Portuguese Phrase
Só uma salada.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘Just a salad.’ It is a short, polite way to say that you only want a salad and nothing else, often used when ordering food.
When to use
Use this phrase at restaurants, cafés, or food stalls when you want to order a single salad as your whole meal or as a side. It works both in casual and semi‑formal settings.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Sóumasalada.
Só (adverb)
‘Só’ means ‘only’ or ‘just’ and is placed before the word or phrase it modifies.
uma (indefinite article)
‘uma’ is the feminine singular indefinite article, used with feminine nouns like ‘salada’.
salada (noun)
‘salada’ is a feminine noun meaning ‘salad’. The article and adjective must agree in gender and number.
Punctuation
In Portuguese the period is placed after the last word without a space.
🗨In Conversation
O que vai querer?
What would you like?
Só uma salada, por favor.
Just a salad, please.
✕Common Mistakes
Só um salada.
‘Salada’ is feminine, so the article must be ‘uma’, not ‘um’.
Só uma salada?
Adding a question mark changes the meaning to ‘Only a salad?’ which sounds doubtful; use a period for a statement.
Só a salada.
Without the article ‘uma’, the phrase sounds like you’re referring to a specific salad already known, not ordering a new one.
↔Alternatives
Apenas uma salada.
Only a salad.
Só uma salada, por favor.
Just a salad, please.
Só a salada.
Only the salad.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, ordering ‘Só uma salada’ is common for a light meal or a side dish. Waitstaff may ask if you’d like dressing or additional toppings. While ‘só’ is perfectly acceptable in everyday conversation, in very formal settings you might prefer ‘apenas’ to sound more polished.