Portuguese Past Tense: Preterite vs. Imperfect in Brazilian Portuguese
Use the preterite for completed past events and the imperfect for background, habits, and ongoing past situations.
Real Life Portuguese · 7 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
The pretérito perfeito often presents a past action as a completed event. It answers questions such as what happened or what someone did. In a story, these verbs can move the timeline from one event to the next.
Use the preterite to move a completed event forward
Start with frequent forms you can reuse: falei (I spoke), comi (I ate), and saí (I left). Brazilian Portuguese has irregular forms too, so learn common verbs in full sentences rather than assuming every verb follows one pattern.
Ontem, trabalhei até as seis.
Yesterday, I worked until six.
A gente jantou e depois assistiu a um filme.
We had dinner and then watched a movie.
Ela chegou, abriu a porta e chamou todo mundo.
She arrived, opened the door, and called everyone.
Use the imperfect for habits and the setting around an event
The pretérito imperfeito commonly describes a past routine, a continuing situation, or background information. It helps the listener picture what was happening when another event took place. Frequent forms include falava (I/he/she used to speak or was speaking), comia, and saía.
A useful first contrast is “Eu estudava quando você ligou”: studying was the background activity; the phone call is the completed event. Context matters, and English does not always use a different verb form to express the contrast.
Quando eu era criança, morava perto da praia.
When I was a child, I lived near the beach.
Todo domingo, a gente almoçava com meus avós.
Every Sunday, we used to have lunch with my grandparents.
Eu estudava quando você ligou.
I was studying when you called.
Combine both tenses to tell a clearer story
Ask two questions as you tell a past story: what was the scene or ongoing situation, and what happened next? The imperfect often sets up the scene, while the preterite marks the completed event. This is a learning guide rather than a rule that decides every possible sentence; speakers choose a form based on the meaning and perspective they want.
Practice with a short memory instead of a long translation. Give one background detail, then name two or three things that happened. Keep the sequence easy for a listener to follow.
Estava chovendo quando o ônibus chegou.
It was raining when the bus arrived.
A gente conversava na cozinha e alguém bateu na porta.
We were talking in the kitchen when someone knocked at the door.
Eu conheci minha professora quando estudava no Rio.
I met my teacher when I was studying in Rio.
Put it into practice
Write three lines about yesterday: one completed action, one background detail, and one habit from the past. Then compare them with the Real Life Portuguese guide to telling a short story; practice questions with a Brazilian teacher at I Speak Portuguese.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “I met my teacher when I was studying in Rio”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.