Na Cozinha de Casa
Cooking at home · a free Portuguese (Brazil) immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Hoje vou preparar um frango assado com ervas para o jantar.
Today I'm going to prepare a roasted chicken with herbs for dinner.
Literal Today I-go prepare a chicken roasted with herbs for the dinner.
Uses 'vou + infinitive' (ir + infinitive) to express a near-future plan — one of the most common future constructions in everyday Brazilian Portuguese.
- 'vou preparar' = ir (present) + infinitive, used for near future plans
- 'frango assado' = noun + past participle used as an adjective (roasted chicken)
- 'para o jantar' = for dinner (para + definite article + meal)
Primeiro, corte as cebolas em rodelas finas e refogue no azeite.
First, cut the onions into thin slices and sauté in olive oil.
Literal First, cut the onions in rounds thin and sauté in-the olive-oil.
'Corte' and 'refogue' are imperative forms typical of recipe instructions. 'Em rodelas' is a prepositional phrase describing the cut shape.
- 'corte' = imperative of cortar (to cut)
- 'refogue' = imperative of refogar (to sauté)
- 'em rodelas finas' = prepositional phrase indicating shape and size of cut
- 'no azeite' = in the olive oil (em + o = no)
Adicione o alho e os temperos antes de colocar a carne na panela.
Add the garlic and spices before putting the meat in the pot.
Literal Add the garlic and the seasonings before to-put the meat in-the pot.
'Antes de + infinitive' is a highly useful connector for ordering steps. 'Adicione' is the imperative of adicionar.
- 'adicione' = imperative of adicionar (to add)
- 'antes de + infinitivo' = before + -ing (sequencing connector)
- 'na panela' = in the pot (em + a = na)
Você precisa aquecer a frigideira antes de fritar o ovo.
You need to heat the frying pan before frying the egg.
Literal You need heat the frying-pan before fry the egg.
'Precisa + infinitive' expresses necessity. 'Antes de + infinitive' reappears, reinforcing the sequencing pattern from sentence 3.
- 'precisa + infinitivo' = needs to + verb (necessity)
- 'aquecer' = to heat/warm up
- 'antes de fritar' = before frying (antes de + infinitive)
Minha avó sempre dizia que o segredo está no tempero certo.
My grandmother always used to say that the secret is in the right seasoning.
Literal My grandmother always used-to-say that the secret is in-the seasoning right.
'Dizia' is the imperfect past (imperfeito), expressing something grandma habitually said. It adds warmth and narrative texture.
- 'dizia' = imperfect of dizer, expresses habitual or repeated past action
- 'está em' = is in (location or essence, using estar)
- adjective 'certo' follows the noun, meaning 'right/correct'
Gosto de comer comida bem temperada, mas não muito picante.
I like to eat well-seasoned food, but not too spicy.
Literal I-like of eat food well seasoned, but not very spicy.
'Gosto de + infinitive' expresses personal preference. 'Bem' intensifies the adjective here, meaning 'well' rather than 'very'.
- 'gosto de + infinitivo' = I like to + verb (personal preference)
- 'bem temperada' = well-seasoned ('bem' as adverb intensifying adjective)
- 'não muito picante' = not too spicy (double modifier)
- 'temperada' agrees in gender and number with 'comida' (feminine singular)
Misture a farinha com o açúcar até ficar homogêneo.
Mix the flour with the sugar until it becomes smooth.
Literal Mix the flour with the sugar until to-become homogeneous.
'Até + infinitive' means 'until a result is achieved'. 'Ficar' here functions as a linking verb meaning 'to become', describing a change of state.
- 'misture' = imperative of misturar (to mix)
- 'até ficar' = until it becomes (até + infinitive, result clause)
- 'ficar + adjective' = to become (state-change use of ficar)
O bolo precisa ficar no forno por quarenta minutos a cento e oitenta graus.
The cake needs to be in the oven for forty minutes at one hundred and eighty degrees.
Literal The cake needs stay in-the oven for forty minutes at one-hundred and eighty degrees.
'Precisa ficar' = needs to stay/remain. 'Por' marks duration; 'a + degrees' is how temperature is expressed in Brazilian Portuguese recipes.
- 'precisa ficar' = needs to stay/remain (precisa + infinitive)
- 'por + time expression' = for (duration)
- 'a cento e oitenta graus' = at 180 degrees (a + number + graus)
Que cheiro gostoso! A comida está quase pronta.
What a nice smell! The food is almost ready.
Literal What smell tasty! The food is almost ready.
'Que + noun + adjective' is the exclamation structure in Brazilian Portuguese. 'Quase pronta' = almost ready, with 'pronta' agreeing with the feminine noun 'comida'.
- 'que + noun + adjective' = what a + adjective + noun (exclamation)
- 'quase pronta' = almost ready (adverb quase + adjective)
- 'pronta' agrees with 'comida' (feminine singular)
Sirva o prato quente e decore com folhas de salsa fresca.
Serve the dish hot and garnish with fresh parsley leaves.
Literal Serve the plate hot and decorate with leaves of parsley fresh.
