Introduction
Understanding how Brazilians talk about routines and repeated actions is essential for learners. The verb costuma is a natural and common way to express present habits in Brazilian Portuguese. This article explains how costuma works, its conjugation patterns, sentence structure, differences with other habit expressions, and practical examples to help you sound more like a native speaker.
- What does costuma mean?
- Conjugation and common forms
- Negative and question forms
- Using pronouns and polite forms
- Differences between costuma, soler and other habit expressions
- Time expressions commonly used with costuma
- Use with reflexive and pronominal verbs
- Negative habits and frequency modifiers
- Stylistic and cultural notes
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- More example sentences with translations
- Tips to practice and internalize costuma
- When not to use costuma
- Conclusion
What does costuma mean?
Costuma comes from the verb costumar and expresses that someone usually does something or that something is habitual. It is similar in meaning to usually, tend to, or be accustomed to in English. Use costuma when you want to describe regular, repeated actions that occur in the present time frame.
Basic sense and translation
Costuma emphasizes frequency and habit rather than a one-off action. For example:
Ele costuma tomar café às sete.
He usually drinks coffee at seven.
Note that the focus is on the typical pattern, not on a single occurrence.
Conjugation and common forms
Costumar is a regular -ar verb. For talking about habits in the present, you will use the present indicative forms. The most frequent forms learners encounter are:
Eu costumo
Tu costumas (less common in Brazil)
Ele/ela/você costuma
Nós costumamos
Vocês/eles/elas costumam
Brazilian Portuguese often prefers você and vocês over tu and vós, so remember to focus on eu, você, nós, and eles/elas for everyday use.
How to build sentences with costuma
The structure is straightforward: subject + present indicative of costumar + infinitive verb (action). The main action verb stays in the infinitive, because costuma functions as a semi-auxiliary expressing habit.
Subject + costuma + infinitive
Examples:
Eu costumo caminhar no parque.
Você costuma chegar cedo.
Eles costumam jantar às oito.
Negative and question forms
To make a negative sentence, add não before the conjugated costuma. For questions, invert intonation or use question words as in English. The infinitive remains unchanged.
Negative examples:
Eu não costumo beber refrigerante.
Ela não costuma trabalhar aos sábados.
Question examples:
Você costuma estudar de manhã?
Eles costumam viajar nas férias?
Using pronouns and polite forms
You can use subject pronouns or omit them when context is clear. Using formal or polite speech, prefer o senhor / a senhora for older or more formal people. Conjugation follows the third-person singular:
O senhor costuma ir ao médico regularmente?
A senhora costuma tomar suco natural?
Omit pronouns in casual speech:
Costumo ler antes de dormir. (I usually read before sleeping.)
Differences between costuma, soler and other habit expressions
Portuguese has several ways to talk about habits. Comparing them helps you choose the right one:
Costuma + infinitive: common in Brazilian Portuguese for regular behavior.
Present tense without costumar: sometimes used to describe routine but can sound neutral or immediate.
Gostar de + infinitive: expresses liking, not frequency.
Ter o hábito de + infinitive: more formal, emphasizes a habit as an established pattern.
Examples to contrast:
Eu costumo correr de manhã. (I usually run in the morning.)
Eu corro de manhã. (I run in the morning — simple statement of fact.)
Eu gosto de correr. (I like to run.)
Eu tenho o hábito de correr todas as manhãs. (I have the habit of running every morning — formal)
When to use each option
Use costuma when you want to stress frequency and regularity in everyday spoken Portuguese. Use simple present when stating what you do without emphasizing habit. Use gostar de for preferences and ter o hábito de for formal emphasis or written style.
Time expressions commonly used with costuma
Many time words pair naturally with costuma to specify frequency. Learn these to make your sentences more precise.
Every day: todos os dias
Often: frequentemente / com frequência
Usually: geralmente
Sometimes: às vezes
Always: sempre
Examples:
Ela costuma estudar todos os dias.
Nós costumamos jantar fora às sextas.
Eu costumo trabalhar frequentemente até tarde.
Use with reflexive and pronominal verbs
Costuma can combine with reflexive verbs. The reflexive pronoun stays attached to the infinitive or before the conjugated verb if you use subject pronouns.
Examples:
Eu costumo me levantar cedo.
Ela costuma se maquiar rápido.
Vocês costumam se encontrar no parque?
Placement note: In spoken Brazilian Portuguese, me/te/se often appear before the infinitive, as in the examples above.
Negative habits and frequency modifiers
To indicate that someone habitually does not do something, use não + costuma. You can also attach adverbs like nunca to show never, or raramente for rarely.
Examples:
Ele não costuma fumar.
Eu raramente costumo beber café à noite.
Ela nunca costuma faltar ao trabalho.
Stylistic and cultural notes
In Brazil, costuma is very common in everyday speech to describe family routines, habits at work, eating patterns, and leisure activities. It sounds natural and friendly in conversation. Using it can help you sound more like a native when describing habits and expectations.
Cultural examples:
Many Brazilians costumam jantar mais tarde than in some English-speaking cultures; you might hear Lanchinhos after 10pm in some cities.
In work settings, people often ask Como você costuma organizar sua agenda? to learn about someone’s routine approach.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
1) Using a conjugated second verb instead of the infinitive: Avoid Eu costumo eu corro. Correct: Eu costumo correr.
2) Confusing frequency verbs: Remember that gostar de expresses preference, not frequency. Eu gosto de viajar does not mean I usually travel.
3) Overusing tu forms in Brazil: Many Brazilian speakers use você more than tu, so prefer você conjugation in most regions.
More example sentences with translations
Eu costumo acordar às seis.
I usually wake up at six.
Ela costuma tomar banho antes de sair.
She usually takes a shower before leaving.
Nós não costumamos comer fast food.
We do not usually eat fast food.
Vocês costumam estudar juntos?
Do you usually study together?
Meus pais costumam visitar a família no fim de semana.
My parents usually visit family on the weekend.
Tips to practice and internalize costuma
1) Listen for costuma in Brazilian podcasts and dialogues to hear natural rhythm.
2) Replace simple present statements about your routine with costumo sentences to build habit-focused vocabulary.
3) Pair costuma with different time adverbs like sempre, geralmente, and às vezes to express nuance.
When not to use costuma
Do not use costuma to describe single completed actions or future plans. For those, use past tenses, the simple present without habit emphasis, or future constructions.
Incorrect: Eu costumo fui ao Brasil ontem.
Correct: Eu fui ao Brasil ontem. (I went to Brazil yesterday.)
Conclusion
Costuma is an essential verb for describing present habits in Brazilian Portuguese. Use the present indicative + infinitive structure to talk about what people usually do, and pair it with adverbs of frequency for clarity. Practice listening and making habit statements to master natural usage and sound more fluent in everyday conversation.
