Minha mãe costuma ler o jornal todas as manhãs.

Costuma comes from the verb costumar, which is used to talk about habits or things someone usually does.

So minha mãe costuma ler o jornal means something like:

• my mother usually reads the newspaper
• my mother tends to read the newspaper
• my mother is in the habit of reading the newspaper

It does not mean she is reading it right now. It describes a regular habit.

After costumar, Portuguese uses another verb in the infinitive.

So the structure is:

costumar + infinitive

Examples:

• costuma ler = usually reads
• costuma estudar = usually studies
• costumam sair cedo = usually leave early

This is very normal in Portuguese. It works a lot like English to usually do something, except Portuguese keeps the second verb in the infinitive form.

Both minha mãe and a minha mãe are possible in Portuguese.

In Brazilian Portuguese, it is very common to say simply:

• minha mãe
• meu pai
• meu irmão

The article before the possessive is often omitted, especially in everyday speech.

So:

• Minha mãe costuma ler... = very natural
• A minha mãe costuma ler... = also correct

Using the article can sound a little more formal, regional, or sometimes slightly more emphatic, depending on context.

Portuguese uses definite articles more often than English.

Here, o jornal literally means the newspaper, but in natural English we might translate it as either:

• the newspaper
• sometimes just newspapers, depending on context

In Portuguese, using o here sounds completely normal. It can refer to:

• the newspaper as a regular daily item
• the newspaper your mother typically reads
• newspapers in the general sense of that daily activity

So even when English might drop the article or phrase things differently, Portuguese often keeps it.

Todas as manhãs is a very common way to say every morning.

Literally, it means all the mornings.

You may also hear:

• toda manhã
• de manhã
• todas as manhãs

But todas as manhãs clearly emphasizes repetition and routine, so it fits well with costuma.

So this phrase is a natural way to express a habitual action.

Because the phrase refers to repeated mornings in general, not just one morning.

Portuguese often expresses every X with a structure like:

• todos os dias = every day
• todas as noites = every night
• todas as manhãs = every morning

So the plural is part of the standard pattern.

Not exactly, but they overlap a lot.

Minha mãe costuma ler o jornal specifically highlights habit.

In English, we often use the simple present for habits:

• My mother reads the newspaper every morning

Portuguese can also use the simple present:

• Minha mãe lê o jornal todas as manhãs

That is also correct.

But costuma ler makes the habitual idea more explicit, closer to:

• usually reads
• tends to read
• is in the habit of reading

Yes. Portuguese word order is somewhat flexible, especially with time expressions.

This sentence is perfectly natural as:

• Minha mãe costuma ler o jornal todas as manhãs.

But you could also hear:

• Todas as manhãs, minha mãe costuma ler o jornal.
• Minha mãe, todas as manhãs, costuma ler o jornal.
  (less neutral, more marked)

The most neutral version is the original one. Putting todas as manhãs at the beginning gives it more emphasis.

No. In standard Portuguese, costumar is followed directly by the infinitive, with no preposition.

So the correct form is:

• costuma ler

Not:

• costuma a ler

This is important because in English learners sometimes expect a structure like used to or tends to, but Portuguese does not add a preposition here.

To make it negative, put não before costuma:

• Minha mãe não costuma ler o jornal todas as manhãs.
• My mother doesn’t usually read the newspaper every morning.

To turn it into a yes/no question, intonation is often enough in speech:

• Sua mãe costuma ler o jornal todas as manhãs?

You can also use question words:

• Quando sua mãe costuma ler o jornal? = When does your mother usually read the newspaper?
• Sua mãe costuma ler o quê de manhã? = What does your mother usually read in the morning?

Mãe has a nasal sound, which is very important in Portuguese pronunciation.

A rough guide:

• mãe sounds somewhat like myng or mah-eh̃, but neither is exact
• the ã is nasal, so air passes through the nose
• the final e is part of the nasalized sound, not a fully separate English-style vowel

This word can be tricky for English speakers because English does not use nasal vowels in the same way. It is worth listening carefully to native pronunciation and repeating it several times.