Cozinhar Conjugation in Portuguese
cozinhar means “to cook” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 92 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It means to cook, and it is completely regular: cozinho, cozinhas, cozinha, cozinhamos, cozinhais, cozinham. Its pretérito perfeito is cozinhei, cozinhaste, cozinhou, and its participle is cozinhado. It is the verb for cooking dinner and for working as a cook. This page gives you the complete conjugation of cozinhar — every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “Eu cozinho o jantar todos os dias.” — “I cook dinner.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: cozinhar
- English: to cook
- Verb type: Regular -ar verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: cozinhando
- Present participle: —
- Past participle: cozinhado
- Auxiliary: ter (all perfect tenses are formed with ter + the past participle)
- Ending: -ar verbs; pattern ar in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for cozinhar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read cozinhar in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about cozinhar
- It is regular: every form follows the ordinary -ar pattern, so once you know the stem you can build the whole table. The only work is learning the endings, not memorising exceptions.
- The perfect tenses use ter: the pretérito perfeito composto is formed with ter in the present plus the past participle cozinhado. The tables on this page give the participle in the masculine singular form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
- The gerund is cozinhando and the past participle is cozinhado: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the gerund appears in progressive constructions and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. There is no present participle form listed for this verb in the verified tables. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for cozinhar. Learn the present tense first, then the pretérito perfeito and the pretérito imperfeito, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative (presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | cozinho |
| tu | cozinhas |
| ele/ela | cozinha |
| nós | cozinhamos |
| vós | cozinhais |
| eles/elas | cozinham |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu cozinho o jantar todos os dias.” — “I cook dinner”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | cozinhei |
| tu | cozinhaste |
| ele/ela | cozinhou |
| nós | cozinhámos |
| vós | cozinhastes |
| eles/elas | cozinharam |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu cozinhei o jantar ontem.” — “I cooked dinner”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | cozinhava |
| tu | cozinhavas |
| ele/ela | cozinhava |
| nós | cozinhávamos |
| vós | cozinháveis |
| eles/elas | cozinhavam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu cozinhava o jantar antigamente.” — “I used to cook dinner”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | cozinhara |
| tu | cozinharas |
| ele/ela | cozinhara |
| nós | cozinháramos |
| vós | cozinháreis |
| eles/elas | cozinharam |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples is used for an action completed before another past action; in everyday speech the compound form with tinha is more common. For example: “Eu cozinhara o jantar antes do jantar.” — “I had cooked dinner”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | cozinharei |
| tu | cozinharás |
| ele/ela | cozinhará |
| nós | cozinharemos |
| vós | cozinhareis |
| eles/elas | cozinharão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu cozinharei o jantar amanhã.” — “I will cook dinner”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | cozinharia |
| tu | cozinharias |
| ele/ela | cozinharia |
| nós | cozinharíamos |
| vós | cozinharíeis |
| eles/elas | cozinhariam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu cozinharia o jantar um dia.” — “I would cook dinner”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho cozinhado |
| tu | tens cozinhado |
| ele/ela | tem cozinhado |
| nós | temos cozinhado |
| vós | tendes cozinhado |
| eles/elas | têm cozinhado |
The pretérito perfeito composto is used for actions that started in the past and continue, or have been repeated, up to the present. For example: “Ele tem cozinhado o jantar esta semana.” — “He has cooked dinner”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha cozinhado |
| tu | tinhas cozinhado |
| ele/ela | tinha cozinhado |
| nós | tínhamos cozinhado |
| vós | tínheis cozinhado |
| eles/elas | tinham cozinhado |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha cozinhado o jantar antes do jantar.” — “I had cooked dinner”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei cozinhado |
| tu | terás cozinhado |
| ele/ela | terá cozinhado |
| nós | teremos cozinhado |
| vós | tereis cozinhado |
| eles/elas | terão cozinhado |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei cozinhado o jantar até amanhã.” — “I will have cooked dinner”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria cozinhado |
| tu | terias cozinhado |
| ele/ela | teria cozinhado |
| nós | teríamos cozinhado |
| vós | teríeis cozinhado |
| eles/elas | teriam cozinhado |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria cozinhado o jantar ontem.” — “I would have cooked dinner”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | cozinhe |
| tu | cozinhes |
| ele/ela | cozinhe |
| nós | cozinhemos |
| vós | cozinheis |
| eles/elas | cozinhem |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu cozinhe o jantar.” — “It is important that I cook dinner”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | cozinhasse |
| tu | cozinhasses |
| ele/ela | cozinhasse |
| nós | cozinhássemos |
| vós | cozinhásseis |
| eles/elas | cozinhassem |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after que, and in se-clauses. For example: “Era importante que eu cozinhasse o jantar.” — “It was important that I cook dinner”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | cozinhar |
| tu | cozinhares |
| ele/ela | cozinhar |
| nós | cozinharmos |
| vós | cozinhardes |
| eles/elas | cozinharem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu cozinhar o jantar, é bom.” — “If I cook dinner, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | cozinha |
| ele/ela | cozinhe |
| nós | cozinhemos |
| vós | cozinhai |
| eles/elas | cozinhem |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Cozinha o jantar!” — “Cook dinner!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não cozinhes |
| ele/ela | não cozinhe |
| nós | não cozinhemos |
| vós | não cozinheis |
| eles/elas | não cozinhem |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não cozinhes o jantar.” — “Do not cook dinner.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha cozinhado |
| tu | tenhas cozinhado |
| ele/ela | tenha cozinhado |
| nós | tenhamos cozinhado |
| vós | tenhais cozinhado |
| eles/elas | tenham cozinhado |
The presente do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a subordinate clause expressing doubt, wish or emotion. For example: “É importante que eu tenha cozinhado o jantar.” — “It is important that I have cooked dinner”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse cozinhado |
| tu | tivesses cozinhado |
| ele/ela | tivesse cozinhado |
| nós | tivéssemos cozinhado |
| vós | tivésseis cozinhado |
| eles/elas | tivessem cozinhado |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse cozinhado o jantar.” — “It was important that I had cooked dinner”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver cozinhado |
| tu | tiveres cozinhado |
| ele/ela | tiver cozinhado |
| nós | tivermos cozinhado |
| vós | tiverdes cozinhado |
| eles/elas | tiverem cozinhado |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver cozinhado o jantar, é bom.” — “If I have cooked dinner, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | cozinhando |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Cozinhando o jantar, aprendo muito.” — “While cooking dinner, I learn a lot.”
