Introduction
The preposition Durante is one of the most useful words for talking about time in Brazilian Portuguese. Beginners and intermediate learners often encounter it when describing how long events last or when something happened within a time frame. This article explains when and how to use durante, compares it with similar expressions, and gives clear example sentences to help you use it naturally.
- What does Durante mean?
- Using Durante for full and partial overlaps
- Tense and aspect with Durante
- With specific time expressions
- Negative and interrogative forms
- Compare Durante with similar time words
- Common collocations and natural usage
- Placement and punctuation
- Passive voice and Durante
- Negation and emphasis with adverbs
- Cultural notes and practical tips
- Examples by level
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Quick reference: when to use Durante
- Conclusion
What does Durante mean?
Durante is a preposition used to indicate a period of time in which an action or event takes place. It corresponds to English during, for, or throughout, depending on context. Unlike some time words that refer to specific moments, durante emphasizes the duration or the time span in which something occurs.
Basic structure with Durante
The typical structure is durante + noun or time expression. No article is required in most cases, though one can appear if the noun calls for it.
Examples:
Durante a aula eu anotei tudo.
Durante o fim de semana fomos à praia.
Using Durante for full and partial overlaps
Durante can express that an event lasted the whole time of a period or only part of it. Context and additional verbs clarify whether the action covered the entire period.
Full overlap (action spans the entire period):
Durante a viagem, eu trabalhei todos os dias.
Here the speaker implies working throughout most or all of the trip.
Partial overlap (action happens at some point within the period):
Durante a reunião, alguém tocou o telefone.
The phone rang at some moment during the meeting, not necessarily the whole meeting.
Tense and aspect with Durante
You can use durante with different tenses depending on when the action happened: passado, presente, or futuro. The preposition itself does not change tense; the verb determines time.
Past: Durante o verão, viajei bastante.
Present: Durante a aula, eu escuto com atenção.
Future: Durante a próxima semana, teremos várias atividades.
Perfect vs imperfect meanings
The verb aspect affects meaning. Using the pretérito perfeito often suggests completed actions during that period. The pretérito imperfeito implies ongoing or habitual actions in the past.
Pretérito perfeito: Durante as férias, comi em muitos restaurantes.
Pretérito imperfeito: Durante as férias, eu costumava correr pela manhã.
With specific time expressions
Durante pairs well with time words such as dia, noite, semana, fim de semana, mês, ano, férias, aula, reunião, trabalho, viagem, and períodos like inverno or verão.
Examples:
Durante a noite, ouvi os vizinhos conversando.
Durante o mês de julho, a cidade fica cheia de turistas.
Durante as férias de verão, aprendi a surfar.
Days of the week and dates
When you mention days of the week or specific dates, use durante to indicate the span: Durante a segunda-feira inteira, estive no escritório. To express a single day use other constructions like em + day: Na segunda-feira, fui ao médico.
Negative and interrogative forms
Durante works the same in negative sentences and questions. Place it where the time phrase usually goes.
Negative: Não estive disponível durante o evento.
Question: Você dormiu durante o trajeto?
Compare Durante with similar time words
Several Portuguese expressions also talk about time. Understanding differences helps you choose the right one.
Durante vs por
Both can express duration, but nuance differs. Durante emphasizes the time span in which something occurs; por often focuses on the length of time and can pair with a quantified period.
Durante a noite, ouvi música. (emphasizes the timeframe when something occurred)
Fiquei acordado por duas horas. (emphasizes how long)
Durante vs enquanto
Enquanto is a conjunction meaning while and connects two simultaneous actions. Use durante before a noun and enquanto before a clause with a verb.
Durante a aula, eu tomei notas. (durante + noun)
Enquanto eu estudava, meu irmão assistia TV. (enquanto + clause)
Durante vs em
Em is a general preposition for time and place. Use em for specific points or months with articles. Durante stresses the span rather than a point.
Em julho eu viajei ao Nordeste. (em + month = point in time)
Durante julho, trabalhei em um projeto importante. (during the whole month)
Common collocations and natural usage
Certain nouns sound especially natural with durante. Learning collocations helps you speak more like a native speaker.
Common collocations:
Durante a aula, durante a reunião, durante a noite, durante o dia, durante as férias, durante o ano, durante o inverno, durante a viagem, durante o show.
Idiomatic and spoken uses
In spoken Brazilian Portuguese, small variations appear. People sometimes drop articles when speaking quickly: Durante aula deu para entender. This is informal; correct written form keeps the article: Durante a aula deu para entender.
Placement and punctuation
Durante usually comes at the beginning or middle of a sentence. It can appear before or after the verb phrase, depending on emphasis.
At the beginning for emphasis: Durante o jogo, ele fez muitos gols.
After the verb for neutral flow: Ele treinou durante o verão.
Using commas
Commas follow normal rules. When the time phrase is an introductory element, a comma can be used to set it off for clarity, especially in longer sentences.
Durante a apresentação, porém, o projetor falhou. vs Ele falou durante a apresentação sobre os novos planos.
Passive voice and Durante
Durante is compatible with passive constructions because it modifies the verb phrase, not the subject. The meaning remains focused on the timeframe.
A obra foi concluída durante o prazo estabelecido.
Os testes foram realizados durante a manhã.
Negation and emphasis with adverbs
When you want to emphasize that something did not happen for the whole period, pair durante with adverbs like completamente, totalmente, or simplesmente não.
Durante a festa, eu não falei com ele.
Durante todo o episódio, ninguém percebeu o erro.
Cultural notes and practical tips
In Brazil, time expressions are common in casual conversation. People describe social activities with durante to give context: Durante o Carnaval, a cidade fica mais animada. Festivals, holidays, and weather-related conversations often use durante to anchor actions in time.
Tip 1: Use articles with common nouns: Durante a aula, durante o jantar. Tip 2: When mentioning named holidays, both em and durante are possible but carry different nuance: Em Natal fazemos festa with specific day focus; Durante o Natal indicates the whole holiday period. Tip 3: For precise durations use por + quantified period: por três horas, por dois dias.
Examples by level
Beginner examples (simple verbs, present or past):
Durante a aula eu estudo.
Durante o fim de semana, eu descanso.
Intermediate examples (more nuance, multiple clauses):
Durante a palestra, os participantes fizeram muitas perguntas e o professor respondeu com calma.
Durante as férias de verão, visitei três cidades diferentes e provei muitos pratos típicos.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
1. Confusing durante with enquanto: Remember that durante precedes a noun while enquanto introduces a clause. 2. Omitting necessary articles in formal writing: Use Durante a reunião, not Durante reunião in writing. 3. Using durante with quantified durations where por is more natural: Fiquei por duas horas, not Durante duas horas, although the latter is not impossible, it sounds less idiomatic.
Quick reference: when to use Durante
– To indicate a timeframe in which something occurs: Durante o inverno.
– With nouns for parts of the day, events, months, seasons, holidays, and trips: Durante a noite; Durante a viagem.
– To describe either entire periods or moments within those periods—context determines meaning.
– Use with different tenses as needed; verb tense sets the time, durante sets the span.
Conclusion
The preposition Durante is an essential tool for expressing time spans in Brazilian Portuguese. It pairs with nouns to indicate when something happened or how long it took, works with all tenses, and contrasts with related words like por, enquanto, and em. Pay attention to article use, verb aspect, and collocations to sound natural. With practice, using durante will become an effortless part of describing time in conversation and writing.
