Portuguese Phrase
Sem cebola, por favor.
Meaning
A polite way to ask that a dish be prepared without any onion. It can be used in restaurants, cafés, or when someone is preparing food for you.
When to use
Use this phrase when ordering food in a restaurant, asking a home cook to omit onions, or when you have a dietary restriction or allergy to onions. It works in both formal and casual settings.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Semcebolaporfavor
Sem (preposition)
‘Sem’ means ‘without’ and is used directly before a noun without an article.
Cebola (noun)
‘Cebola’ is a feminine noun meaning ‘onion’; it does not need an article after ‘sem’.
Por favor (polite phrase)
‘Por favor’ is the standard way to say ‘please’ in Portuguese; it can be placed at the end of a request.
🗨In Conversation
Como deseja o seu prato?
How would you like your dish?
Sem cebola, por favor.
No onion, please.
✕Common Mistakes
Sem a cebola, por favor.
Do not use the definite article after ‘sem’; the preposition already implies ‘without the’.
Sem o cebola, por favor.
‘Cebola’ is feminine, so the article would be ‘a’, but it’s still unnecessary after ‘sem’.
Por favor, sem cebola.
The polite phrase ‘por favor’ should follow the request, not precede it.
↔Alternatives
Sem cebolas, por favor.
No onions, please.
Sem cebola, obrigado.
No onion, thank you.
Pode deixar sem cebola?
Could you leave it without onion?
Cultural Tip
In Brazilian cuisine onions are a common base for many dishes, so it’s perfectly normal to ask for them to be omitted. Using ‘por favor’ adds politeness, but you’ll also hear ‘obrigado/obrigada’ (thank you) after the request, especially in more informal settings.