Temporal discourse markers are the connectives that glue a narrative together: they tell the listener whether two events happened at the same time, whether one followed the other, whether a state lasted for a duration, or whether something happened "meanwhile." They are distinct from the tense system — tense handles whether an event is past, present, or future; temporal markers handle how events relate to each other in the flow of discourse.
This page covers the most important temporal markers of European Portuguese, with particular attention to three traps: (1) the false friend eventualmente (which does NOT mean "eventually"), (2) the distinctive PT-PT use of entretanto for "meanwhile," and (3) the mood alternation after temporal subordinators like antes que (subjunctive) vs antes de (infinitive).
Simultaneity — events happening at the same time
These markers tell the listener that two events overlap in time.
- entretanto — meanwhile (the primary PT-PT word for this)
- enquanto isso — meanwhile (also common)
- nesse meio tempo — in that meantime
- ao mesmo tempo — at the same time
- paralelamente — in parallel (formal)
- conjuntamente — jointly, together (formal)
- enquanto
- indicative — while
Eu preparava o jantar; entretanto, as crianças brincavam no jardim.
I was preparing dinner; meanwhile, the kids were playing in the garden.
Enquanto esperava o autocarro, aproveitei para ler um capítulo do livro.
While I was waiting for the bus, I took the chance to read a chapter of the book.
Specific moments — pinning an event to a point in time
These markers attach an event to a particular moment.
- nessa altura — at that time (extremely common PT-PT)
- nesse momento — at that moment
- naquela altura — at that (distant) time
- nesse ponto — at that point
- no momento em que — at the moment when
- aquando de — at the time of (formal)
- quando
- indicative — when (past facts) / + subjunctive (future uncertain)
Nessa altura ainda não havia telemóveis — tudo era mais complicado.
At that time there were no mobile phones — everything was more complicated.
Aquando da revolução, o meu avô tinha vinte anos.
At the time of the revolution, my grandfather was twenty. (formal)
Quando chegares a casa, manda-me mensagem.
When you get home, text me.
Notice the mood contrast in the last example: after quando referring to the future, Portuguese uses the future subjunctive (chegares), not the indicative. This is a major difference from English and from Spanish.
Duration — how long an event lasts
- durante — during (+ noun)
- ao longo de — throughout, along the course of
- no decurso de / no decorrer de — in the course of (formal)
- enquanto
- indicative — while (durational)
- pelo tempo que — for the time that
Durante a reunião, ninguém disse uma palavra.
During the meeting, no one said a word.
Ao longo dos últimos dez anos, a cidade mudou por completo.
Over the last ten years, the city has changed completely.
No decurso das investigações, foram encontrados novos documentos.
In the course of the investigations, new documents were found. (formal)
Before — anteriority
This section has a major mood contrast: antes de takes the infinitive; antes que takes the subjunctive.
| Marker | What follows |
|---|---|
| antes | nothing (adverb) |
| antes disso / anteriormente / previamente | nothing (adverb) |
| antes de | infinitive (personal if needed) |
| antes que | subjunctive (always) |
Antes de sair, fecha a janela, por favor.
Before leaving, close the window, please.
Sai antes que comece a chover.
Leave before it starts to rain.
Chegaste antes de mim — eu ainda estava no trânsito.
You got there before me — I was still in traffic.
The choice between antes de and antes que tracks whether the two subjects are the same (infinitive) or different (subjunctive). Antes de eu chegar (personal infinitive) is also possible when you want to keep the infinitive structure but mark a different subject.
After — posteriority
- depois — afterwards (adverb)
- em seguida / a seguir / logo a seguir — right after
- posteriormente / ulteriormente — subsequently (formal)
- mais tarde — later
- depois de
- infinitive
- depois que
- indicative (past facts)
Depois de jantar, vamos dar um passeio até ao Tejo.
After dinner, we'll take a walk down to the Tagus.
A seguir ao noticiário, há um documentário sobre o Alentejo.
Right after the news, there's a documentary about the Alentejo region.
Ulteriormente, foram tomadas medidas corretivas.
Subsequently, corrective measures were taken. (formal)
From then on — subsequent to a point
- a partir daí — from then on
- desde então — since then
- daí em diante / daí para a frente — from that point onward
- dessa altura em diante — from that moment on
- a partir de agora — from now on
Depois daquela discussão, não nos falámos mais; a partir daí, cada um seguiu a sua vida.
After that argument, we stopped talking; from then on, each of us went our own way.
