Portuguese Phrase
Esse prato costuma ser tão salgado?
Meaning
The speaker is asking whether the dish in question is typically very salty. It combines the habitual verb ‘costumar’ with the intensifier ‘tão’ to emphasize the degree of saltiness.
When to use
Use this question when you want to comment on the flavor of a meal you’re eating, especially if you suspect it might be overly salty and want to confirm if that’s normal for the recipe.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Essepratocostumasertãosalgado?
Costumar (habitual)
‘Costumar’ + infinitive expresses something that usually happens. Here it means ‘usually is’.
Intensifier ‘tão’
‘Tão’ intensifies an adjective, similar to ‘so’ in English. It is often used in questions to emphasize the degree.
Adjective agreement
‘Salgado’ agrees in gender and number with ‘prato’ (masculine singular).
🗨In Conversation
Esse prato costuma ser tão salgado?
Is this dish usually so salty?
Sim, o chef gosta de usar bastante sal.
Yes, the chef likes to use a lot of salt.
✕Common Mistakes
Esse prato costuma ser tão salgado?
‘Costuma’ is third‑person singular; with ‘esse prato’ you need the third‑person singular form ‘costuma’, but the habitual construction requires ‘costuma’ + infinitive, not ‘costuma ser’ in the present simple.
Esse prato costuma ser tão salgado?
‘Tão’ is used with adjectives; if you want to ask about the amount of salt rather than the intensity, use ‘muito’ or ‘tanto’.
↔Alternatives
Esse prato costuma ser muito salgado?
Is this dish usually very salty?
Esse prato costuma ficar tão salgado?
Does this dish usually end up this salty?
Esse prato costuma ter tanto sal?
Does this dish usually have so much salt?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, it’s common to ask about the level of seasoning as a polite way to give feedback. If you find a dish too salty, you can say “Está um pouco salgado para o meu gosto” (It’s a bit too salty for my taste) rather than a blunt criticism.