Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil): Antigamente eu ficava nervoso em entrevistas, mas hoje respondo melhor cada pergunta. - In the past I got nervous in interviews, but today I answer each question better.

Antigamente is an adverb meaning “formerly,” “in the old days,” or “in the past.” It introduces a general time frame long ago. While antes and no passado also refer to the past, antigamente often emphasizes a habitual situation or a more distant period rather than a specific moment.

Why is the verb ficava in the imperfect tense instead of the preterite fiquei?

The imperfect tense (ficava) describes a repeated or ongoing state in the past—“I used to get nervous.” The preterite (fiquei) would indicate a single, completed event—“I got nervous” just once. Here the speaker stresses a habitual reaction.

Why is the adjective nervoso masculine, and how do adjectives agree in Portuguese?

Adjectives in Portuguese agree in gender and number with the noun or pronoun they modify. Since eu refers to a male speaker in this example, you use nervoso (masculine singular). A female speaker would say eu ficava nervosa (feminine singular).

Why use em entrevistas instead of dropping the preposition or saying nas entrevistas?

Portuguese requires a preposition to indicate context: em entrevistas means “in interviews” in a general sense (indefinite). If you refer to specific interviews, you’d say nas entrevistas (em + as), meaning “in the interviews.” Dropping em would sound ungrammatical here.

Shouldn’t responder take a preposition—i.e., respondo melhor a cada pergunta?

Formally, responder is a verb that often uses a before its object (respondo a cada pergunta). In spoken Brazilian Portuguese, it’s common to omit the a and say respondo cada pergunta. Both forms are understood, but respondo melhor a cada pergunta is more grammatically prescriptive.

Why use cada pergunta instead of todas as perguntas?

Cada focuses on each individual question one by one, highlighting consistent improvement question by question. Todas as perguntas would refer to all the questions collectively, without stressing the individual aspect.

Why is melhor used instead of bem in respondo melhor cada pergunta?

Melhor is the comparative form of bem (well), meaning “better.” It directly compares the speaker’s current performance to the past. Simply saying respondo bem cada pergunta would state the speaker answers well, without implying an improvement.

Why is mas used here, and could you use porém or entretanto instead?

Mas means “but” and introduces a contrast between the past habit and the present ability. Porém and entretanto are more formal synonyms that work the same way. Mas sim is used only after a negation (e.g., não… mas sim…), so it wouldn’t fit here.

Why is respondo in the simple present tense rather than the continuous form?

In Portuguese, the simple present (presente do indicativo) often expresses habits or general truths. Hoje respondo melhor conveys a habitual improvement. If you wanted to stress an action in progress right now, you could use the gerund: estou respondendo melhor, but that’s less common for stating general ability or habit.