Desde Então: Connect a Past Event to What Changed Afterward
Explain the lasting change that followed a specific event without implying it began earlier. Practice original Brazilian Portuguese exchanges with English translations and explained answers.
Real Life Portuguese · 6 min read · Updated November 2, 2026
The short answer
You lost a key once, so now you keep a spare with your sister. Desde então connects the past event to the habit or state that followed. Instead of giving a date, you point back to a moment your listener has just heard about.
Start with the situation
Give então an event to refer to
Desde então means “Since then.” Então points back to a previously established time or event. Perdi a chave uma vez supplies that anchor; desde então, deixo uma cópia com minha irmã describes the later habit. If no earlier moment has been mentioned, the listener may reasonably ask desde quando?
Perdi a chave uma vez. Desde então, deixo uma cópia com minha irmã.
I lost my key once. Since then, I leave a spare with my sister.
Conheci a Ana em 2020. Desde então, a gente se fala toda semana.
I met Ana in 2020. Since then, we talk every week.
Distinguish starting point from duration
Desde março names a starting point directly. Faz seis meses gives elapsed time. Desde então uses the earlier story as its starting point instead of repeating a date. The amount of time may remain unknown, which is fine when the point is what changed after the incident rather than how many weeks have passed.
Desde então, moro no mesmo bairro.
Since then, I have lived in the same neighborhood.
Naquele dia, eu confirmei o horário.
On that day, I confirmed the time.
Choose a state or habit that fits the timeline
Desde então, moro aqui describes a state continuing after the anchor. Desde então, sempre confirmo o horário describes a repeated habit. These are the continuing-state and habit patterns practiced here. For a simple next event in a story, depois disso (after that) or naquele dia (on that day) may express the intended sequence more clearly. This is not a ban on single occurrences: Desde então, só falei com ela uma vez (Since then, I have only spoken to her once) counts an event within the interval. Choose the relationship you actually mean.
Desde então, sempre confirmo o horário antes de sair.
Since then, I always check the time before leaving.
Foi só naquele dia; depois voltei à rotina normal.
It was only on that day; afterward I returned to my normal routine.
Show the change with a clear contrast
The original dialogue below contrasts what the speaker used to do with the habit adopted afterward. Portuguese does not need a literal translation of every English present-perfect sentence here. A present-tense habit such as confiro o endereço can naturally describe what you do now, with desde então marking when that practice began.
Separate sequence from cause when necessary
Desde então establishes time, but it does not always prove causation. Two events can happen in sequence without one causing the other. If the earlier incident motivated the new habit, explain the reason. If it was merely the date of a move or meeting, avoid inventing a lesson the person supposedly learned from it.
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: A missed appointment led to a new habit of checking dates. Connect the events.
Show a possible answer and explanation
Perdi um compromisso. Desde então, sempre confirmo a data.
The first event supplies the starting point; the present tense describes the continuing habit.
Original practice: You only checked the time once on the day of an outing. Avoid claiming a new habit.
Show a possible answer and explanation
Naquele dia, confirmei o horário antes de sair.
Naquele dia limits the action to one occasion, unlike a since-then description of an ongoing practice.
Original practice: You met Ana in 2020 and have kept weekly contact. Say that naturally.
Show a possible answer and explanation
Conheci a Ana em 2020. Desde então, a gente se fala toda semana.
The anchor is explicit and toda semana establishes the repeated contact.
Original practice: No earlier event has been identified. What clarification might your listener need?
Show a possible answer and explanation
Desde quando? Você está falando de qual momento?
Então needs a recoverable time reference. The listener cannot determine the starting point without shared context.
Practice a reply of your own
Connect a real past event to one habit or state that followed it. Explore Real Life Portuguese for more practice telling connected stories. Explore Real Life Portuguese