Past participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Past participle | cozinhado |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho cozinhado o jantar esta semana.” — “I have cooked dinner.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with cozinhar, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu cozinho o jantar todos os dias.” — “I cook dinner”
- “Tu cozinhaste o jantar ontem.” — “You cooked dinner”
- “Ele cozinhava o jantar antigamente.” — “He used to cook dinner”
- “Eu cozinharei o jantar amanhã.” — “I will cook dinner”
- “Tu cozinharias o jantar um dia.” — “You would cook dinner”
- “Ele tem cozinhado o jantar esta semana.” — “He has cooked dinner”
- “Eu tinha cozinhado o jantar antes do jantar.” — “I had cooked dinner”
- “Tu terás cozinhado o jantar até amanhã.” — “You will have cooked dinner”
- “É importante que eu cozinhe o jantar.” — “It is important that I cook dinner”
- “Cozinha o jantar!” — “Cook dinner!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu cozinhar o jantar.”
✓ Right: “Eu cozinho o jantar todos os dias.”
The infinitive cozinhar never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form cozinho.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu cozinhas o jantar.”
✓ Right: “Eu cozinho o jantar todos os dias.”
cozinhas is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with cozinho.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu cozinho o jantar ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu cozinhei o jantar ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito cozinhei for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou cozinhado o jantar.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho cozinhado o jantar esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of cozinhar is formed with ter plus the past participle cozinhado: the eu form is tenho cozinhado. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “É importante que eu cozinho o jantar.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu cozinhe o jantar.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use cozinhe here, not the indicative cozinho.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho cozinhando o jantar.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho cozinhado o jantar esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle cozinhado, not the gerund cozinhando. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on cozinhar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of cozinhar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) cozinhas
- B) cozinho
- C) cozinha
- D) cozinhamos
What is the ele/ela form of cozinhar in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) cozinhei
- B) cozinhaste
- C) cozinhou
- D) cozinhámos
What is the nós form of cozinhar in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) cozinhava
- B) cozinhavas
- C) cozinháveis
- D) cozinhávamos
What is the tu form of cozinhar in the Futuro do presente?
- A) cozinharás
- B) cozinharei
- C) cozinhará
- D) cozinharemos
What is the eu form of cozinhar in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) cozinharias
- B) cozinharia
- C) cozinharíamos
- D) cozinharíeis
What is the ele/ela form of cozinhar in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho cozinhado
- B) tens cozinhado
- C) tem cozinhado
- D) temos cozinhado
What is the ele/ela form of cozinhar in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) cozinhes
- B) cozinhemos
- C) cozinheis
- D) cozinhe
What is the eu form of cozinhar in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) cozinhasse
- B) cozinhasses
- C) cozinhássemos
- D) cozinhásseis
What is the gerund of cozinhar?
- A) cozinhado
- B) cozinhando
- C) cozinhar
- D) cozinho
What does cozinhar mean in English?
- A) to ask for
- B) to receive
- C) to cook
- D) to pay
Answer key
- B) cozinho — the correct form is cozinho. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) cozinhou — the correct form is cozinhou. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) cozinhávamos — the correct form is cozinhávamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) cozinharás — the correct form is cozinharás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) cozinharia — the correct form is cozinharia. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem cozinhado — the correct form is tem cozinhado. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) cozinhe — the correct form is cozinhe. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) cozinhasse — the correct form is cozinhasse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) cozinhando — the correct form is cozinhando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to cook — the correct form is to cook. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does cozinhar mean in English?
cozinhar means “to cook”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is cozinhar regular or irregular?
cozinhar is regular: it follows the ordinary -ar pattern in every tense. The gerund is cozinhando and the past participle is cozinhado.
What are the gerund and past participle of cozinhar?
The gerund is cozinhando — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is cozinhado — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho cozinhado.
Which auxiliary does cozinhar take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
cozinhar takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho cozinhado. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle cozinhado.
How do I say “I cook” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu cozinho o jantar todos os dias.” — “I cook dinner” The eu form of the present is cozinho, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of cozinhar — every tense of cozinhar in one place.
- Cozinhar in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Cozinhar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Portuguese present tense guide — the full guide to the present tense in Portuguese.
- Pagar conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Comprar conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Portuguese verbs — the full hub of Portuguese conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Verb Conjugator — practise cozinhar with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise cozinhar with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise cozinhar with the interactive tool.