Portuguese Phrase
Preparar as refeições poupa muito tempo.
Meaning
The sentence means “Preparing the meals saves a lot of time.” It emphasizes that cooking in advance or planning meals can dramatically reduce the daily time you spend in the kitchen.
When to use
Use this phrase when you’re talking about cooking habits, time‑management tips, or explaining why you like to meal‑prep. It works in casual conversation with friends, in a workplace discussion about productivity, or even in a language‑learning class when describing routines.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Prepararasrefeiçõespoupamuitotempo
Infinitive as Subject
In Portuguese, an infinitive verb can act as the subject of a sentence, as in 'Preparar' (to prepare).
Definite Article + Noun
'as refeições' uses the feminine plural article 'as' with the noun 'refeições' (meals).
Third‑person Singular Present
'poupa' is the 3rd person singular present of the verb 'poupar' (to save), agreeing with the infinitive subject.
Adverb of Quantity
'muito' modifies the verb, meaning 'a lot' or 'much'.
Abstract Noun
'tempo' means 'time' and functions as the object of the verb.
🗨In Conversation
Preparar as refeições poupa muito tempo.
Preparing the meals saves a lot of time.
É verdade, eu sempre cozinho tudo de uma vez para a semana.
That’s true, I always cook everything at once for the week.
✕Common Mistakes
Preparar as refeições poupar muito tempo.
‘Poupar’ is the infinitive; you need the conjugated form ‘poupa’ to agree with the subject.
Preparar as refeições poupa muito o tempo.
Do not add an article before ‘tempo’ here; the phrase means ‘saves time’, not ‘saves the time’.
Preparar as refeiçoes poupa muito tempo.
The correct spelling is ‘refeições’ with the cedilla and accent.
↔Alternatives
Cozinhar as refeições economiza bastante tempo.
Cooking the meals saves quite a bit of time.
Fazer as refeições com antecedência reduz o tempo gasto na cozinha.
Making meals in advance reduces the time spent in the kitchen.
Planejar o cardápio semanal poupa muito tempo.
Planning the weekly menu saves a lot of time.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil and Portugal, many families adopt ‘meal‑prep’ (preparar as refeições) on weekends to free up weekday evenings for family time. In Brazil, the term ‘preparo de refeições’ is common in culinary blogs, while in Portugal people often say ‘cozinhar em lote’ (cook in bulk). Using the infinitive as a subject, as in this sentence, sounds natural and slightly formal, making it perfect for both spoken and written Portuguese.