Whenever you tell a story, give directions, or list steps in a recipe, you need to mark what comes first, what comes next, and what comes last. Brazilian Portuguese has a clean set of sequencing connectors for writing — primeiro, depois, em seguida, por fim — and a single, hugely productive marker for speech: aí. Knowing which to use where is what makes a narrative sound either like a polished paragraph or like a natural Brazilian telling you about their day. This page lays out the full toolkit and the register split.
The written sequence: first, next, finally
For ordered writing — instructions, processes, structured arguments — Portuguese uses an explicit chain. The most common items:
| Stage | Marker | English |
|---|---|---|
| First | primeiro / em primeiro lugar | first / firstly |
| Next | depois, em seguida, a seguir | then, next, after that |
| Meanwhile | enquanto isso, ao mesmo tempo | meanwhile, at the same time |
| Finally | por fim, finalmente, por último | finally, lastly |
Primeiro, bata os ovos. Em seguida, acrescente a farinha. Por fim, leve ao forno.
First, beat the eggs. Next, add the flour. Finally, put it in the oven.
Em primeiro lugar, precisamos definir o orçamento; depois, escolher os fornecedores.
Firstly, we need to set the budget; then, choose the suppliers.
Notice em primeiro lugar (firstly) is the formal/written counterpart of plain primeiro, and it pairs naturally with por fim or por último to close a list. Em seguida and a seguir are the workhorses of recipes and instructions — they mean "right after that, the next step is."
Distinguishing the "next" words
These overlap but carry slightly different feels:
- depois — the broadest "then / afterward"; works in speech and writing.
- em seguida — "immediately after," tighter and more sequential; favored in instructions.
- a seguir — "next / coming up," often points forward to what follows.
- então — "then / so," bridges narrative and consequence (see Conclusion too).
Ele terminou a faculdade e depois foi morar fora.
He finished college and then went to live abroad.
Assista ao vídeo a seguir para entender o processo.
Watch the following video to understand the process.
"antes de" and "depois de": ordering with verbs
To sequence two actions relative to each other, Portuguese uses antes de (before) and depois de (after) followed by an infinitive. This is how you compress "before I left, I locked the door" into a tidy phrase.
Antes de sair, tranquei a porta.
Before leaving, I locked the door.
Depois de almoçar, a gente foi pra praia.
After having lunch, we went to the beach.
Because the infinitive in Portuguese can carry person (the personal infinitive), you can even say "depois de chegarmos" (after we arrive), where English needs a full clause. That precision is part of why these phrases are so useful for sequencing.
The spoken star: "aí"
In everyday speech, Brazilians sequence narrative almost entirely with aí (literally "there," but functioning as "then / and then / so"). It chains events one after another and is the single most characteristic feature of casual Brazilian storytelling.
Aí eu cheguei no trabalho, aí o chefe me chamou, aí eu fiquei nervoso.
So I got to work, then the boss called me over, and then I got nervous. (spoken)
A gente saiu cedo, daí pegou o ônibus errado e chegou atrasado.
We left early, then took the wrong bus and arrived late. (spoken)
Daí (= "de" + "aí") is a common variant meaning "and then / from there," used the same way. Repeating aí several times in a row is completely natural in speech — it is not an error, even though the written equivalent would demand variety. Note that aí also has other pragmatic uses (emphasis, threats, fillers); see the dedicated Pragmatics page.
"então": the register bridge
Among sequencers, então ("then / so") is the one that comfortably crosses registers. In speech it chains events and signals consequence; in writing it can mark a logical "then." It is the safe choice when you are unsure whether aí is too casual.
Terminei o relatório, então mandei pro cliente.
I finished the report, so/then I sent it to the client.
Simultaneity: "enquanto isso" and "ao mesmo tempo"
Not everything is sequential. To mark two things happening together, use enquanto isso (meanwhile) or ao mesmo tempo (at the same time).
Ela preparava o jantar; enquanto isso, eu arrumava a mesa.
She was making dinner; meanwhile, I was setting the table.
Closing a sequence
To signal the last item, use por fim, finalmente, or por último. Be aware that finalmente can also express relief ("finally!", as in "at last"), so context matters.
Por último, não se esqueça de salvar o arquivo.
Lastly, don't forget to save the file.
Finalmente chegou o fim de semana!
The weekend's finally here! (relief, not list-closing)
Common Mistakes
❌ (formal report) Coletamos os dados. Aí analisamos os resultados.
Register error — 'aí' is spoken; use 'em seguida' in writing.
✅ Coletamos os dados e, em seguida, analisamos os resultados.
We collected the data and then analyzed the results.
❌ Depois eu, fui pra casa.
Wrong punctuation/placement — no comma splitting 'depois' from its clause here.
✅ Depois, eu fui pra casa.
Then I went home.
When depois opens the clause as a connector, the comma goes after it, not in the middle of the subject-verb chain.
❌ Antes de eu sair, tranquei a porta.
Awkward — when the subject is the same, drop the pronoun: 'antes de sair'.
✅ Antes de sair, tranquei a porta.
Before leaving, I locked the door.
With a shared subject, the bare infinitive is cleaner; an explicit subject sounds heavy and is usually unnecessary.
❌ Primeiro... finalmente...
Incomplete sequence — jumping from first straight to finally skips the middle steps.
✅ Primeiro... depois... por fim...
First... then... finally...
❌ Em seguindo, adicione o açúcar.
Wrong word — the connector is 'em seguida', not a gerund form.
✅ Em seguida, adicione o açúcar.
Next, add the sugar.
Key Takeaways
- Written sequencing: primeiro / em primeiro lugar → depois / em seguida / a seguir → por fim / por último.
- Recipes and instructions favor em seguida and a seguir for "the next step."
- Spoken narrative chains with aí (and daí) — repeating it is natural; never use it in formal writing.
- então bridges both registers and is the safe sequencer when in doubt.
- Use antes de / depois de + infinitive to order two actions, and enquanto isso / ao mesmo tempo for simultaneity.
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Start learning Portuguese→Related Topics
- Discourse Markers: OverviewA2 — What discourse markers do, how they link ideas across a text or conversation, and why Brazilian Portuguese sharply splits them between spoken and written registers.
- Addition Markers (Além Disso, Ainda)B1 — How Brazilian Portuguese adds and reinforces points — além disso, também, não só... mas também — plus the false friend 'inclusive' that means 'even', not English 'inclusive'.
- Temporal Discourse MarkersB1 — How Brazilian Portuguese locates events in time relative to each other — quando, enquanto, assim que, à medida que, antigamente vs hoje em dia — and why some of them force the future subjunctive.
- The Many Uses of 'Aí'B1 — How 'aí' goes far beyond 'there' to become the master narrative connector, greeting, and 'in that case' marker of spoken Brazilian Portuguese.