
O que está na minha comida?
What is in my food?
O que tem na minha comida?
What’s in my food?

Cultural Tip

In Brazil it’s perfectly acceptable to point out a problem with your dish, but keep a friendly tone. Using ‘desculpe’ before the question shows respect and helps the staff respond positively. In more formal settings you might say ‘Com licença, poderia verificar o que há no meu prato?’