Cozer vs. Coser: Cook or Sew?
Cozer is cooking; coser is sewing. Both are verbs, but they describe completely different actions.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Cozer with z means to cook, often by boiling or simmering in liquid. The verb appears in recipes and cooking instructions: cozer os legumes, cozer o arroz. In Brazilian everyday speech, cozinhar is more broadly common, but cozer appears in recipe language and formal instructions.
Use cozer for cooking in water or heat
Use cozer when the action is preparing food with heat. Do not confuse it with coser, which involves thread and fabric.
Deixe cozer por dez minutos.
Let it cook for ten minutes.
Vou cozer os ovos antes de sair.
I’m going to boil the eggs before leaving.
Os legumes devem cozer até ficarem macios.
The vegetables should cook until tender.
Use coser for sewing fabric
Coser with s means to sew or stitch cloth. It can describe repairing clothing, joining fabric, or using a sewing machine. The noun costura (sewing/seam) shares the same everyday topic.
In casual Brazilian Portuguese, people may say costurar for sewing. Coser is still useful to recognize in written Portuguese, instructions, and dictionaries.
Minha avó sabe coser à mão.
My grandmother knows how to sew by hand.
Ela vai coser o botão na camisa.
She is going to sew the button onto the shirt.
Preciso costurar a barra da calça.
I need to sew the trouser hem.
Put it into practice
Cozer is to cook; coser is to sew. In everyday Brazilian speech, cozinhar and costurar are also common alternatives.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “I’m going to boil the eggs before leaving”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
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