Portuguese Phrase
Novembro costuma ser meio cinzento.
Meaning
The sentence says that November tends to be somewhat gray, referring to the typical weather conditions—cloudy, overcast skies and a lack of bright sunshine. It conveys a general observation rather than a precise forecast.
When to use
Use this phrase when talking about the climate of a region, describing the typical mood of the month, or comparing November to other months. It works in casual conversation, travel blogs, or weather‑related small talk.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Novembrocostumasermeiocinzento.
Month as proper noun
Months are capitalized in Portuguese and act as nouns; no article is needed before them.
costumar (3rd person singular)
The verb costumar means ‘to usually do/happen’. In the present tense it conjugates as costuma for he/she/it.
Infinitive ser
Ser is used after costumar to describe an inherent or regular characteristic, not a temporary state.
meio (adverb)
Meio means ‘somewhat, a little’, and it modifies the adjective that follows.
cinzento (adjective)
Cinzento means ‘gray’. In European Portuguese it is the usual form; in Brazilian Portuguese the adjective is usually cinza.
🗨In Conversation
Como está o tempo em Lisboa agora?
How's the weather in Lisbon right now?
Novembro costuma ser meio cinzento.
November tends to be somewhat gray.
✕Common Mistakes
Novembro costuma ser meio cinza.
‘Cinza’ is the Brazilian Portuguese form; in European Portuguese the correct adjective is ‘cinzento’. Using the wrong variant can sound out of place.
Novembro costuma estar meio cinzento.
‘Costuma estar’ describes temporary states. Here we talk about a regular characteristic, so ‘costuma ser’ is preferred.
↔Alternatives
Novembro geralmente é um pouco cinzento.
November is generally a little gray.
Em novembro o clima costuma ser nublado.
In November the climate usually is cloudy.
Normalmente, novembro tem dias cinzentos.
Normally, November has gray days.
Cultural Tip
In Portugal, November marks the start of the rainy season, so ‘cinzento’ (gray) is a common description. In Brazil the word ‘cinza’ is more frequently used, especially in the south where the weather can be similar. Choose ‘cinzento’ for European Portuguese contexts and ‘cinza’ for Brazilian Portuguese to sound natural.