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Eu costumo ver um filme às oito.

Eu costumo ver um filme às oito.
I usually watch a film at eight.

Breakdown of Eu costumo ver um filme às oito.

eu
I
um
a
ver
to watch
o filme
the film
costumar
to usually
oito
eight
às
on
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Questions & Answers about Eu costumo ver um filme às oito.

What exactly does costumo mean here, and how does the verb costumar work?

Costumo is the 1st person singular present of costumar.

  • Costumar + infinitive = to usually do something / to be in the habit of doing something.
  • So Eu costumo ver um filme = I usually watch a film / I tend to watch a film.

Present tense of costumar (European Portuguese):

  • eu costumo
  • tu costumas
  • ele/ela/você costuma
  • nós costumamos
  • vocês/eles/elas costumam

You always follow costumar with an infinitive:
costumar + comer / ver / estudar / sair / etc.

Why do we say costumo ver and not just vejo?

Both are grammatically correct, but they don’t feel quite the same:

  • Eu vejo um filme às oito = I watch a film at eight (can describe a routine, but it’s more neutral).
  • Eu costumo ver um filme às oito = I usually / normally / as a rule watch a film at eight.

Using costumar makes the idea of habit very explicit, just like adding usually in English.
Without costumar, the habitual meaning often comes from context, but is less strongly highlighted.

Is costumar the same as “to be used to” in English?

Not exactly. This is a common confusion.

  • costumar + infinitive = to usually do something

    • Eu costumo ver um filme às oito.
      → I usually watch a film at eight.

  • estar habituado a + noun/infinitive = to be used to / to be accustomed to

    • Estou habituado a ver filmes tarde.
      → I’m used to watching films late.

So:

  • costumar talks about what you generally do (your habit).
  • estar habituado a talks about what you are accustomed/adjusted to.
Why is it costumo ver and not costumo a ver? Doesn’t Portuguese often use prepositions?

With costumar, the normal, standard structure is:

costumar + infinitive (without a preposition)

So you say:

  • Costumo ver filmes.
  • Costumamos jantar às oito.
  • Eles costumam sair ao fim de semana.

Forms like costumar a + infinitive can appear in some regional or informal speech, but for European Portuguese learners you should stick to costumar + infinitive with no preposition.

Do I have to say Eu, or can I just say Costumo ver um filme às oito?

You don’t have to say Eu. Portuguese is a pro‑drop language: subject pronouns are often omitted because the verb ending already tells you who the subject is.

  • Eu costumo ver um filme às oito.
  • Costumo ver um filme às oito.

Both are correct. Differences:

  • With Eu, you add a bit of emphasis on “I”, often in contrast with others:
    • Eu costumo ver um filme às oito (but others don’t).
  • Without Eu, it just sounds more neutral and natural in everyday speech.

So in most contexts, Costumo ver um filme às oito is perfectly natural.

Can I change the word order? For example: Costumo ver um filme às oito or Às oito costumo ver um filme?

Yes. Portuguese allows some flexibility with adverbs of time:

  1. [Subject] + [verb] + … + [time] (most common)

    • Eu costumo ver um filme às oito.

  2. [verb] + … + [time] (subject pronoun omitted)

    • Costumo ver um filme às oito.

  3. [Time] + [verb/subject] + … (for emphasis on the time)

    • Às oito costumo ver um filme.
    • Às oito eu costumo ver um filme. (strong emphasis on “at eight” and “I”)

Something like Eu às oito costumo ver um filme is possible but sounds more marked/stylistic.
The safest and most neutral options are:

  • Costumo ver um filme às oito.
  • Eu costumo ver um filme às oito.
  • Às oito costumo ver um filme.
What’s the difference between ver um filme and assistir a um filme?

In European Portuguese:

  • ver um filme is the most common, everyday way to say to watch a film.
  • assistir a um filme is also correct, but:
    • It sounds more formal or “bookish” in Portugal.
    • It must include the preposition a: assistir a um filme.

So, for natural European Portuguese:

  • Prefer ver um filme in normal conversation.
  • If you use assistir, remember:
    • assistir a um filme, assistir a um espetáculo, assistir a um jogo.
Why is it um filme and not o filme or filmes?

um filme is the indefinite article (a film), and here it works like in English:

  • Eu costumo ver um filme às oito.
    → I usually watch a film at eight. (not a specific one, just “a film” as an activity)

Other options, with slightly different meanings:

  • Eu costumo ver filmes às oito.
    → I usually watch films at eight (plural, emphasising the general type of thing you watch).
  • Eu costumo ver o filme às oito.
    → I usually watch the film at eight (referring to one specific film everyone knows about – this is less common unless context makes that clear).

So um filme is the most natural when you mean “I usually watch a movie (as an activity).”

How do I say “I used to watch a film at eight” (a past habit)?

You use the imperfect tense. With costumar:

  • Eu costumava ver um filme às oito.
    → I used to watch a film at eight / I would regularly watch a film at eight.

You can also use the imperfect of ver alone:

  • Eu via um filme às oito.
    → I used to watch a film at eight / I would watch a film at eight.

Both are fine:

  • costumava ver explicitly marks it as a regular habit in the past.
  • via can also express a repeated past action, and context makes it clear it was habitual.

For a learner, Eu costumava ver um filme às oito is a very clear way to express past habit.

What does às mean in às oito, and why does it have an accent?

Às in às oito is a contraction:

  • a (preposition: at) + as (feminine plural definite article: the)
    → às (at the)

We are really saying:

  • às oito (horas) = at the eight (o’clock)

horas is feminine plural (as horas), so the article as appears, and it merges with a → às.

The accent (à in às) is a grave accent, used in this kind of contraction (called crase in Portuguese). It distinguishes:

  • às = at the (used with hours)
  • as = the (feminine plural), no preposition; also as (pronoun).
Can I say às oito horas or should I add da manhã / da noite?

Yes, you can expand às oito in several ways:

  • às oito
  • às oito horas
  • às oito da manhã (8 a.m.)
  • às oito da noite (8 p.m.)
  • às vinte horas (20:00, in 24‑hour style; more formal/official)

In everyday speech in Portugal:

  • People often just say às oito and let context clarify whether it’s morning or evening.
  • If it could be ambiguous, add da manhã, da tarde, or da noite:
    • Costumo ver um filme às oito da noite.
How would I say similar sentences, like “I usually watch TV at eight” or “We usually watch a series at eight”?

You keep the same structure costumar + infinitive + object + time:

  • Eu costumo ver televisão às oito.
    → I usually watch TV at eight.
    (Here televisão is used as a mass noun, so no article is needed.)

  • Nós costumamos ver uma série às oito.
    → We usually watch a series at eight.

  • Eles costumam ver notícias às oito.
    → They usually watch the news at eight.

You can replace ver um filme with other infinitive + object combinations, and reuse às oito exactly the same way.