Portuguese Phrase
Pronto pra pedir?
Meaning
Literally ‘Ready to order?’, this is the typical way a waiter or server checks whether the customer has decided what they want to eat or drink.
When to use
Use it right after the menu has been handed out, when the customer seems to have finished looking, or when the server wants to move the table along. It’s informal but perfectly polite in most cafés and restaurants in Brazil.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Prontoprapedir?
Pronto
Adjective meaning ‘ready’; it agrees in gender and number with the subject, but here it’s used in a neutral, singular form.
pra
Colloquial contraction of the preposition para; common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese.
pedir
Infinitive verb meaning ‘to order’ or ‘to ask for’; the object (the food/drink) is understood from context.
Question mark
Rises in intonation; the whole sentence is a yes‑no question.
🗨In Conversation
Pronto pra pedir?
Ready to order?
Sim, eu já decidi. Quero a feijoada, por favor.
Yes, I’ve decided. I’ll have the feijoada, please.
✕Common Mistakes
Pronto para pedir?
‘Para’ is correct but sounds overly formal; most native speakers use the contraction ‘pra’ in casual settings.
Pronta pra pedir?
‘Pronta’ is the feminine form; unless you’re referring to a feminine subject (e.g., ‘a cliente’), stick with the neutral ‘pronto’.
Pronto a pedir?
The preposition ‘a’ does not combine with ‘pronto’ in this construction; it should be ‘para’/‘pra’.
↔Alternatives
Já vai pedir?
Are you going to order now?
Já decidiu o que vai querer?
Have you decided what you want?
Posso anotar seu pedido?
May I write down your order?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil the phrase is almost always spoken with a friendly, slightly upbeat tone. Using the informal contraction ‘pra’ signals a relaxed atmosphere; in more formal establishments you might hear the full form ‘Pronto para pedir?’. Also, it’s common for the server to wait a few minutes after the menu is delivered before asking, to give diners time to decide.