'Sirva' and 'decore' are imperative forms ending a recipe. 'Com' introduces the garnish method. 'Folhas de salsa fresca' is a compound noun phrase.
- 'sirva' = imperative of servir (to serve, irregular)
- 'decore' = imperative of decorar (to garnish/decorate)
- 'com folhas de' = with leaves of (com + noun phrase)
- 'fresca' agrees with 'salsa' (feminine singular)
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
tempero
seasoning / spice
O tempero certo faz toda a diferença.
The right seasoning makes all the difference.
Also used in plural 'os temperos'; covers both individual spices and spice blends
frigideira
frying pan
Aqueça a frigideira antes de fritar o ovo.
Heat the frying pan before frying the egg.
Distinct from 'panela' (pot/saucepan); used specifically for shallow frying
misturar
to mix
Misture bem os ingredientes antes de assar.
Mix the ingredients well before baking.
Imperative form: misture
assar
to roast / to bake
Vou assar o frango no forno por uma hora.
I'm going to roast the chicken in the oven for one hour.
Covers both roasting meat and baking cakes/bread in the oven
cebola
onion
Corte a cebola em rodelas finas para o refogado.
Cut the onion into thin slices for the sauté.
alho
garlic
Adicione dois dentes de alho à frigideira.
Add two cloves of garlic to the frying pan.
'Dente de alho' = clove of garlic (literally 'tooth of garlic')
azeite
olive oil
Refogue a cebola no azeite quente.
Sauté the onion in hot olive oil.
Specifically olive oil; 'óleo' or 'óleo vegetal' is used for other cooking oils
forno
oven
Deixe o bolo no forno por quarenta minutos.
Leave the cake in the oven for forty minutes.
picante
spicy / hot
Prefiro a comida pouco picante.
I prefer mildly spicy food.
Can also describe strong, sharp flavors in general (e.g., aged cheese)
receita
recipe
Você tem a receita do bolo de chocolate da sua avó?
Do you have your grandmother's chocolate cake recipe?
Also means 'prescription' in a medical context — same word, different domain
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
No sábado à tarde, Carla decidiu preparar um prato especial para os amigos. Ela pegou a receita favorita da família e começou a trabalhar: cortou a cebola, amassou o alho e aqueceu o azeite na frigideira. Adicionou os temperos com cuidado e deixou tudo refogar devagar. Enquanto a comida cozinhava, o cheiro gostoso tomou conta de toda a cozinha. Quando os amigos chegaram, o prato estava quente e perfeito — temperado na medida certa.
Sentence by sentence
decidiu preparar um prato especial
decided to prepare a special dish
'Decidir + infinitive' = to decide to + verb; 'especial' follows the noun and agrees with the masculine 'prato'
pegou a receita favorita da família
picked up the family's favorite recipe
'Da família' = of the family (de + a = da, feminine contraction); 'favorita' agrees with 'receita' (feminine)
amassou o alho
crushed the garlic
'Amassar' means to crush or mash — the typical kitchen technique for preparing garlic cloves
deixou tudo refogar devagar
let everything sauté slowly
'Deixar + infinitive' = to let/allow + verb; 'devagar' = slowly (adverb describing pace of cooking)
o cheiro gostoso tomou conta de toda a cozinha
the delicious smell filled the entire kitchen
'Tomar conta de' is an idiomatic expression meaning to take over or fill completely; 'toda a cozinha' = the entire kitchen
temperado na medida certa
seasoned just right
'Na medida certa' is an idiomatic phrase meaning 'in exactly the right amount' or 'just right', commonly used for seasoning and balance
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Imperative Forms for Cooking Instructions
In Brazilian Portuguese, recipe instructions use the formal imperative (imperativo), formed from the present subjunctive. For -ar verbs: take the eu form of the present tense, drop the -o, and add -e (cortar → corto → corte). For -er and -ir verbs, add -a instead (misturar → misture; servir → sirva). This form is direct and polite, perfect for giving clear step-by-step instructions.
-ar verbs: [stem from eu-present] + -e → corte, adicione, misture | -er/-ir verbs: [stem] + -a → sirva, frite, reduza
Corte os legumes em pedaços pequenos.
Cut the vegetables into small pieces.
Adicione sal e pimenta a gosto.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Misture bem até ficar homogêneo.
Mix well until smooth.
Sirva quente com arroz e feijão.
Serve hot with rice and beans.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Portuguese: "Heat the pan before frying the egg."
Hint Use the imperative form of 'aquecer' and the word for frying pan.
What does this sentence mean? "Adicione o alho e os temperos antes de colocar a carne na panela."
Hint Break it into two parts: what to add, and when to do it.
Complete the sentence: "Misture a farinha com o _____ até ficar homogêneo."
Hint Think about a common baking ingredient that pairs with flour.
Which word best completes this sentence? "O bolo precisa ficar no _____ por quarenta minutos a cento e oitenta graus."
Rewrite using an imperative (command) form: "Você deve servir o prato quente e decorar com folhas de salsa."
Hint Drop 'você deve' and change the verbs to their imperative forms.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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