Portuguese Phrase
Fica de olho no tempo que você passa comendo.
Meaning
The sentence is a friendly piece of advice: ‘Watch the amount of time you spend eating.’ It suggests being mindful of how long meals last, often for health, productivity, or weight‑management reasons.
When to use
Use it in informal conversations when you want to remind a friend, colleague, or family member to be more aware of their eating habits—especially in contexts of dieting, busy schedules, or when meals tend to drag on.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ficadeolhonotempoquevocêpassacomendo
Fica de olho
An idiomatic expression meaning ‘keep an eye on’ or ‘watch closely’. It uses the verb ficar (to stay) with the noun olho (eye).
no = em + o
The preposition em (in/on) contracts with the masculine article o to form no, indicating location or reference.
que (relative pronoun)
Introduces a relative clause that describes the noun tempo.
passa (present indicative)
Third‑person singular of passar, here meaning ‘spend (time)’. It agrees with the subject tempo.
comendo (gerund)
Gerund form of comer, used after passar to indicate the activity during which time is spent.
🗨In Conversation
Fica de olho no tempo que você passa comendo.
Keep an eye on the time you spend eating.
Vou tentar, obrigado!
I'll try, thanks!
✕Common Mistakes
Fica de olho no tempo que você passa comer.
After passar you need the gerund (comendo), not the infinitive.
Está de olho no tempo que você passa comendo.
The idiom uses ficar de olho, not estar de olho.
Fica de olho no tempo que você está comendo.
The relative clause should describe the noun tempo, not the act of eating directly.
↔Alternatives
Preste atenção ao tempo que você gasta comendo.
Pay attention to the time you spend eating.
Observe quanto tempo você dedica à refeição.
Observe how much time you dedicate to the meal.
Cuidado com o tempo que você passa comendo.
Be careful about the time you spend eating.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, meals can be long, social events, especially on weekends or during family gatherings. This phrase is often used by health coaches, busy professionals, or friends who want to remind each other not to let meals stretch too long, balancing enjoyment with daily responsibilities.