I Used to Think That: Explain a Belief You Later Revised
Tell a personal story that contrasts an earlier belief with information that changed it. Practice original Brazilian Portuguese exchanges with English translations and explained answers.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated November 2, 2026
The short answer
You thought the concert was tomorrow. Then you checked and discovered it was today. Tell both parts of that experience: the belief you held before and the information that changed it. Achava que lets you place an opinion or assumption in the past without presenting it as your current view.
Start with the situation
Locate the earlier belief
Eu achava que means “I thought” or “I used to think.” Achava is an imperfect form of achar. It often presents a belief as background before a later correction. It does not, by grammar alone, prove that the belief was false. The following information establishes whether you revised it or still think the same thing.
Eu achava que o show era amanhã.
I thought the concert was tomorrow.
Depois descobri que era hoje.
Then I found out it was today.
Introduce the discovery
Depois descobri que… means “Then I found out that…” Percebi que can describe realizing something from the situation. Choose the one that fits the event: finding a message may lead to a discovery, while noticing everyone arriving may lead to a realization. You do not need to treat the verbs as interchangeable in every sentence.
Percebi o engano quando vi a mensagem.
I realized the mistake when I saw the message.
Antes eu achava difícil; agora acho mais simples.
I used to think it was difficult; now I think it is simpler.
Keep two timelines apart
Eu achava que o show era amanhã describes your earlier belief about the show’s time. Descobri que era hoje corrects the date relative to the moment you are recounting. If tomorrow and today become confusing in a later retelling, name the weekday or date instead. The belief time and the supposed event time are different pieces of information.
Eu achava que vocês já se conheciam.
I thought you already knew each other.
Descobri que eu tinha entendido a data errada.
I found out I had understood the wrong date.
Tell the consequence after the correction
In the original dialogue below, the speaker changes their action after checking the message. That consequence makes the change in belief visible. A story can end with consegui chegar or não deu tempo, depending on what actually happened. Discovering an error does not guarantee that the practical problem was resolved.
Revise a view without overstating it
For a longer-held view, use antes eu achava…; agora… to make the change clear. Avoid turning one new experience into a claim about everyone or every situation. You can say descobri que, nesse caso, eu estava errado. The lesson is a coherent account of your own thinking, not a demand to sound completely certain afterward.
Try it with your own words
Say or write a Portuguese answer before opening the suggestion. Other natural answers can work; compare the meaning and situation, then read the explanation.
Original practice: You believed lunch was Sunday, then learned it was Saturday. Tell both stages.
Show a possible answer and explanation
Eu achava que o almoço era no domingo. Depois descobri que era no sábado.
The first clause reports your earlier belief; the second supplies the corrected information.
Original practice: You realized your mistake when people arrived. Add that trigger.
Show a possible answer and explanation
Percebi o engano quando as pessoas chegaram.
Quando links the change in understanding to a concrete event rather than leaving the realization unexplained.
Original practice: Does achava que always prove the belief was wrong? Answer.
Show a possible answer and explanation
Não. Eu achava isso antes e ainda acho.
The continuing present belief shows why the imperfect alone does not encode falsity.
Original practice: You discovered the correct time but still missed the event. Avoid inventing a successful ending.
Show a possible answer and explanation
Descobri o horário certo, mas não consegui chegar a tempo.
Learning the right information and achieving the practical goal are separate outcomes.
Practice a reply of your own
Describe one belief, the information that revised it and what you did next. Explore Real Life Portuguese for more Brazilian Portuguese speaking practice. Explore Real Life Portuguese