How to Say ‘I Used to’ in Portuguese: Costumava and the Imperfect
Costumava fazer means ‘used to do’; Brazilian Portuguese also uses the imperfect for repeated past habits.
Real Life Portuguese · 5 min read · Updated October 15, 2026
The short answer
Costumava fazer means ‘used to do.’ Costumava is the imperfect form of costumar, followed by the infinitive of the activity. It makes the repeated or habitual meaning especially clear.
Use costumava plus an infinitive
Eu costumava caminhar antes do trabalho.
I used to walk before work.
A gente costumava passar as férias na praia.
We used to spend our holidays at the beach.
Use the imperfect for a repeated past habit
Brazilian Portuguese often expresses past habits directly with the imperfect, without costumava. The tense also describes background situations, so time expressions and context help show that an action was habitual.
Quando era criança, brincava na rua.
When I was a child, I used to play in the street.
Todo verão, visitávamos meus avós.
Every summer, we used to visit my grandparents.
Contrast a habit with one completed event
Use the imperfect for a repeated or ongoing past pattern and the preterite for a completed event. This contrast helps listeners see whether you mean ‘used to’ or something that happened once.
Eu estudava à noite, mas ontem estudei de manhã.
I used to study at night, but yesterday I studied in the morning.
Ela costumava cozinhar em casa; hoje pediu comida.
She used to cook at home; today she ordered food.
Put it into practice
Use costumava plus an infinitive or the imperfect tense for a past habit.
Quick practice
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