Portuguese Phrase
Esfria‑o imediatamente em um banho de gelo.
Meaning
A direct command telling someone to cool something right away by placing it in an ice bath. It’s often used in cooking, laboratory work, or any situation where rapid temperature reduction is needed.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to give a quick, clear instruction to lower the temperature of food, a sample, or an object. Typical contexts include professional kitchens, food‑prep classes, science labs, and even first‑aid scenarios where an item must be chilled fast.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Esfria‑oimediatamenteemumbanhodegelo
Imperative with attached pronoun
In Portuguese, the direct object pronoun can be attached to the verb with a hyphen in affirmative commands (e.g., 'esfria‑o' = 'cool it').
Verb conjugation
‘Esfria’ is the informal affirmative imperative of ‘esfriar’ (to cool). The formal version would be ‘esfrie‑o’.
Adverb placement
Adverbs like ‘imediatamente’ usually go right after the verb phrase in commands.
Prepositional phrase
‘em um banho de gelo’ uses the preposition ‘em’ + indefinite article + noun phrase to indicate the method.
🗨In Conversation
Acabei de grelhar o filé, o que faço agora?
I just grilled the steak, what should I do now?
Esfria‑o imediatamente em um banho de gelo.
Cool it immediately in an ice bath.
✕Common Mistakes
Esfria o imediatamente em um banho de gelo.
In affirmative commands the pronoun must be attached with a hyphen; ‘esfria‑o’ is correct.
Esfrie‑o imediatamente em um banho de gelo.
‘Esfrie‑o’ is the formal version; using it in a casual kitchen setting can sound overly formal.
Esfria‑o em um banho de gelo imediatamente.
Placing ‘imediatamente’ after the prepositional phrase changes the rhythm and can sound unnatural.
↔Alternatives
Resfrie‑o imediatamente em água gelada.
Cool it immediately in cold water.
Coloque‑o em um banho de gelo sem demora.
Put it in an ice bath without delay.
Faça‑o esfriar rápido num banho de gelo.
Make it cool quickly in an ice bath.
Cultural Tip
In Brazilian Portuguese, attaching the pronoun to the verb with a hyphen is the norm for affirmative commands. ‘Esfria‑o’ is informal; in formal writing or polite speech you’d use ‘esfrie‑o’. Also, ‘banho de gelo’ is a culinary term you’ll hear in professional kitchens and cooking shows across Brazil, indicating a standard technique for rapid cooling.