How to write about yesterday in Portuguese using common verbs

Introduction

Writing about yesterday in Brazilian Portuguese is one of the first practical skills learners need. This article teaches simple verb forms, common verbs, useful time words, and real-world example sentences you can use in messages, emails, notes, or class exercises.

How past time works in Brazilian Portuguese

Portuguese has several past tenses. For everyday writing about yesterday, the two most useful are the pretérito perfeito (simple past) and the pretérito imperfeito (imperfect). For most short stories about completed actions yesterday, use pretérito perfeito. For background, habitual actions, or ongoing states in the past, use pretérito imperfeito.

Pretérito perfeito example pattern: verb stem + specific endings that indicate the action finished yesterday. This is the tense you will use to say I did, we went, she ate, etc.

Pretérito imperfeito example pattern: verb stem + endings that describe repeated or continuous past actions. Use this when you want to say I was doing something or I used to do something yesterday.

Key time words to mark yesterday

Use these words to make your sentence clearly about yesterday.

ontem

ontem à noite

ontem de manhã

ontem à tarde

ontem cedo

ontem mais tarde

Common verbs to describe yesterday and their past forms

Below are everyday verbs with their pretérito perfeito forms for writing about actions that finished yesterday.

fazer — fiz, fez, fizemos, fizeram

ir — fui, foi, fomos, foram

comer — comi, comeu, comemos, comeram

beber — bebi, bebeu, bebemos, beberam

trabalhar — trabalhei, trabalhou, trabalhamos, trabalharam

estudar — estudei, estudou, estudamos, estudaram

dormir — dormi, dormiu, dormimos, dormiram

ver — vi, viu, vimos, viram

chegar — cheguei, chegou, chegamos, chegaram

sair — saí, saiu, saímos, saíram

Notes on spelling and accents

Pay attention to irregular first-person forms and spelling changes. For verbs ending in -car, -gar, -çar, the spelling changes in first-person singular to keep the correct sound: buscar — busquei, pagar — paguei, começar — comecei.

Irregular verbs (ir, ser, ver, fazer, dar, vir) have unique past forms you should memorize for everyday writing.

Basic sentence patterns for writing about yesterday

Use these patterns to build sentences that you can put in messages, emails, or notes.

Pattern 1: Ontem + pretérito perfeito + complement

Example: Ontem fui ao mercado.

Pattern 2: Subject + pretérito perfeito + ontem + complement

Example: Eu comi pizza ontem à noite.

Pattern 3: Ontem à tarde + subject + pretérito imperfeito (background) + pretérito perfeito (completed)

Example: Ontem à tarde eu estudava quando minha amiga chegou.

Pattern 4: Simple negative: Subject + não + pretérito perfeito + complement

Example: Ontem não trabalhei.

Realistic short messages and chat examples

These are typical lines a beginner might write in a chat, SMS, or WhatsApp message about what happened yesterday.

Example: Ontem fui ao supermercado e comprei frutas e pão.

Example: Eu não assisti ao filme ontem porque estava cansado.

Example: Ontem à noite jantei com meus pais em um restaurante.

Example: Cheguei em casa tarde ontem, então dormi cedo.

Example: Ontem comecei a estudar português e fiz exercícios.

Writing a short email about yesterday

When writing a brief email to a teacher, colleague, or friend about yesterday, keep sentences short and clear. Start with a time marker, use pretérito perfeito for completed actions, and add one detail per sentence.

Example email (informal):

Assunto: Sobre ontem

Ontem cheguei atrasado na aula porque perdi o ônibus.

Depois disso, conversei com o professor e peguei as anotações.

Mais tarde, estudei pelo material que ele enviou.

Obrigado pela ajuda.

Notes and short answers for forms and class exercises

If a worksheet asks what you did yesterday, write one or two simple sentences using ontem and pretérito perfeito. Keep subject pronouns if they help clarity but you can drop them when the verb form is clear.

Example answers:

Ontem fui à biblioteca e estudei por duas horas.

Ontem almocei com minha amiga e conversamos muito.

Ontem trabalhei até as seis e depois descansei.

Describing routines vs. single events yesterday

Use pretérito imperfeito to describe routines or repeated actions that included yesterday. Use pretérito perfeito for single events that happened once.

Routine example (imperfect): Ontem eu trabalhava até tarde naquela semana — this suggests ongoing action in the past.

Single event example (perfect): Ontem trabalhei até as oito — this states a completed fact.

Combining verbs and connectors

Use connectors to chain events and show sequence. Common connectors: e, depois, então, quando, enquanto, porque.

Example: Ontem acordei cedo, depois fui correr e, à tarde, trabalhei no projeto.

Example: Eu estudei português enquanto tomava café ontem de manhã.

Common mistakes to avoid

1. Using present tense for completed past events — wrong: Ontem eu estudo. Correct: Ontem eu estudei.

2. Forgetting accents or correct endings — wrong: Voce foi ao cinema? Correct: Você foi ao cinema?

3. Confusing pretérito perfeito and imperfeito — wrong: Ontem eu morava em São Paulo (if you mean you lived there continuously long ago). Correct for single event: Ontem morei em São Paulo is rarely used; prefer specific actions for ontem.

4. Wrong verb forms for irregular verbs — wrong: Eu fiz ontem? Acceptable: Eu fiz isso ontem. Note memorizing irregular past forms is important.

Practice writing exercises

Exercise 1: Write five lines about your yesterday using different verbs (fazer, ir, comer, ver, dormir). Start each line with Ontem or Ontem à noite.

Exercise 2: Reply to a friend who asked Como foi seu dia ontem? in three sentences using pretérito perfeito and one sentence with pretérito imperfeito for background.

Exercise 3: Fill in the blanks with the correct past tense form: Ontem eu _____ (comprar) pão, _____ (estudar) português, e _____ (chegar) em casa às oito.

Expanded sample paragraph a beginner could write

Use this short paragraph as a model for homework or a travel diary entry about yesterday. Copy the structure and change details to match your own day.

Ontem acordei cedo e tomei café. Depois fui ao mercado e comprei frutas e leite. À tarde trabalhei em um projeto e estudei português por uma hora. À noite jantei com a minha família e assistimos a um filme. Dormi às onze e acordei bem descansado hoje.

Tone and formality tips

For informal messages use tu or você depending on the region, but in writing it’s safer to use você with third-person verb forms: Você foi ao show ontem? For emails to teachers or employers, use the polite tone with o senhor/a senhora or the formal usted equivalents are not common in Brazil; prefer você only with permission or no pronoun, and use more complete sentences: Ontem participei da reunião e enviei o relatório.

How to correct yourself while writing

Reread your sentence to check tense and time words. If you mention ontem, make sure verbs are in the past. Watch agreement: past participles are not used in simple past sentences the way English uses them; focus on the correct simple past forms listed above.

Quick reference: mini cheat sheet

Time word: ontem = yesterday

Use pretérito perfeito for finished actions: fui, fiz, comi, dormi

Use pretérito imperfeito for background/habit: ia, fazia, comia, dormia

Start with Ontem, Ontem de manhã, Ontem à tarde, or Ontem à noite

Conclusion

Writing about yesterday in Brazilian Portuguese becomes clear when you learn the main past tenses, memorize common irregular forms, and use time words like ontem. Use the sample patterns, short messages, and paragraph model here to practice realistic sentences for chats, emails, and class exercises. Keep practicing with short, focused writing tasks.