Portuguese Phrase
Põe no fogo alto.
Meaning
Literally ‘Put it on high fire.’ In everyday speech it means ‘Turn the stove to high heat’ or ‘Cook it on high.’ The phrase is a quick kitchen command, usually given to someone who is already handling the pot or pan.
When to use
Use this informal imperative when you’re cooking with friends or family and want to tell the person handling the stove to increase the heat. In a more formal setting (e.g., a cooking class) you would say ‘Coloque em fogo alto’ or ‘Ponha o fogo alto.’
✦Grammar Breakdown
Põenofogoalto
Imperative of pôr
‘Põe’ is the informal (tu) imperative of the irregular verb ‘pôr’ (to put). For formal ‘você’ the form is ‘ponha’.
Contraction ‘no’
‘no’ = ‘em’ + ‘o’, meaning ‘in the/on the’. Here it links the verb to the noun ‘fogo’.
Noun ‘fogo’
Literally ‘fire’, in Brazilian Portuguese it is the common word for the stove’s heat level.
Adjective ‘alto’
‘alto’ means ‘high’. When placed after a noun it describes the intensity of the heat.
🗨In Conversation
A água ainda não ferveu, o que faço?
The water still hasn't boiled, what should I do?
Põe no fogo alto.
Put it on high heat.
✕Common Mistakes
Põe no fogo alto, senhor.
Use ‘ponha’ when speaking formally or to someone you address with ‘você’. ‘Põe’ is only for the informal ‘tu’.
Põe fogo alto.
If you want to be explicit you can say ‘em fogo alto’; ‘no’ is a contraction that works only when the article is definite.
Põe no alto.
Do not confuse ‘alto’ (high) with ‘alto’ meaning ‘tall’. The context of cooking makes the meaning clear, but avoid using ‘alto’ to describe the pot itself.
↔Alternatives
Coloque em fogo alto.
Place it on high heat.
Aumente o fogo.
Increase the heat.
Deixe o fogo alto.
Leave the heat high.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil the word ‘fogo’ is the standard term for a stove’s burner setting. People usually talk about ‘fogo alto’, ‘fogo médio’ and ‘fogo baixo’. In the South of Brazil you might also hear ‘chama alta’. Remember that ‘põe’ is informal; if you’re speaking to a stranger, a chef, or in a professional kitchen, use ‘ponha’ or the more neutral ‘coloque’.