Introduction
Learning how to talk about past habits is essential for fluent, natural Portuguese. This article explains how to use the verb costumava in Brazilian Portuguese to describe repeated or habitual actions in the past. You will find clear grammar rules, conjugation examples, sentence patterns, comparisons with other past forms, and cultural notes to help you speak like a native.
- What does costumava mean?
- How costumava is formed
- When to use costumava
- Structure: Subject + costumava + infinitive or clause
- Comparisons with other past tenses
- Negative and interrogative forms
- With reflexive and pronominal verbs
- Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Nuances and cultural notes
- Practical examples and translations
- Advanced uses: combining with conditional and past perfect
- Tips to practice naturally
- Conclusion
What does costumava mean?
The verb costumar means to be accustomed to or to tend to do something. In the past imperfect form, costumava expresses a habit or repeated action that occurred regularly in the past but no longer happens, or it sets the background for a past narrative.
Basic idea in English
Think of costumava as equivalent to English phrases like used to or would (for habitual past actions). It emphasizes that the action was customary or usual at some time in the past.
How costumava is formed
Costumava is the first- and third-person singular form in the pretérito imperfeito (imperfect past) of the verb costumar. The full verb conjugation in the imperfect is regular for -ar verbs.
Conjugation of costumar in pretérito imperfeito:
eu costumava
tu costumavas
ele/ela/você costumava
nós costumávamos
vós costumáveis
eles/elas/vocês costumavam
Pronunciation tip
Pronounce costumava roughly as kohs-too-MAH-vah, with stress on the second-to-last syllable. Brazilian speakers often reduce the final vowel slightly in casual speech.
When to use costumava
Use costumava to describe actions that happened repeatedly or habitually in the past. It is perfect for memories, routines you no longer follow, or background details in stories.
Common contexts
– Childhood routines: Eu costumava brincar na rua quando era criança.
– Past habits that stopped: Antes eu costumava tomar café forte, mas hoje não.
– Repeated events in the past: Naquele período, ele costumava viajar todos os meses.
Background and setting in narratives
Writers and speakers use costumava to set the scene. It gives the listener a sense of continuity or routine that was happening when another event occurred.
Example:
Eu costumava estudar na biblioteca quando conheci a Maria.
Here, costumava tells us the ongoing habit; conhecer is the specific event that happened once.
Structure: Subject + costumava + infinitive or clause
After costumava, you can use an infinitive verb to indicate the habitual action, or a full clause to add detail. The infinitive is common and succinct; a clause gives extra information.
With infinitive
Use the infinitive for general habitual actions.
Eu costumava correr de manhã.
Ela costumava ler antes de dormir.
With a clause
Use a clause when you want to include objects, adverbs, or subordinate information.
Eu costumava correr pelas ruas do bairro todas as manhãs.
Quando morávamos na praia, nós costumávamos caminhar ao pôr do sol.
Comparisons with other past tenses
Understanding how costumava differs from other past forms will help you choose the right one for each situation.
Pretérito imperfeito vs pretérito perfeito
Use the pretérito imperfeito (costumava) for ongoing or repeated past actions. Use the pretérito perfeito for actions completed at a specific moment.
Examples:
Eu costumava tocar piano quando era jovem. (habitual past)
Eu toquei piano ontem. (specific completed action)
Pretérito imperfeito vs pretérito perfeito composto
The pretérito perfeito composto (tense formed with ter + past participle) expresses actions that started in the past and continue into the present or have present relevance. Costumava implies the habit belongs to the past and typically no longer applies.
Examples:
Eu costumava fumar. (I used to smoke; usually implies I no longer do)
Tenho fumado menos ultimamente. (I have been smoking less recently; ongoing relevance)
Using would for habits
English often uses would to describe past habits. Portuguese can use costumava or the imperfect tense of the main verb without costumar. For clarity and emphasis on habit, Brazilians use costumava.
