Portuguese Phrase
Vamos fazer um almoço/jantar em que cada um traz um prato.
Meaning
The sentence is a friendly invitation to organize a shared meal – either lunch or dinner – where every participant contributes by bringing a dish. It conveys a collaborative, informal vibe typical of potluck gatherings.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to plan a potluck with friends, family, classmates, or coworkers. It works well for casual settings, weekend get‑togethers, birthday parties, or office celebrations.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Vamosfazerumalmoço/jantaremquecadaumtrazumprato
Vamos + infinitive
‘Vamos’ is the first‑person plural of ‘ir’ used as a polite suggestion, followed by an infinitive verb.
Indefinite article ‘um’
‘Um’ introduces a non‑specific noun (meal, dish) and agrees in gender with the noun.
Relative clause ‘em que’
‘Em que’ links the main clause to a relative clause describing the meal; it can be replaced by ‘onde’ in informal speech.
Third‑person singular ‘traz’
‘Trar’ conjugated as ‘traz’ agrees with the impersonal subject ‘cada um’ (each person).
Quantifier ‘cada’
‘Cada’ means ‘each’ and is always followed by a singular noun.
🗨In Conversation
Vamos fazer um almoço em que cada um traz um prato?
Shall we have a lunch where everyone brings a dish?
Boa ideia! Eu levo a salada de frutas.
Great idea! I’ll bring the fruit salad.
✕Common Mistakes
Vamos fazer um almoço em que cada um trazemos um prato.
‘Trazemos’ is first‑person plural; the subject is ‘cada um’, which is third‑person singular, so use ‘traz’.
Vamos fazer um almoço/jantar onde cada um traz um prato.
‘Onde’ can be used informally, but the grammatically precise form after ‘em’ is ‘em que’. Mixing them can sound awkward.
Vamos fazer um almoço/jantar em que cada um traz prato.
Dropping the article makes the phrase sound incomplete; Portuguese requires the indefinite article before singular countable nouns.
↔Alternatives
Que tal fazermos um almoço/jantar onde cada um traz um prato?
How about we make a lunch/dinner where everyone brings a dish?
Vamos organizar um potluck: cada um traz um prato.
Let's organize a potluck: each person brings a dish.
Que tal um almoço coletivo, cada um trazendo algo?
How about a collective lunch, each person bringing something?
Cultural Tip
Potluck meals (known as ‘almoço coletivo’ or ‘jantar de contribuição’) are very common in Brazil, especially among friends and at community events. It’s polite to bring a dish that can be shared easily, and people often label their contributions. Using ‘vamos’ keeps the tone informal and inclusive, while ‘cada um traz um prato’ signals that the responsibility is shared equally.