Quick answer
Comida is food. Refeicao is a meal.
A reliable test is to identify the job of the word before translating from English.
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What each word does
comida
food
Use comida for food in general, a dish, or what someone eats.
refeicao
meal
Use refeicao for a structured eating occasion such as breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
How to choose
- comida: Choose comida if the sentence points to food in general, a dish, or what someone eats.
- refeicao: Choose refeicao if the sentence points to a structured eating occasion such as breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Examples
A comida esta pronta.
The food is ready.
O almoco foi uma refeicao leve.
Lunch was a light meal.
Common trap
A refeicao contains comida, but not every mention of food is a meal.
Practice it in context
Pick one sentence from your real life and write it twice: once with comida, then once with refeicao. If both versions feel possible, name the meaning shift.
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