Portuguese Phrase
Cozinhe por pouco tempo em água fervente.
Meaning
The sentence is a cooking instruction that tells the listener to place the food in boiling water but only for a brief period, so it cooks through without becoming mushy. It emphasizes timing as a key factor in texture and flavor.
When to use
Use this phrase in recipes, cooking classes, or when you’re giving someone a quick tip on how to prepare vegetables, pasta, or eggs. It’s also handy when you need to correct someone who’s over‑cooking an ingredient.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Cozinheporpoucotempoemáguafervente
Imperative Mood
Cozinhe is the formal (tu/você) imperative form of cozinhar, used to give a direct instruction.
Duration Phrase
por pouco tempo literally means ‘for a short time’; por + noun expresses how long an action lasts.
Prepositional Phrase of Medium
em água fervente indicates the medium in which the cooking takes place – ‘in boiling water’.
Adjective Agreement
fervente agrees in gender and number with água (feminine singular).
🗨In Conversation
Cozinhe por pouco tempo em água fervente.
Cook for a short time in boiling water.
Entendi, assim os legumes ficam crocantes.
Got it, that way the vegetables stay crunchy.
✕Common Mistakes
Cozinhe por pouco em água fervente.
‘por pouco’ alone is incomplete; you need a noun (tempo) to indicate duration.
Cozinhe por pouco tempo em água fervida.
‘água fervida’ means ‘water that has been boiled and then cooled’, not ‘boiling water’. Use ‘água fervente’.
Cozinhar por pouco tempo em água fervente.
In an instruction you need the imperative form ‘Cozinhe’, not the infinitive ‘Cozinhar’.
↔Alternatives
Cozinhe rapidamente em água fervente.
Cook quickly in boiling water.
Cozinhe brevemente em água quente.
Cook briefly in hot water.
Deixe cozinhar por poucos minutos em água fervente.
Let it cook for a few minutes in boiling water.
Cultural Tip
In Brazilian cuisine, timing is crucial – overcooking vegetables can turn them soggy and strip away their bright color. Many home cooks use the expression ‘por pouco tempo’ to remind themselves to keep the texture firm, especially for dishes like ‘legumes no vapor’ or ‘macarrão al dente’. The phrase is informal but perfectly acceptable in written recipes.