No outono, a minha mãe cozinha abóbora.

No outono means in autumn or in the autumn.

Here, no is a contraction of:

• em = in
• o = the

So:

• em + o = no

That means:

• no outono = in the autumn

This kind of contraction is very common in Portuguese:

• na = em + a
• nos = em + os
• nas = em + as

For example:

• na primavera = in spring
• no inverno = in winter

The comma separates the time expression from the rest of the sentence.

In English, we often do the same when a sentence begins with a time phrase:

• In autumn, my mother cooks pumpkin.

In Portuguese, this comma is very natural when an adverbial phrase like No outono is placed at the beginning. It helps the sentence read more clearly.

You may also see sentences without the comma in some contexts, but here the comma is perfectly normal and standard.

In European Portuguese, it is very common to use the definite article before a possessive:

• a minha mãe = my mother
• o meu pai = my father
• a minha casa = my house

This is one of the things that often feels unusual to English speakers, because English does not use the before my.

So although word-for-word a minha mãe looks like the my mother, that is just how Portuguese normally expresses it.

In European Portuguese, using the article here sounds natural and standard.

Cozinha is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb cozinhar (to cook).

The subject is a minha mãe, which is she/my mother, so the verb must be in the ele/ela/você form:

• eu cozinho = I cook
• tu cozinhas = you cook
• ele/ela cozinha = he/she cooks

So:

• a minha mãe cozinha = my mother cooks

Also, cozinha can be a noun meaning kitchen, but here it is clearly the verb because of the sentence structure.

Not necessarily. In this sentence, the present tense is being used for a habitual action.

So:

• a minha mãe cozinha abóbora here means my mother cooks pumpkin / my mother cooks pumpkin in autumn
• it suggests something she usually or regularly does during that season

Portuguese, like English, often uses the present tense for habits and repeated actions.

If you wanted to say she is cooking it right now, you would normally use a different structure, such as:

• A minha mãe está a cozinhar abóbora.
  = My mother is cooking pumpkin.

That estar a + infinitive structure is especially typical of European Portuguese.

Here, abóbora is being used in a general sense, not referring to one specific pumpkin.

So:

• cozinha abóbora = cooks pumpkin / cooks pumpkin dishes / cooks pumpkin as an ingredient

This is similar to English when we say things like:

• She cooks rice
• He drinks coffee

We do not always need the or a when speaking generally.

If you wanted to refer to a specific pumpkin or a specific batch of pumpkin, you might use an article:

• A minha mãe cozinha a abóbora.
  = My mother cooks the pumpkin.

That sounds more specific.

Often yes, but it can be a little broader than that.

In Portuguese, abóbora can refer to pumpkin or types of squash, depending on context. In many learner translations, pumpkin is the easiest and most natural choice, but the exact type can vary.

So in real life, context matters:

• recipe
• region
• season
• variety of squash being discussed

But for learning this sentence, pumpkin is a perfectly good meaning.

Yes. That is also correct.

Both of these are natural:

• No outono, a minha mãe cozinha abóbora.
• A minha mãe cozinha abóbora no outono.

The difference is mainly one of emphasis:

• No outono, ... puts the time first, so it highlights when
• A minha mãe cozinha abóbora no outono. starts with the subject, so it feels a bit more neutral

Portuguese word order is fairly flexible, especially with time expressions like this.

Mãe is pronounced roughly like my, but with a nasal sound.

A helpful approximation for an English speaker is:

• mãe ≈ myng without fully pronouncing the final ng

The ã is nasal, which means air passes through the nose as well as the mouth.

A few points:

• m sounds normal at the start
• ã is nasal
• e at the end combines with the nasal vowel, so the whole word is short and compact

European Portuguese pronunciation can be tricky at first, so it is worth listening to native audio for this word.

In European Portuguese, outono is pronounced approximately oh-TOH-noo, but the unstressed vowels are often reduced.

A rough guide:

• ou sounds like oh
• stress falls on to
• the final o in European Portuguese is usually a reduced sound, not a strong English oh

So it is not pronounced exactly as it would be in Spanish or in careful letter-by-letter reading.

The stress pattern is:

• ou-TO-no

It usually means in autumn as a general seasonal time, especially in a sentence like this with the habitual present.

So the sentence suggests:

• During autumn, my mother cooks pumpkin
• In the autumn season, my mother tends to cook pumpkin

It does not have to refer to one single, specific autumn unless the wider context makes that clear.

Yes, you could.

• No outono = in autumn
• Durante o outono = during autumn / throughout autumn

The meaning is similar, but the nuance is slightly different:

• No outono is the most natural simple way to say in autumn
• Durante o outono can sound a bit more explicit, as if focusing on the duration of the season

For a basic sentence like this, No outono is the most straightforward choice.

Yes, a couple of features fit European Portuguese well.

One clear feature is:

• a minha mãe

Using the definite article before the possessive is very typical and standard in European Portuguese.

Also, if you were to turn this into a progressive form, European Portuguese would normally prefer:

• está a cozinhar

whereas Brazilian Portuguese often prefers:

• está cozinhando

So while the sentence itself can be understood across the Portuguese-speaking world, it fits European Portuguese usage very naturally.