How to use the imperfect tense in Brazilian Portuguese?

There are only four irregular verbs in the imperfect tense: ser(to be), ter(to have), vir(to come), and pôr(to put). Their conjugations are given below. You’ll see later in this post that the verbs ser and ter are particularly useful when we use the imperfect.

Talking about habits and repeated actions in the past is the most common use of the imperfect tense in Brazilian Portuguese. The imperfect in this context is usually translated using the corresponds to the English simple past tense (“verb-ed”) or to the expression “used to + verb.” Take a look:

The general time period of the repeated action can be clarified by using time markers, like na infância(in childhood). Take a look at this chart of common time markers in the imperfect for more examples!

We also often use adverbs of frequency to describe how often an action was repeated in the past, as in the sentence below.

You can check out this chart of common adverbs of frequency used with the imperfect for more examples. Notice that they are the same adverbs used to describe routines in the present tense.

The imperfect can provide background information for events in the past. It’s often used with the non-action verbs ser(to be), estar(to be), and ter(to have). Let’s review the usages of these verbs in the imperfect one by one.

• The imperfect of the verb ser(to be) can describe the characteristics or quality of something or someone in the past.

  • Ele era um adolescente extrovertido.

    He was an extroverted teenager.

  • Aquele restaurante era o melhor da cidade.

    That restaurant was the best in the city.

  Important

  The verbs ter(to have) and haver(to be) are also frequently used to describe the characteristics of places. In this context, these verbs are impersonalNo definition set for impersonalLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. and are translated into English as “there is/are.”

  Tinha muitas flores naquele parque.
  Havia muitas flores naquele parque.

  There were many flowers in that park.

  Brazilians usually use ter in everyday language, whilehaver is more common in written or formal language.

• The imperfect of the verb ser(to be) is also used to describe time or periods of the day. It’s commonly combined with a punctual action described in the preterite tense.

  imperfectpreterite

  Eram duas horas quando você enviou o email.

  It was two o’clock when you sent the email.

• We use the imperfect of the verb estar(to be) to describe someone’s or something’s location in the past.

  Eu estava em casa ontem à noite.

  I was at home last night.

• We use the imperfect of the verb ter(to have) to describe age in the past.

  Eu tinha 10 anos quando ganhei uma bicicleta.

  I was ten years old when I got a bike.

We can also describe two or more actions occurring at the same time in the past by using the imperfect. In this case, the imperfect is equivalent to the past progressive in English (“was/were verb-ing”).

We also use the imperfect to refer to an ongoing action in the past that was interrupted by a punctual action, which is described in the preterite tense.

Similar to the simultaneous action in the past, it corresponds to the English past continuous too.

The imperfect can be used to show that someone had an intention to do something in the past that has since changed. This interesting use of the imperfect is equivalent to the English “was/were going to.” See the example below, and is formed using the formula below:

Notice that in the sentence above, the action in the preterite (começou a chover) reveals what happened to prevent my initial plan from happening. We always use the verb ir to form this structure in the imperfect. Here’s how to conjugate it:

The imperfect is often used among Brazilians to express preferences, desires, orders, and requests in informal written and spoken language. It's equivalent to the English “would” or “could.”

The most common verbs used to express politeness when requesting something are querer(to want), preferir(to prefer), and poder(to be able to, can).

• Eu preferia um suco de maracujá ao invés de água.

  I would prefer a passion fruit juice instead of water.

• Você podia fechar a porta?

  Could you close the door?

We can use the imperfect to give advice to someone. It’s formed with the verb dever(should) in the imperfect + infinitive. We use it to show politeness when giving advice, recommendations, and opinions.