Portuguese Imperfect Tense: When and How to Use It

Introduction

The imperfect tense is one of the most essential verb tenses in Portuguese, yet it often puzzles English speakers who are learning the language. Unlike English, which typically uses simple past tense for most past actions, Portuguese distinguishes between completed actions and ongoing or habitual past events. Mastering the imperfect tense will transform your ability to tell stories, describe memories, and express what life used to be like.

What Is the Imperfect Tense?

The pretérito imperfeito (imperfect tense) describes actions that were ongoing, habitual, or incomplete in the past. Think of it as painting a background scene rather than capturing a single snapshot. While the preterite tense (pretérito perfeito) tells us what happened, the pretérito imperfeito tells us what was happening or what used to happen.

In English, we often express these ideas using phrases like used to, would (for habitual actions), or the past continuous was/were doing. Portuguese consolidates all these meanings into one elegant verb form.

When to Use the Imperfect Tense

Habitual or Repeated Actions in the Past

The most common use of the imperfect tense is to describe actions that happened regularly or repeatedly in the past. These are the things you used to do or would do as a routine.

Examples:
Quando eu era criança, brincava no parque todos os dias.
(When I was a child, I used to play in the park every day.)

Minha avó fazia bolo todo domingo.
(My grandmother would make cake every Sunday.)

Nós íamos à praia no verão.
(We used to go to the beach in summer.)

Notice how these sentences describe patterns or habits rather than single, completed events. The frequency words like todos os dias (every day), todo domingo (every Sunday), and no verão (in summer) are excellent clues that the imperfect tense is appropriate.

Ongoing Actions in the Past

Use the imperfect tense to describe actions that were in progress at a specific moment in the past. This corresponds to the English past continuous (was/were doing).

Examples:
Eu estudava quando você ligou.
(I was studying when you called.)

Eles conversavam na sala.
(They were talking in the living room.)

O que você fazia às três da tarde?
(What were you doing at three in the afternoon?)

The imperfect creates a scene or background against which other actions (usually in the preterite) occur. The ongoing action sets the stage for a completed action that interrupts or coincides with it.

Descriptions in the Past

When describing how things were, what they looked like, or the characteristics of people and places in the past, the imperfect tense is your go-to choice.

Examples:
A casa era grande e tinha um jardim bonito.
(The house was big and had a beautiful garden.)

Ele usava óculos e tinha cabelo comprido.
(He wore glasses and had long hair.)

O dia estava ensolarado e fazia calor.
(The day was sunny and it was hot.)

Physical descriptions, weather conditions, and characteristics of people or things all call for the imperfect tense because they describe states of being rather than completed actions.

Age in the Past

Always use the imperfect tense when stating someone’s age in the past. Age is considered an ongoing state during that period of time.

Examples:
Eu tinha dez anos quando me mudei para o Brasil.
(I was ten years old when I moved to Brazil.)

Quantos anos você tinha em 2010?
(How old were you in 2010?)

Meu pai tinha vinte e cinco anos quando eu nasci.
(My father was twenty-five years old when I was born.)

Time in the Past

When expressing what time it was in a past narrative, use the imperfect tense.

Examples:
Eram três horas da manhã quando cheguei em casa.
(It was three in the morning when I arrived home.)

Que horas eram quando o filme começou?
(What time was it when the movie started?)

Mental States and Emotions

Verbs expressing thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and mental states typically use the imperfect tense because these are ongoing conditions rather than discrete events.

Examples:
Eu sabia que você ia gostar.
(I knew you were going to like it.)

Ele queria ser médico quando era jovem.
(He wanted to be a doctor when he was young.)

Nós achávamos que a festa ia ser chata.
(We thought the party was going to be boring.)

Verbs like querer (to want), saber (to know), achar (to think), gostar (to like), and acreditar (to believe) naturally fit the imperfect tense in narrative contexts.

Setting the Scene in Stories

The imperfect tense is essential for creating atmosphere and context in narratives. It provides the background information and setting details that make stories come alive.

Example:
Era uma noite escura. Chovia muito e o vento soprava forte. A rua estava vazia e não havia ninguém por perto. De repente, ouvi um barulho estranho.
(It was a dark night. It was raining hard and the wind was blowing strongly. The street was empty and there was nobody around. Suddenly, I heard a strange noise.)

Notice how the imperfect tense verbs paint the scene, while the preterite ouvi (I heard) introduces the specific action that moves the story forward.

