Advanced Imperfect Tenses

In this lesson, we will delve deeper into the usage of Portuguese imperfect tenses. The imperfect tense is used to talk about past actions or states that were ongoing, habitual, or repeated in the past. It is one of the key verb tenses used for storytelling and describing past events in a more detailed manner.

Formation of the Imperfect Tense

To form the imperfect tense in Portuguese, you take the stem of the verb and add specific endings according to the subject pronoun. The endings for regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs in the imperfect tense are as follows:

• -ar verbs:

  • eu: -ava
  • tu: -avas
  • ele/ela/você: -ava
  • nós: -ávamos
  • vós: -áveis
  • eles/elas/vocês: -avam

• -er and -ir verbs:

  • eu: -ia
  • tu: -ias
  • ele/ela/você: -ia
  • nós: -íamos
  • vós: -íeis
  • eles/elas/vocês: -iam

Usage of the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense is used in Portuguese for several purposes:

1. Describing ongoing actions in the past

The imperfect tense is used to describe actions or states that were ongoing or in progress in the past. It emphasizes the duration or repetition of the action. Examples:

• Ele lia um livro todas as noites. (He used to read a book every night.)
• Nós estudávamos muito naquela época. (We used to study a lot at that time.)

2. Expressing habits or routines in the past

The imperfect tense is used to express actions that were habitual or repeated in the past. It implies that the action was a regular occurrence. Examples:

• Antigamente, eu corria todos os dias. (In the past, I used to run every day.)
• Eles comiam peixe aos domingos. (They used to eat fish on Sundays.)

3. Portraying background information

The imperfect tense is often used to provide background information or set the scene in storytelling. It helps create a vivid picture of the past. Examples:

• Era uma vez, numa cidade distante, uma menina que sonhava em voar. (Once upon a time, in a distant city, there was a girl who dreamt of flying.)
• O sol brilhava no céu e as crianças brincavam na praia. (The sun was shining in the sky and the children were playing on the beach.)

4. Expressing polite requests or suggestions

In some contexts, the imperfect tense can be used to express polite requests or suggestions. It softens the tone of the sentence. Examples:

• Gostaria de beber algo? (Would you like to drink something?)
• Poderíamos ir ao cinema mais tarde. (We could go to the movies later.)

Verbs with Irregular Imperfect Forms

While most verbs follow the regular conjugation patterns in the imperfect tense, some verbs have irregular forms. Here are a few examples:

• Ser (to be)

  • eu era
  • tu eras
  • ele/ela/você era
  • nós éramos
  • vós éreis
  • eles/elas/vocês eram

• Ter (to have)

  • eu tinha
  • tu tinhas
  • ele/ela/você tinha
  • nós tínhamos
  • vós tínheis
  • eles/elas/vocês tinham

• Ir (to go)

  • eu ia
  • tu ias
  • ele/ela/você ia
  • nós íamos
  • vós íeis
  • eles/elas/vocês iam

Remember to memorize the irregular forms of these commonly used verbs.

Summary

In this lesson, we explored the advanced usage of Portuguese imperfect tenses. We learned the formation of the imperfect tense for regular verbs and discovered its various applications in describing ongoing actions, expressing habits, providing background information, and making polite requests. We also covered some irregular forms of commonly used verbs in the imperfect tense. Mastering the imperfect tense will greatly enhance your ability to recount past activities in Portuguese. Happy learning!