Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Eu descasco a cebola e corto o tomate na tábua. - I peel the onion and cut the tomato on the cutting board.

na is the contraction of em + a and means “in/at/on the” with a feminine noun. So na tábua = “on the board.” With masculine nouns it’s no (em + o), e.g., no prato (“on the plate”).

Why are there definite articles (a cebola, o tomate)? Could I say “an onion, a tomato”?

Portuguese uses definite articles more often than English when the items are specific in context. a cebola and o tomate point to particular, context-known items.

If you mean “one onion and one tomato,” say uma cebola e um tomate.
In recipes/instructions you often see the imperative with definite articles: Descasque a cebola e corte o tomate.

Can I drop the subject pronoun Eu?

Yes. Portuguese is a “pro‑drop” language; the verb ending shows the subject. Descasco a cebola e corto o tomate na tábua. is perfectly natural. Keep eu only for emphasis or contrast.

Does this describe a habitual action or something happening right now?

The present tense in European Portuguese can do both. Context decides.

To be explicit about “right now,” EP prefers the progressive with estar a + infinitive: Estou a descascar a cebola e a cortar o tomate na tábua.
Note: You can’t literally do both at the exact same time, so people read it as sequential unless context says otherwise.

Is the Brazilian -ndo form okay here (estou descascando)?

In Portugal, the natural form is estar a + infinitive: estou a descascar. The -ndo gerund (e.g., estou descascando) is standard in Brazil but much less common in Portugal.

What exactly does tábua mean? Is it specifically a cutting board?

tábua means “board, plank.” In a kitchen context, a tábua is commonly understood as the cutting board. You can be more explicit with tábua de cortar or tábua de corte.

Does na tábua apply to both actions or just to cortar?

By default it’s read as modifying the nearest verb (here, cortar). To make it clearly apply to both, front it: Na tábua, descasco a cebola e corto o tomate. Or repeat it: … descasco a cebola na tábua e corto o tomate na tábua.

How do I pronounce the tricky bits in European Portuguese?

A few tips:

e (the conjunction “and”) sounds like “ee.”
c before e/i is “s”: cebola ≈ “seh-BO-lɐ.”
S at the end of a syllable is often “sh”: descasco ≈ “dɨsh-KASH-koo.”
Final unstressed e often reduces to a very weak vowel: tomate ≈ “too-MAT(ɨ).”
tábua ≈ “TA-bwa” (the “bua” contracts to “bwa”).

Why isn’t eu capitalized like English “I”?

In Portuguese, eu is not capitalized unless it begins a sentence. Capitalizing “I” is an English convention.

What are the genders of cebola, tomate, and tábua?

a cebola (feminine) → plural as cebolas
o tomate (masculine) → plural os tomates
a tábua (feminine) → plural as tábuas

Could I use other prepositions instead of na for “on the board”?

Yes:

sobre a tábua = on/over the board (a bit formal)
em cima da tábua = on top of the board (more descriptive)
na tábua is the most natural everyday choice.

Are descascar and cortar regular verbs? How do I say other persons?

Yes, both are regular -ar verbs. Present tense:

eu descasco / corto
tu descascas / cortas
ele/ela/você descasca / corta
nós descascamos / cortamos
vocês/eles/elas descascam / cortam

How do I say “peel it” or “cut it” using object pronouns?

In neutral affirmative sentences (EP), pronouns attach to the verb with a hyphen (enclisis):

Peel the onion (it, feminine): Descasco-a.
Cut the tomato (it, masculine): Corto-o.
With negatives or certain triggers (e.g., não), they go before the verb: Não a descasco. / Não o corto.
Note: After verbs ending in -r, -s, -z, the pronouns change to -lo/-la, but that doesn’t apply to descasco/corto.

Is cortar the best verb here? What about picar or fatiar?

cortar is general “to cut.”
picar is “to chop/dice” (small pieces).
fatiar is “to slice” (thin slices).
cortar às rodelas = cut into rounds.
Choose based on the cut you want: picar o tomate, fatiar a cebola, etc.

Would a recipe actually start with Eu?

No. Recipes typically use the imperative (polite 3rd-person form): Descasque a cebola e corte o tomate na tábua. The subject pronoun eu would not appear.