Portuguese Phrase
Costumo fazer chili ou pratos salteados.
Meaning
I usually make chili or stir‑fried dishes. The sentence talks about a personal cooking habit, highlighting two types of meals the speaker often prepares.
When to use
Use this phrase when describing your regular cooking routine, answering questions about what you like to cook, or sharing meal ideas with friends.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Costumofazerchilioupratossalteados
Costumar + infinitivo
The verb *costumar* followed by an infinitive expresses a habitual action, similar to “usually do/make”.
Fazer (to make)
In Portuguese, *fazer* is the most common verb for preparing food, equivalent to “to make” or “to cook”.
Ou (or)
The conjunction *ou* connects two alternatives; it does not imply both items are done together.
Adjective after noun
In Portuguese, descriptive adjectives often follow the noun, as in *pratos salteados* (stir‑fried dishes).
🗨In Conversation
O que você costuma cozinhar durante a semana?
What do you usually cook during the week?
Costumo fazer chili ou pratos salteados.
I usually make chili or stir‑fried dishes.
✕Common Mistakes
Costumo fazer chili e pratos salteados.
Using *e* (and) changes the meaning to ‘both chili and stir‑fried dishes’, which is not the intended habit of choosing one or the other.
Costumo cozinhar chili.
While *fazer* is correct, some learners mistakenly use *cozinhar* with *chili* as a noun; the correct form is *fazer chili* or *preparar chili*.
pratos salteado
The adjective must agree in gender and number with *pratos*; the correct plural form is *salteados*.
↔Alternatives
Geralmente preparo chili ou pratos salteados.
I generally prepare chili or stir‑fried dishes.
Normalmente cozinho chili ou pratos salteados.
Normally I cook chili or stir‑fried dishes.
Costumo cozinhar chili e pratos salteados.
I usually cook chili and stir‑fried dishes.
Cultural Tip
Chili (a Tex‑Mex staple) has become popular in Brazil, especially among younger cooks who like spicy food. *Pratos salteados* refer to quick, high‑heat Asian‑style cooking (like stir‑fry) and are common in Brazilian households that enjoy Asian cuisine. When using the phrase, you can mention the origin of the dish to add a cultural touch.