Portuguese Phrase
Eu geralmente leio não-ficção.
Meaning
The sentence states a personal habit: the speaker usually reads non‑fiction material. The adverb geralmente signals frequency, while não‑ficção specifies the type of reading material.
When to use
Use this phrase when talking about your reading preferences, describing a daily routine, or answering a question about what you like to read.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Eugeralmenteleionão-ficção
Subject pronoun (Eu)
Eu is the first‑person singular pronoun, often optional in Portuguese but used here for emphasis.
Adverb of frequency (geralmente)
Geralmente means “usually”. It normally appears before the main verb.
Present indicative (leio)
Leio is the 1st‑person singular present of ler “to read”. It agrees with Eu.
Compound noun (não‑ficção)
Não‑ficção (non‑fiction) is a hyphenated noun; the hyphen is required to keep the negative particle attached to the noun.
🗨In Conversation
O que você costuma ler?
What do you usually read?
Eu geralmente leio não-ficção.
I usually read non‑fiction.
✕Common Mistakes
Eu geralmente leio não ficção.
The hyphen is required; without it the phrase looks like two separate words and is considered incorrect.
Geralmente eu leio não‑ficção.
While grammatically possible, the natural order in Portuguese places the adverb before the verb.
Eu geralmente leio não‑ficção livros.
The noun should come directly after the verb; adding “livros” after the noun is redundant unless you want to specify “books”.
↔Alternatives
Eu costumo ler livros de não‑ficção.
I usually read non‑fiction books.
Normalmente, leio não‑ficção.
Normally, I read non‑fiction.
Geralmente leio obras de não‑ficção.
I usually read non‑fiction works.
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, non‑fiction covers a wide range of topics—from biographies and self‑help to business and science. Mentioning that you read non‑fiction can signal a professional or academic interest, and it’s a common ice‑breaker in networking events. Keep the hyphen in não‑ficção; dropping it is considered a spelling error.