How to Form the Imperfect Tense

One of the most learner-friendly aspects of the Portuguese imperfect tense is its regularity. Unlike the preterite tense, which has many irregular verbs, the imperfect has only three irregular verbs. Let’s explore the conjugation patterns.

Regular -AR Verbs

For verbs ending in -ar, remove the -ar and add these endings:

Using falar (to speak) as an example:
eu falava (I spoke / used to speak / was speaking)
você/ele/ela falava
nós falávamos
vocês/eles/elas falavam

Other examples:
trabalhar (to work): eu trabalhava, nós trabalhávamos
morar (to live): eu morava, nós morávamos
estudar (to study): eu estudava, nós estudávamos

Regular -ER and -IR Verbs

Both -er and -ir verbs share the same imperfect endings. Remove the -er or -ir and add these endings:

Using comer (to eat) as an example:
eu comia (I ate / used to eat / was eating)
você/ele/ela comia
nós comíamos
vocês/eles/elas comiam

Using dormir (to sleep) as an example:
eu dormia (I slept / used to sleep / was sleeping)
você/ele/ela dormia
nós dormíamos
vocês/eles/elas dormiam

Other examples:
beber (to drink): eu bebia, nós bebíamos
viver (to live): eu vivia, nós vivíamos
escrever (to write): eu escrevia, nós escrevíamos
abrir (to open): eu abria, nós abríamos

The Three Irregular Verbs

Only three verbs are irregular in the imperfect tense: ser (to be), ter (to have), and vir (to come). You’ll use these constantly, so they’re worth memorizing.

Ser (to be):
eu era
você/ele/ela era
nós éramos
vocês/eles/elas eram

Ter (to have):
eu tinha
você/ele/ela tinha
nós tínhamos
vocês/eles/elas tinham

Vir (to come):
eu vinha
você/ele/ela vinha
nós vínhamos
vocês/eles/elas vinham

Note that pôr (to put) and its derivatives like compor and supor follow regular -er/-ir patterns: eu punha, nós púnhamos.

Imperfect vs. Preterite: Understanding the Difference

The distinction between the imperfect and preterite tenses is one of the most challenging concepts for English speakers learning Portuguese. Both refer to the past, but they present past events from different perspectives.

Conceptual Differences

Think of the preterite as a photograph: it captures a completed action at a specific point in time. The imperfect, on the other hand, is like a video: it shows actions in progress, repeated actions, or background scenes.

Preterite (completed, specific actions):
Eu falei com ela ontem.
(I spoke with her yesterday.)

Imperfect (ongoing, habitual, or background):
Eu falava com ela todos os dias.
(I used to speak with her every day.)

Side-by-Side Comparisons

Compare these sentence pairs to see how the meaning changes:

Eu morava no Rio. (Imperfect: I used to live in Rio.)
Eu morei no Rio. (Preterite: I lived in Rio [and the period is complete].)

Ele era professor. (Imperfect: He was a teacher [ongoing state].)
Ele foi professor. (Preterite: He was a teacher [but isn’t anymore, completed period].)

Nós tínhamos um cachorro. (Imperfect: We had a dog [no emphasis on when we got or lost it].)
Nós tivemos um cachorro. (Preterite: We had a dog [specific period that ended].)

Using Both Tenses Together

In natural storytelling, the imperfect and preterite work together. The imperfect sets the scene, while the preterite advances the action.

Example:
Era domingo e o sol brilhava. As crianças brincavam no parque enquanto os pais conversavam. De repente, começou a chover. Todo mundo correu para dentro.
(It was Sunday and the sun was shining. The children were playing in the park while the parents were talking. Suddenly, it started to rain. Everyone ran inside.)

The imperfect verbs era, brilhava, brincavam, and conversavam create the background. The preterite verbs começou and correu tell us what happened to change the situation.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using Preterite for Habitual Actions

A common mistake is using the preterite tense for repeated or habitual actions in the past. Remember: if it happened regularly or repeatedly, use the imperfect.

Incorrect: Eu estudei português todos os dias. (This suggests you studied every single day as one completed action.)
Correct: Eu estudava português todos os dias. (You used to study Portuguese every day.)

Using Imperfect for Completed Actions

Don’t use the imperfect for actions that clearly began and ended at a specific time.

Incorrect: Ontem eu comia pizza. (This sounds like you were in the middle of eating.)
Correct: Ontem eu comi pizza. (Yesterday I ate pizza [completed action].)

