Portuguese grammar · Elementary (A2)
The imperfect (pretérito imperfeito)
The past tense for habits, descriptions and background: its forms, how it differs from the preterite, and its use for polite requests.
Regular forms
The , or imperfect, has very regular forms. -ar verbs take -ava, and -er and -ir verbs take -ia. The and forms are the same, so the pronoun is usually said: , .
The form has a written accent: , . and are regular in this tense: , .
| Person | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| / / | |||
| / / |
The four irregular verbs
Only four verbs are irregular in the imperfect: , , and . Verbs made from them follow the same pattern: → , → .
| Person | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| / / | ||||
| / / |
Habits and descriptions
Use the imperfect for what used to happen regularly: (When I was a child, I used to go to the beach every Sunday.) + infinitive also means “used to”:
Use it to describe the past: what people and places were like, the time, the weather, age, and feelings. It sets the scene for a story. For an action in progress at a moment in the past, use + the gerund (the -ndo form): (I was sleeping.)
- Meu avô era alto e tinha olhos verdes.My grandfather was tall and had green eyes.
- Eram dez horas e estava chovendo.It was ten o'clock and it was raining.
- Naquela época a gente morava em Manaus.At that time we lived in Manaus.
- Eu trabalhava num hotel e estudava à noite.I used to work in a hotel and study in the evenings.
Imperfect or preterite?
The preterite tells what happened: a finished event, or something that lasted a fixed, closed period. The imperfect describes the background, a situation that was going on, or a habit, without saying when it started or ended. In a story they often appear together: (It was raining when I went out.)
Compare (I lived in Recife, back then) with (I lived in Recife for two years, a closed period).
| Imperfect | Meaning | Preterite | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| I lived in Rio (at that time). | I lived in Rio for three years. | ||
| I knew Ana. | I met Ana. | ||
| She knew the truth. | She found out the truth. | ||
| There were a lot of people. | There was a party. | ||
| I was going to call you. | I called you. |
- Quando eu cheguei, eles estavam jantando.When I arrived, they were having dinner.
- A pousada era linda, mas o quarto era pequeno.The guesthouse was lovely, but the room was small.
- Eu estava no banho quando você ligou.I was in the shower when you called.
Polite requests and “would”
The imperfect makes requests softer: (I'd like a coffee, please.) (Could you help me?) This is often more natural than or .
In everyday speech the imperfect also replaces the conditional (“would”): instead of (I'd love that). means “If I had time, I'd travel more”. Both forms are correct; the conditional sounds more formal.
- Eu queria reservar uma mesa para quatro.I'd like to book a table for four.
- Você podia fechar a janela?Could you close the window?
- Eu ia adorar ir com vocês.I'd love to go with you.