Quick answer
Almoco is lunch. Jantar is dinner, and also the verb to have dinner.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
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What each word does
almoco
lunch
Use almoco for the midday meal.
jantar
dinner or to dine
Use jantar for the evening meal, or the verb to have dinner.
How to choose
- almoco: Choose almoco if the sentence points to the midday meal.
- jantar: Choose jantar if the sentence points to the evening meal, or the verb to have dinner.
Examples
O almoco comeca ao meio-dia.
Lunch starts at noon.
Vamos jantar em casa.
We are going to have dinner at home.
Common trap
Almocar is the verb for having lunch; almoco is the noun.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with almoco, then once with jantar. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
Learn Brazilian Portuguese step by step
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