How to Say ‘Usually’ in Portuguese: Use Costumar for Habits — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Build the pattern costumar + infinitive
Costumar means to usually do something or to be in the habit of doing it. Conjugate costumar for the subject, then keep the next verb in the infinitive: costumo trabalhar, costuma estudar, costumamos cozinhar. Do not add a preposition between the two verbs.
The subject can be omitted when the verb ending or context makes it clear. In everyday Brazilian speech, você commonly uses the same verb form as ele and ela: você costuma, ele costuma, ela costuma.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Eu costumo caminhar depois do almoço. | I usually go for a walk after lunch. |
| Você costuma ouvir música enquanto trabalha? | Do you usually listen to music while you work? |
| A gente costuma jantar mais tarde. | We usually have dinner later. |
Choose a frequency word that matches your meaning
Costumar describes a general pattern. Frequency expressions give a more exact sense of how often something happens: sempre (always), geralmente or normalmente (usually), às vezes (sometimes), raramente (rarely), and quase nunca (almost never). They can appear before or after the verb, although some positions feel more natural than others in a particular sentence.
Use every day carefully: todo dia and todos os dias are both heard in Brazil. Match the article and number to the expression you choose, and keep the sentence simple while you are learning the pattern.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Às vezes, eu preparo o almoço em casa. | Sometimes I make lunch at home. |
| Ela quase nunca trabalha aos sábados. | She almost never works on Saturdays. |
| Normalmente, a gente pega o ônibus às oito. | We usually take the bus at eight. |
Ask about someone’s routine with costuma
To ask what someone normally does, put costuma before an infinitive: O que você costuma fazer no fim de semana? The person can answer with a routine, then add an exception with mas (but) or às vezes (sometimes). This is a natural way to move from small talk to a real conversation.
If you want to ask about a specific day or time, include it in the question. The form costuma stays the same with você, ele, and ela; use costumo with eu and costumamos with nós.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| O que vocês costumam fazer depois da aula? | What do you all usually do after class? |
| Costumo ler antes de dormir, mas às vezes vejo uma série. | I usually read before bed, but sometimes I watch a series. |
| A que horas você costuma começar a trabalhar? | What time do you usually start work? |
Remember: Choose one real habit and complete “Eu costumo…”. Add one frequency phrase and one exception so you can describe a routine rather than recite a single sentence.
Check your understanding
Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.
Recall the Portuguese, then say it
Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.
I usually go for a walk after lunch.
Show a Portuguese answer
Eu costumo caminhar depois do almoço.
Do you usually listen to music while you work?
Show a Portuguese answer
Você costuma ouvir música enquanto trabalha?
We usually have dinner later.
Show a Portuguese answer
A gente costuma jantar mais tarde.
Sometimes I make lunch at home.
Show a Portuguese answer
Às vezes, eu preparo o almoço em casa.
She almost never works on Saturdays.
Show a Portuguese answer
Ela quase nunca trabalha aos sábados.
We usually take the bus at eight.
Show a Portuguese answer
Normalmente, a gente pega o ônibus às oito.
Make the phrase useful to you
Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.
Choose one real habit and complete “Eu costumo…”. Add one frequency phrase and one exception so you can describe a routine rather than recite a single sentence.
Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.
Sources and your next lesson
This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our How to Say ‘Usually’ in Portuguese: Use Costumar for Habits lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.
To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.
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