Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): No inverno, bebo leite morno antes de dormir. - In winter, I drink warm milk before sleeping.

Portuguese normally uses the definite article with seasons. The preposition em + the article o contracts to no, so you get no inverno = in the winter. The other seasons follow the same pattern: na primavera, no verão, no outono. Saying em inverno is unidiomatic in standard usage.

Should I capitalize inverno?

No. In Portuguese, names of seasons and months are written in lowercase, unless they start the sentence or are part of a title. In your sentence, No is capitalized because it starts the sentence, but inverno stays lowercase.

Is the comma after No inverno required?

It’s optional but very common. A short initial time expression like No inverno can appear with or without a comma: No inverno, bebo… or No inverno bebo… Both are fine; the comma slightly emphasizes the time frame.

Why is there no subject pronoun? Why not Eu bebo?

Portuguese is a pro‑drop language, so the verb ending already tells you the subject. Bebo clearly means I drink. You add Eu for emphasis or contrast: Eu bebo, mas o meu irmão não.

Can I say tomo leite instead of bebo leite?

In European Portuguese, beber is the default verb for drinks, so bebo leite is the natural choice. Tomar is common with medicine (tomar um comprimido), meals (tomar o pequeno‑almoço), and sometimes specific beverages as items (tomar um café). Saying tomar leite sounds odd in Portugal, though it’s common in Brazil.

Why is there no article before leite?

Because leite is a mass noun used in a general, non‑specific sense. Bebo leite means I drink (some) milk. If you say bebo o leite, you’re referring to specific milk already known from context (for example, the milk on the table).

Could I say um leite?

Grammatically, yes, but it changes the meaning. Um leite treats it as a countable serving (a glass/cup). In cafés in Portugal, um leite can work as an order (a glass of milk), and you can hear things like um leite morno. In your general‑habit sentence, bebo leite morno is the natural phrasing.

What exactly does morno mean compared to quente?

Morno = warm/lukewarm (not hot). For milk or tea, it suggests pleasantly warm, safe to drink right away.
Quente = hot. For milk, leite quente is clearly hotter than leite morno. Diminutives add a cozy tone: quentinho (nice and hot), morninho (nicely warm).

Why is it leite morno and not morno leite?

Most adjectives in Portuguese come after the noun. Leite morno is the normal order. Preposing the adjective is possible in some stylistic or specific cases, but morno leite sounds unnatural here.

Why is it antes de dormir and not antes para dormir?

After antes, Portuguese uses de + verb in the infinitive: antes de + infinitive. Para would express purpose (for sleeping), not time (before sleeping), so antes de dormir is the correct structure.

Shouldn’t de contract here (like do)?

No. De only contracts with a following article (de + o = do), but infinitive verbs don’t take articles. So it’s antes de dormir. With a noun, you would contract: antes do jantar (before dinner).

How would I say “before going to bed” or “before I fall asleep”?

Before going to bed: antes de me deitar (EP; pronominal verb deitar‑se).
Before I fall asleep: antes de adormecer. All three are common and natural, with slight nuance differences: dormir (sleep), deitar‑se (go to bed/lie down), adormecer (fall asleep).

Is it antes de me deitar or antes de deitar‑me in European Portuguese?

Both are correct. In Portugal, antes de me deitar is very common and sounds natural; antes de deitar‑me is also acceptable and can sound a bit more formal or careful. In Brazil, only antes de me deitar is used.

What tense is bebo, and can I say Costumo beber?

Bebo is the present indicative, which often expresses habits in Portuguese, especially with a time expression like No inverno. Costumo beber (I usually drink) is also correct; it explicitly marks the action as habitual and sounds a touch more marked.

Pronunciation tips for this sentence (European Portuguese)?

No inverno: roughly noh een-VEHR-no; the r in inverno is a quick tap.
bebo: BEH-boo (first syllable stressed).
leite: LAY-t(uh); the final e is a very light, reduced vowel.
morno: MOR-no (both o’s are fairly closed; the r is a tap).
antes de dormir: AN-tesh de dor-MEER. In connected speech, the final s of antes sounds like a soft zh before the voiced d of de.

Can I move the time phrase to the end: Bebo leite morno antes de dormir no inverno?

Yes. Word order is flexible for adverbials. No inverno at the start sets the seasonal context up front; at the end it’s equally grammatical and natural.

Does No inverno mean “every winter” or “this winter”?

With the present tense and no other context, it typically means a general habit in wintertime. To stress repeated winters, you can also say nos invernos, but no inverno already conveys a generic seasonal habit in most contexts.

Any agreement to watch for with morno?

Yes. Adjectives agree with the noun. Leite is masculine singular, so morno. For a feminine noun: água morna. Plural: sopas mornas, cafés mornos.

Is there any key difference in Brazil?

Typical Brazilian phrasing would be something like No inverno eu tomo leite morno antes de dormir:

tomar for drinks is common in Brazil.
Using the subject pronoun (eu) is more common in everyday speech.
Pronunciation differs: Brazilian leite sounds like LAY-chee; the final e is clearer, and the tapped r is similar.