Introduction
This article explains the difference between Ia fazer and Fazia in Brazilian Portuguese. You will learn when to use each form, what nuances they convey, and how Brazilians naturally choose between them to express planned actions, interrupted plans, and past habits. Clear examples and usage notes make these differences easy to understand for beginner to intermediate learners.
Overview: two ways to talk about the past
Portuguese offers several past tenses and periphrastic forms to describe events that happened before now. Two common ways to refer to past actions that were expected or habitual are the imperfect past tense and the periphrasis with the verb ir in the imperfect plus an infinitive: Ia fazer. Understanding the difference helps you express subtle meaning: whether an action was a repeated habit, a general past description, a planned action, or an action that did not happen.
The imperfect past: Fazia
Form and basic use
The imperfect tense of fazer is conjugated as fazia, fazias, fazia, fazíamos, fazíeis, faziam. In most communicative contexts you will see and hear fazia for eu/ele/ela/isso forms and the appropriate plural forms for nós/e vocês/eles. The imperfect describes ongoing, habitual, or background actions in the past.
When to use fazia
Use fazia when you want to express:
– Past habits or repeated actions: actions that used to happen regularly.
– Background descriptions in a story: setting the scene or ongoing states in the past.
– Polite or tentative statements about past routines.
Examples of habitual or background use
Eu fazia caminhada todos os dias às seis da manhã.
Eu fazia caminhada todos os dias às seis da manhã.
Quando morávamos perto da praia, ele fazia sorvetes artesanais nos verões.
Quando morávamos perto da praia, ele fazia sorvetes artesanais nos verões.
Na adolescência, nós fazíamos muitos trabalhos escolares juntos.
Na adolescência, nós fazíamos muitos trabalhos escolares juntos.
Nuance: background vs completed events
The imperfect often contrasts with the simple past (pretérito perfeito) which signals completed actions. Use fazia to emphasize the ongoing nature or repetition rather than a single completed event.
Eu fazia o almoço quando ela chegou. (I was making lunch when she arrived — background action in progress)
Eu fiz o almoço ontem. (I made lunch yesterday — completed event)
The periphrasis: Ia fazer
Form and basic idea
Ia fazer is formed with the imperfect of ir plus an infinitive: ia, ias, ia, íamos, íeis, iam + fazer. This construction is a type of peripheral past indicating intention, near-future from a past viewpoint, or planned actions that were expected to happen. Think of it as a past equivalent of going to do something.
When to use ia fazer
Use ia fazer to express:
– An intention or plan in the past: something someone intended to do but perhaps did not complete.
– An action that was about to happen or expected to occur in the past.
– Regret or explanation about why something did not happen, often followed by an interruption or reason.
Examples showing planned action or intention
Eu ia fazer um bolo, mas acabei saindo de casa.
Eu ia fazer um bolo, mas acabei saindo de casa.
Ela ia fazer a apresentação às nove, porém a reunião atrasou.
Ela ia fazer a apresentação às nove, porém a reunião atrasou.
Nós íamos fazer uma viagem, mas a pandemia adiou os planos.
Nós íamos fazer uma viagem, mas a pandemia adiou os planos.
Nuance: expected but not guaranteed
Ia fazer suggests a planned or imminent action in the past that may or may not have been completed. It focuses on intention or expectation rather than habitual repetition.
Eu ia ligar para você. (I was going to call you — implies intention; maybe I did not call.)
Eu liguei para você. (I called you — completed action.)
Direct contrasts: Ia fazer vs Fazia
Action planned vs repeated habit
Compare these sentences to perceive the difference:
Eu ia fazer um curso de culinária. (I was going to take a cooking course — plan/intention.)
Eu fazia um curso de culinária todos os anos. (I used to take a cooking course every year — repeated habit.)
Interrupted event vs background action
Another contrast made clear in context:
Eu ia fazer uma chamada quando a bateria caiu. (I was about to make a call when the battery died — planned imminent action interrupted.)
Eu fazia uma chamada quando a bateria caiu. (I was making a call when the battery died — background action in progress.)
Clarifying meaning with time expressions
Time markers help disambiguate. Words like ontem, naquela hora, naquela manhã, and naquela noite position the action in the past and guide whether the speaker means intention or habit.
Ontem eu ia fazer compras às oito. (Yesterday I was going to do grocery shopping at eight — plan.)
Quando era criança, eu fazia compras com minha mãe todos os sábados. (When I was a child, I used to go shopping with my mother every Saturday — habit.)
Common structures and verbs used similarly
Other verbs with ir + infinitive
The periphrasis works with many verbs. For example:
Eu ia comprar o presente. (I was going to buy the gift.)
Ele ia chegar às sete. (He was going to arrive at seven.)
Other imperfect verbs for habits
The imperfect serves the same habitual role with other verbs:
Eu lia muitos livros quando era jovem. (I used to read many books when I was young.)
Nós jogávamos futebol todo fim de semana. (We used to play soccer every weekend.)
Practical tips for learners
Tip 1: Focus on meaning, not literal translation
Don’t try to force a direct word-for-word translation from English. Ia fazer often maps to English was/were going to or intended to, while fazia maps to used to, was doing, or did regularly. Think about intention versus habit.
Tip 2: Listen for context clues
Context, time expressions, and connecting words like mas, porém, when another event interrupts, help you decide which form to use and understand what native speakers mean.
Tip 3: Practice with real sentences
Pay attention to examples in Brazilian media or conversations. Notice if people are describing routines (use fazia) or explaining what they planned to do (use ia fazer).
Tip 4: Use the forms to express nuance
Once comfortable, choose forms deliberately: use ia fazer to express plans and sometimes to soften statements (it sounds less direct than a firm completed action), and use fazia when describing routines and background situations.
Usage notes and cultural context
In Brazilian Portuguese, both forms are common in spoken and written language. Speakers often prefer the periphrasis with ir when narrating events with emotion or regret because it highlights an intention thwarted by circumstances. In casual conversation, contraction and pronunciation can make ia fazer and other periphrases sound very natural, for example eu ia fazer becomes eu ia fazer or even eu ia fazer with reduced vowels.
Regional variation exists but is subtle: the choice between ia fazer and fazia is driven more by meaning than dialect. In storytelling, Brazilians frequently use the imperfect (fazia) to set scenes and the periphrastic construction (ia fazer) to express plans and expectations that give the narrative forward motion.
Short reference summary
– Fazia: imperfect tense of fazer. Use for ongoing past actions, background descriptions, and repeated habits.
– Ia fazer: imperfect of ir + infinitive. Use for past intentions, planned or expected actions, and actions that might have been interrupted or not completed.
Conclusion
Learning the difference between Ia fazer and Fazia will improve your ability to describe past events with appropriate nuance. Use fazia for habits and background actions, and ia fazer to express plans, intentions, or actions expected to happen in the past. Pay attention to context, time markers, and interruptions to choose the right form, and listen to Brazilian Portuguese to internalize natural usage.