Examples:
Quando éramos jovens, íamos à praia todo verão. (We would/go regularly — using imperfect of ir)
Quando éramos jovens, costumávamos ir à praia todo verão. (We used to go — emphasizes habit)
Negative and interrogative forms
Making costumava negative or turning it into a question is straightforward. Place não before the verb for negatives and invert subject and verb or use intonation for questions.
Negative
Eu não costumava comer tanto açúcar.
Eles não costumavam estudar de noite.
Questions
Você costumava estudar com seus amigos?
Como vocês costumavam viajar naquela época?
With reflexive and pronominal verbs
You can combine costumava with reflexive verbs or verbs that require object pronouns. Pronoun placement follows normal Brazilian Portuguese rules: pronouns come before the verb in most spoken and written contexts.
Examples:
Eu costumava me levantar cedo. (I used to get up early)
Ela costumava se preocupar com tudo. (She used to worry about everything)
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Beginners often confuse verb agreement, pronoun placement, and tense choice. Here are the most common pitfalls and tips to avoid them.
1. Wrong subject-verb agreement
Remember the imperfect endings: eu costumava, nós costumávamos, eles costumavam. Match the verb to the subject.
2. Using infinitive incorrectly
After costumava, the infinitive is normal. Avoid using the conjugated verb unnecessarily.
Wrong: Eu costumava eu estudava todos os dias.
Right: Eu costumava estudar todos os dias.
3. Confusing with present habitual
Do not use costumava for current routines. Use the present tense for present habits.
Eu costumava ir à academia. (past habit)
Eu vou à academia todos os dias. or Eu costumo ir à academia. (present habit)
Nuances and cultural notes
In Brazilian Portuguese, speakers use costumava in everyday conversation and storytelling. It is slightly more formal or explicit than simply using the imperfect of the main verb, but both are acceptable.
Using costumava often adds emotion or nostalgia when talking about childhood or past routines. For example, Eu costumava brincar de roda na escola conveys a warm memory more strongly than Eu brincava de roda.
Regional variation: In Brazil, costumava is widely used across regions. Some speakers, especially in informal contexts, might prefer the simple imperfect of the main verb (brincava, ia, estudava) instead of using costumar.
Practical examples and translations
Here are natural Brazilian Portuguese sentences using costumava with clear English translations to help you internalize usage.
Quando eu era criança, eu costumava subir em árvores no quintal.
When I was a child, I used to climb trees in the backyard.
Nós costumávamos almoçar juntos todo domingo até a mudança.
We used to have lunch together every Sunday until the move.
Ela costumava trabalhar até tarde, mas agora tem um horário fixo.
She used to work late, but now she has a fixed schedule.
Costumávamos ouvir disco de vinil na casa dos meus avós.
We used to listen to vinyl records at my grandparents’ house.
Você costumava praticar algum esporte quando era jovem?
Did you use to practice any sport when you were young?
Advanced uses: combining with conditional and past perfect
You can combine costumava with other tenses to express more complex temporal relationships. For instance, the past perfect or conditional gives shades of hypothetical or completed contexts.
Example of background with a conditional result:
Eu costumava estudar muito; por isso, se fosse necessário, eu teria uma boa base.
I used to study a lot; therefore, if necessary, I would have a good foundation.
Using past perfect to show earlier habits before another past event:
Antes de me mudar, eu costumava frequentar aquele café; já tinha feito muitos amigos lá.
Before I moved, I used to frequent that cafe; I had already made many friends there.
Tips to practice naturally
– Listen for costumava in songs, interviews, and conversations when people talk about memories.
– Describe your childhood routines using costumava to create personal sentences you can remember.
– Compare current habits and past habits in a few sentences: Eu costumo… vs Eu costumava…
Conclusion
Mastering costumava helps you describe past habits, set scenes, and convey nostalgia in Brazilian Portuguese. Use the pretérito imperfeito of costumar with infinitives or clauses, pay attention to agreement and pronoun placement, and contrast it with present tense or perfect tenses when necessary. Listening to native speakers and practicing real-life sentences will make your use of costumava natural and confident.