Forgetting That Age Always Uses Imperfect

Never use the preterite when talking about age in the past.

Incorrect: Eu tive dez anos em 2010.
Correct: Eu tinha dez anos em 2010.

Practical Tips for Mastering the Imperfect

Look for Time Markers

Certain time expressions are strong indicators that you should use the imperfect tense:

sempre (always)
frequentemente (frequently)
geralmente (generally)
todos os dias/semanas/meses (every day/week/month)
às vezes (sometimes)
normalmente (normally)
quando era criança (when I was a child)
naquela época (at that time)

Practice with Childhood Memories

Talking about your childhood is excellent practice for the imperfect tense because most childhood memories involve habitual actions, descriptions, and ongoing states.

Example practice:
Quando eu era pequeno, morava em uma casa amarela. Eu acordava cedo e tomava café da manhã com minha família. Depois, ia para a escola de bicicleta. Nas tardes, brincava com meus amigos no quintal. Nós adorávamos jogar futebol.
(When I was little, I lived in a yellow house. I would wake up early and have breakfast with my family. Then I would go to school by bicycle. In the afternoons, I would play with my friends in the backyard. We loved to play soccer.)

Read Portuguese Stories and Novels

Reading literature in Portuguese will expose you to natural uses of the imperfect tense in context. Pay attention to how authors use the imperfect to create atmosphere and the preterite to move the plot forward.

Keep a Journal of Past Routines

Write about your past routines and habits using the imperfect tense. Describe what your life was like a year ago, five years ago, or when you were in school.

Cultural Notes on Storytelling

Brazilian Portuguese speakers are natural storytellers, and the imperfect tense is their primary tool for painting vivid pictures of the past. In Brazilian culture, storytelling often involves detailed descriptions of settings, people, and atmospheres. Don’t be surprised if a simple question about someone’s weekend turns into an elaborate narrative filled with imperfect tense verbs creating rich background scenes.

The phrase era uma vez (once upon a time) always uses the imperfect tense of ser, signaling the beginning of a story where the imperfect will dominate the descriptive passages.

Advanced Usage: Expressing Politeness and Hypotheticals

The imperfect tense also has some advanced uses that you’ll encounter as you progress in your Portuguese journey.

Polite Requests

Using the imperfect tense can soften requests and make them more polite:

Eu queria um cafezinho, por favor.
(I would like a little coffee, please.)

This is more polite than saying Eu quero (I want), which can sound too direct.

Hypothetical Situations

The imperfect appears in hypothetical or conditional contexts:

Se eu tivesse tempo, viajava mais.
(If I had time, I would travel more.)

Exercises to Practice

To solidify your understanding of the imperfect tense, try these practice activities:

1. Write five sentences about what you used to do when you were younger.
2. Describe your childhood home using only the imperfect tense.
3. Tell a story where you interrupt an ongoing action with a completed one (combining imperfect and preterite).
4. Translate sentences from English to Portuguese, focusing on distinguishing between used to do, was doing, and did.
5. Watch a Brazilian film or series and note every time the imperfect tense is used, trying to understand why.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the imperfect tense to talk about yesterday?

Yes, but only for ongoing or habitual actions. If you say Ontem eu estudava quando você chegou, it means yesterday you were studying (ongoing) when someone arrived. But if you completed studying, use the preterite: Ontem eu estudei.

Why do some verbs sound more natural in the imperfect?

Verbs describing mental states, emotions, and physical conditions naturally fit the imperfect because these are ongoing states rather than completed actions. Verbs like saber, querer, poder, achar, conhecer, ter, and estar frequently appear in the imperfect.

Is the imperfect tense used in all Portuguese-speaking countries?

Yes, the imperfect tense exists in all varieties of Portuguese, including European Portuguese. However, some usage patterns and preferences may vary slightly between Brazilian and European Portuguese.

Conclusion

The Portuguese imperfect tense is a powerful tool that allows you to express the richness and complexity of past experiences. While it may seem challenging at first, especially when deciding between imperfect and preterite, regular practice will make it second nature. Remember that the imperfect paints the background of your stories, describes habitual actions, and captures ongoing moments in the past. By mastering this tense, you’ll unlock the ability to share memories, tell engaging stories, and communicate about the past with the nuance and precision of a native speaker. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll be using the imperfect tense naturally and confidently in your Portuguese conversations.