Portuguese Phrase
Depois preparo o jantar.
Meaning
‘Later I’ll prepare dinner.’ The speaker is stating a future action that will happen after something else has been done.
When to use
Use this sentence when you are talking about your plans for the evening, especially after finishing work, school, or another activity.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Depoispreparoojantar
Depois (adverb)
Used to indicate a later point in time, similar to 'later' or 'afterwards' in English.
preparo (verb)
First‑person singular present of the regular verb preparar ‘to prepare’; the ending -o marks ‘I’.
o (definite article)
The masculine singular article that agrees with the noun jantar.
jantar (noun)
Means ‘dinner’; in Brazil it usually refers to the main evening meal.
🗨In Conversation
O que você vai fazer depois?
What are you going to do later?
Depois preparo o jantar.
Later I’ll prepare dinner.
✕Common Mistakes
Depois preparo o janta.
‘Janta’ is a colloquial abbreviation; in a full sentence you need the noun ‘jantar’ with its article.
Depois preparar o jantar.
The infinitive ‘preparar’ cannot be used here; you need the conjugated form ‘preparo’.
Depois preparo jantar.
Dropping the article makes the sentence sound incomplete in standard Portuguese.
↔Alternatives
Depois eu cozinho o jantar.
Later I’ll cook dinner.
Depois faço o jantar.
Later I’ll make dinner.
Depois preparo jantar.
Later I prepare dinner.
Cultural Tip
In most of Brazil dinner (jantar) is eaten relatively late, often between 8 pm and 10 pm. Saying ‘preparo o jantar’ sounds a bit more formal; in everyday speech many Brazilians prefer ‘cozinho’ or ‘faço’ the dinner. Also, the article ‘o’ is mandatory – omitting it is a common learner error.