Desde então, nunca mais voltei àquele restaurante.
Since then, I've never been back to that restaurant.
Immediacy — right away
- de imediato / no imediato — immediately
- instantaneamente — instantly
- prontamente — promptly (formal)
- logo a seguir — right after
- sem demora — without delay (formal)
- já — already, right now (very frequent; see also the já page)
Quando soube da notícia, ligou-me de imediato.
When she heard the news, she called me immediately.
Já te envio o ficheiro — dá-me só um minuto.
I'll send you the file right now — just give me a minute.
Eventually — the notorious false friend
This deserves its own section because it catches out nearly every English speaker.
Portuguese eventualmente means "possibly, occasionally." It does NOT mean "eventually" in the English sense of "after a long time, finally."
The English sense of "eventually" is expressed in Portuguese by:
- acabar por
- infinitive — to end up doing
- a certa altura — at some point
- mais tarde ou mais cedo — sooner or later
- com o tempo — with time
- um destes dias — one of these days
Eventualmente pode acontecer um atraso, mas é raro.
Occasionally a delay may happen, but it's rare. (PT meaning)
Acabou por aceitar a proposta, depois de muito hesitar.
He eventually accepted the offer, after a lot of hesitation.
A certa altura, toda a gente se vai aperceber do problema.
Eventually, everyone will notice the problem.
Narrative temporal markers — storytelling
These are the scaffolding words for stories, fairy tales, and anecdotes.
- era uma vez — once upon a time
- passado algum tempo / tempos depois — some time later
- muitos anos depois — many years later
- no fim / por fim — in the end
- depois de tudo — after everything
- entretanto — meanwhile (narrative use)
- nisto — at that moment, just then (literary / narrative)
- daí a pouco — a little while later
Era uma vez uma rapariga que vivia numa aldeia perto da Serra da Estrela.
Once upon a time there was a girl who lived in a village near the Serra da Estrela.
Passado algum tempo, o João regressou a Portugal, já casado e com dois filhos.
Some time later, João returned to Portugal, now married and with two children.
Por fim, perceberam que a solução estava à vista desde o início.
In the end, they realized the solution had been right there from the start.
Estava eu a ler tranquilamente; nisto, bate alguém à porta.
There I was, reading peacefully; just then, someone knocks at the door. (literary / narrative nisto)
Esperei no café e, daí a pouco, ela apareceu.
I waited in the café and, a little while later, she turned up.
Common mistakes
❌ Eventualmente vou mudar de casa.
Incorrect if you mean 'eventually' (English sense) — this says 'I might occasionally move house.'
✅ Acabo por mudar de casa, mais tarde ou mais cedo.
I'll end up moving house, sooner or later.
❌ Antes que sair, fecha a porta.
Incorrect — antes que requires a finite subjunctive clause, not an infinitive.
✅ Antes de sair, fecha a porta.
Before leaving, close the door.
❌ Quando chegas a casa, liga-me.
Incorrect — future reference after quando requires the future subjunctive.
✅ Quando chegares a casa, liga-me.
When you get home, call me.
❌ Entretanto, eu não concordo.
Unidiomatic in PT-PT — use no entanto or contudo for 'however.'
✅ No entanto, eu não concordo.
However, I don't agree.
❌ Depois que eu chegar, vamos jantar.
Incorrect with future reference — use depois de + infinitive.
✅ Depois de eu chegar, vamos jantar.
After I arrive, we'll have dinner.
Key takeaways
- Entretanto in PT-PT = meanwhile (not however).
- Eventualmente in PT = occasionally/possibly (not eventually).
- Antes de / depois de → infinitive; antes que → subjunctive; depois que → indicative.
- Quando
- future reference requires the future subjunctive.
- For the English "eventually," use acabar por
- infinitive.
Related Topics
- Discourse Markers OverviewA2 — An introduction to the words and phrases that organise Portuguese speech and writing — signalling sequence, contrast, cause, and more.
- Hedging MarkersB1 — How European Portuguese speakers soften claims, signal uncertainty, and frame statements as opinion.
- Adverbs of TimeA1 — Portuguese time adverbs — hoje, ontem, amanhã, agora, já, ainda, sempre, nunca — with the nuances that make them tricky for English speakers.
- Subjunctive Mood OverviewB1 — What the conjuntivo is in European Portuguese, why it exists, and when the language requires it — a tour of irrealis across the present, imperfect, and future subjunctive