How to Describe Food Texture and Doneness in Portuguese
Use texture and cooking-stage adjectives to explain whether food is ready, still firm, or needs more time in the pan or oven.
Real Life Portuguese · 6 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
The short answer
Cru or crua means raw, depending on the noun’s gender. Cozido or cozida means cooked or boiled; assado or assada means baked or roasted; frito or frita means fried. These participles often work like adjectives and agree with the food they describe.
Say whether something is raw or cooked
Pronto or pronta means ready. Ask if the food is ready with Já está pronto? (Is it ready yet?). For plural foods, use prontos or prontas to match the noun.
A massa ainda está crua.
The pasta is still uncooked.
As batatas estão assadas.
The potatoes are roasted.
O arroz já está pronto.
The rice is ready.
Describe the texture instead of guessing the time
Macio or macia means soft or tender; crocante means crispy; and duro or dura means hard. Use the adjective that describes what you can observe rather than saying that every ingredient is ‘done’ in the same way.
Still is ainda: ainda está duro (it is still hard). Too much is demais: está salgado demais (it is too salty). These small additions make your description more precise.
A cenoura precisa ficar mais macia.
The carrot needs to get softer.
A casca está crocante.
The crust is crispy.
O feijão está um pouco duro ainda.
The beans are still a little firm.
Ask someone to check the food with you
Use Você acha que já está pronto? (Do you think it is ready?) when you want another person’s opinion. To request a texture, say Deixa cozinhar até ficar macio (Let it cook until it becomes soft).
Food safety and ideal doneness depend on the ingredient and preparation. Follow a reliable recipe’s guidance for temperature and timing; texture words help with conversation but are not a substitute for safe cooking instructions.
Você acha que o bolo já assou?
Do you think the cake has finished baking?
Deixe dourar por mais alguns minutos.
Let it brown for a few more minutes.
Put it into practice
Use a cooking-stage word plus a texture adjective to explain what you observe, and ask someone to check when you are unsure.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “Do you think the cake has finished baking”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.