Leftovers in Portuguese: Store, Save, and Reheat Food
Ask to save food, find a container, or reheat a meal with natural Portuguese phrases for the kitchen and restaurant.
Real Life Portuguese · 6 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
The short answer
Sobras means leftovers. Restou comida means there was food left over, and guardar means to put something away or save it. A pote is a food container; a geladeira is the refrigerator; and the freezer is o congelador or o freezer.
Use the everyday word for leftovers
In a restaurant, para viagem means ‘to go’ or ‘for takeaway.’ You can ask for a container and confirm that you would like to take the remaining food with you.
Posso guardar as sobras neste pote?
Can I keep the leftovers in this container?
Você pode colocar o restante para viagem?
Could you pack the rest to go?
Talk about refrigerating or freezing food
Colocar na geladeira means to put something in the refrigerator; congelar means to freeze; and descongelar means to thaw. Ask where the food should be stored when you are unsure, especially if the meal includes ingredients that need careful handling.
The phrase por quanto tempo asks ‘for how long.’ Use it to ask about storage guidance, but follow dependable food-safety advice for the specific dish and conditions.
É melhor guardar na geladeira?
Is it better to store it in the refrigerator?
Posso congelar esta porção?
Can I freeze this portion?
Ask how to reheat the meal
Esquentar or aquecer means to heat something up. Reaquecer means to reheat, and micro-ondas is a microwave. Ask if the meal should be heated on the stove or in the microwave, then follow the food’s safe handling instructions.
When serving a group, identify which container belongs to whom. This gives you a natural way to practice demonstratives such as esse (that) and este (this).
Como eu posso esquentar a comida?
How can I heat up the food?
Este pote é meu; aquele é da Ana.
This container is mine; that one belongs to Ana.
Put it into practice
Use sobras for leftovers, guardar for saving food, and esquentar for heating it up. Ask how and where to store the meal when you need specific guidance.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “Can I freeze this portion”?
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.