Portuguese Phrase
Vou querer o frango.
Meaning
Literally, ‘I will want the chicken.’ The phrase is used to state a future desire, most often when ordering food or planning a meal.
When to use
Use this sentence at a restaurant, a barbecue, or when you’re deciding what you’ll eat later. It sounds a bit formal; in casual speech Brazilians often say ‘Quero o frango’ or ‘Vou pedir o frango.’
✦Grammar Breakdown
Vouquererofrango
Near-future construction (ir + infinitive)
‘Vou’ is the first‑person singular present of ‘ir’ (to go) used with an infinitive to express a near future action, similar to ‘I’m going to…’ in English.
Querer (to want)
‘Querer’ is a regular -er verb meaning ‘to want’. In the near‑future form it stays in the infinitive.
Definite article ‘o’
‘o’ is the masculine singular definite article, used here because ‘frango’ (chicken) is masculine.
Noun ‘frango’
‘frango’ means ‘chicken’ (the meat, not the animal). It is a common menu item in Brazil.
🗨In Conversation
O que você vai comer?
What are you going to eat?
Vou querer o frango.
I’m going to want the chicken.
✕Common Mistakes
Vou quer o frango.
‘Quer’ is the present‑tense form; after ‘vou’ you must keep the infinitive ‘querer’.
Vou querer a frango.
The noun ‘frango’ is masculine; the article must be ‘o’, not ‘a’.
Vou querer frango.
Omitting the article sounds unnatural in Portuguese; you need ‘o frango’.
↔Alternatives
Quero o frango.
I want the chicken.
Vou pedir o frango.
I’ll order the chicken.
Vou escolher o frango.
I’ll choose the chicken.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, chicken is a staple on most menus, from fast‑food ‘frango assado’ to traditional ‘frango à passarinho.’ When ordering, it’s polite to say ‘Por favor’ and to use the near‑future form ‘vou querer’ if you want to sound a little more courteous. Native speakers more often drop the ‘vou’ and simply say ‘Quero o frango.’