Talk About Living Abroad in Portuguese: Past Routines and Changes
Build a short personal story with morava, costumava, and agora, then use an I Speak Portuguese listening story as optional practice.
Real Life Portuguese · 6 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
When you describe where you lived over a period of time, Brazilian Portuguese often uses the imperfect: Quando eu morava em… means “When I lived in…” or “When I used to live in…”. The form sets the scene rather than presenting one finished move as the whole story.
Use the imperfect for an ongoing past situation
You can connect that background to one completed event in the simple past: Quando eu morava em Lisboa, conheci uma vizinha brasileira (When I lived in Lisbon, I met a Brazilian neighbor). Morava describes the ongoing situation; conheci reports the event.
Quando eu morava fora, trabalhava de casa.
When I lived abroad, I worked from home.
Eu estudava português à noite.
I used to study Portuguese at night.
No primeiro mês, conheci muita gente.
In the first month, I met a lot of people.
Use costumava to make a former habit clear
Costumava + infinitive is a useful frame for a repeated past habit: Eu costumava caminhar depois do trabalho (I used to walk after work). It is especially clear when you are contrasting that routine with what you do now.
Add time and place details that are true for you. Phrases such as naquela época (at that time), antes (before), and agora (now) help the listener follow the change without needing a long explanation.
Naquela época, eu costumava pegar o ônibus.
At that time, I used to take the bus.
Antes eu cozinhava mais; agora peço comida às vezes.
I used to cook more; now I sometimes order food.
Eu costumava falar com minha família todo domingo.
I used to talk with my family every Sunday.
Tell the story in three clear steps
A short personal story can move from the setting, to a repeated routine, to one change you noticed. I Speak Portuguese has a listening episode about an experience living in Spain; use it to listen for this shape, then retell your own experience rather than trying to reproduce the speaker’s story.
On the first listen, identify the place and main subject. On the second, listen for past-time words and repeated actions. Finally, say two or three sentences about a place you know well, using details that are accurate for your life.
Quando eu morava em Montreal, fazia frio no inverno.
When I lived in Montreal, it was cold in winter.
Eu costumava ir a pé para o trabalho.
I used to walk to work.
Agora moro em outra cidade e uso mais o metrô.
Now I live in another city and use the subway more.
Put it into practice
Describe one past routine and one present change. Keep the example personal, then replay a short section of the I Speak Portuguese story and listen for how the speaker moves between time periods.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “I used to cook more; now I sometimes order food”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
This guide is an original Real Life Portuguese adaptation of an earlier article from I Speak Portuguese.
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.