हम अक्सर शाम को साथ खाना बनाते हैं।

बनाते हैं is the present habitual form of बनाना (to make / to cook in this context).

It is used because the sentence describes something that happens regularly: we often cook together.

Breakdown:

• बना- = verb stem from बनाना
• -ते = habitual ending used with a masculine plural subject, or a mixed-gender group
• हैं = auxiliary verb matching हम (we)

So हम ... बनाते हैं = we ... cook / we make

If the group were entirely female, it would usually be:

• हम अक्सर शाम को साथ खाना बनाती हैं।

Because हम means we, which is grammatically plural, and plural subjects normally take हैं in the present tense.

Examples:

• मैं जाता हूँ = I go
• तुम जाते हो = you go
• हम जाते हैं = we go
• वे जाते हैं = they go

So in your sentence:

• हम ... बनाते हैं = we cook

अक्सर means often.

It is an adverb of frequency, so it tells you how often the action happens.

In Hindi, adverbs like अक्सर are fairly flexible, but they commonly appear before the main part of the action:

• हम अक्सर शाम को साथ खाना बनाते हैं।
• हम शाम को अक्सर साथ खाना बनाते हैं।

Both are understandable, though the first version sounds very natural.

In शाम को, को marks a time expression and gives the sense of in the evening / at evening time.

So:

• शाम = evening
• शाम को = in the evening

This use of को is very common with times:

• सुबह को or more commonly just सुबह = in the morning
• रात को = at night
• सोमवार को = on Monday

In many cases, Hindi can sometimes omit को, but शाम को is a very natural standard phrase.

Here साथ means together.

In this sentence, it tells you that we cook together.

You will also see साथ in expressions meaning with:

• मेरे साथ = with me
• उसके साथ = with him/her
• हम साथ जाते हैं = we go together

So साथ can express either:

• together
• with someone

The exact meaning depends on context.

Good question. खाना can mean two different things:

1. to eat (verb infinitive)
2. food / meal (noun)

In खाना बनाना, खाना is a noun, meaning food.

So:

• खाना बनाना = to cook food
• not to make to eat

This is a very common expression in Hindi. Even though English usually just says cook, Hindi often says make food.

Yes, very much so.

Hindi often uses:

• खाना बनाना = to cook / to make food

This is one of the most common everyday ways to talk about cooking.

Examples:

• मैं खाना बना रहा हूँ। = I am cooking.
• वह अच्छा खाना बनाती है। = She cooks good food.
• हम साथ खाना बनाते हैं। = We cook together.

So even though the literal sense is make food, the natural English translation is often just cook.

Hindi and English usually use different basic word order.

English often follows:

• Subject + adverb + verb + object
• We often cook food together in the evening.

Hindi usually prefers:

• Subject + adverb + time + manner + object + verb
• हम अक्सर शाम को साथ खाना बनाते हैं।

So the Hindi order is very normal:

• हम = we
• अक्सर = often
• शाम को = in the evening
• साथ = together
• खाना = food
• बनाते हैं = make / cook

A useful rule: in Hindi, the main verb usually comes near the end.

Yes, often it can be omitted if the context already makes the subject clear.

For example:

• अक्सर शाम को साथ खाना बनाते हैं।

This can still mean We often cook together in the evening, depending on context.

Hindi frequently drops pronouns when they are understood. However, keeping हम is perfectly natural and often clearer for learners.

Yes. The habitual participle would usually change to agree with a feminine plural subject.

So instead of:

• हम अक्सर शाम को साथ खाना बनाते हैं।

you would usually say:

• हम अक्सर शाम को साथ खाना बनाती हैं।

Why?

• बनाते = masculine plural / mixed group
• बनाती = feminine plural when used with हैं

This kind of agreement is very important in Hindi.

Yes, to some extent. Hindi allows some flexibility, though some orders sound more natural than others.

Natural options include:

• हम अक्सर शाम को साथ खाना बनाते हैं।
• हम साथ अक्सर शाम को खाना बनाते हैं।
• हम शाम को साथ खाना अक्सर नहीं बनाते हैं। (if adding negation/focus)

But the original version is smooth and idiomatic.

A good learner strategy is:

• keep time expressions like शाम को before the object
• keep साथ close to the action it describes

So ... शाम को साथ खाना बनाते हैं is a very natural pattern.