Portuguese Phrase
O café da manhã é importante pra você?
Meaning
This phrase literally asks if 'the coffee of the morning' (breakfast) is important to the listener. It's a common way to inquire about someone's daily habits or priorities regarding the first meal of the day. The use of 'pra' is a colloquial contraction of 'para a/o', making the question sound more natural and informal.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to ask someone about their breakfast habits, their health priorities, or simply to start a conversation about daily routines. It's suitable for informal settings with friends, family, or acquaintances. You might use it if you're planning a morning activity or discussing dietary preferences.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ocafé da manhãéimportantepravocê?
O (The)
'O' is the masculine singular definite article, equivalent to 'the' in English. In Portuguese, articles are often used with nouns that are subjects or general concepts, unlike in English where they might be omitted.
café da manhã (breakfast)
This is a fixed expression meaning 'breakfast'. Literally, it translates to 'coffee of the morning'. It's always masculine, hence 'O café da manhã'.
é (is)
'É' is the third-person singular conjugation of the verb 'ser' (to be). It's used here to describe an inherent quality or importance, rather than a temporary state.
importante (important)
'Importante' is an adjective meaning 'important'. It's one of the adjectives in Portuguese that does not change form for masculine or feminine nouns, only for singular or plural.
pra (for/to)
'Pra' is a common colloquial contraction of 'para' (for/to) and the article 'a' or 'o'. It's widely used in spoken Brazilian Portuguese, making the phrase sound more natural and informal.
você (you)
'Você' is the most common informal second-person singular pronoun for 'you' in Brazil. It's used when addressing one person informally.
🗨In Conversation
Bom dia! O café da manhã é importante pra você?
Good morning! Is breakfast important to you?
Sim, muito! Não consigo começar o dia sem ele.
Yes, very! I can't start the day without it.
✕Common Mistakes
Café da manhã é importante para você?
Omitting the definite article 'O' before 'café da manhã' is a common mistake. In Portuguese, nouns used as subjects often require an article, especially when referring to a general concept like 'breakfast'.
É importante o café da manhã pra você?
While grammatically understandable, this word order is less natural for a direct question about the importance of breakfast. The more common structure places the subject ('O café da manhã') first.
O café da manhã é importante para você?
Using 'para' instead of 'pra' is not strictly wrong, but 'pra' is the more common and natural-sounding contraction in informal spoken Brazilian Portuguese. 'Para' is more formal.
↔Alternatives
O café da manhã é importante para você?
Is breakfast important to you? (More formal)
Você costuma tomar café da manhã?
Do you usually have breakfast?
Você dá importância ao café da manhã?
Do you give importance to breakfast?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, 'café da manhã' (literally 'morning coffee') is a significant meal, often including coffee with milk, bread (pão francês), butter, cheese, ham, and sometimes fruit or cake. It's a moment for family or a quick bite before starting the day. The phrase reflects this cultural importance. While 'pra' is very common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese, in more formal contexts or written language, 'para' would be preferred.