Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Eu vou comparando o tempo que passo em cada rede social durante a semana. - I keep comparing the time I spend on each social network during the week.

"Eu comparo o tempo..."
= I compare the time...
→ neutral, habitual or general statement. You do this regularly, but there’s no special focus on the process.

"Eu vou comparando o tempo..."
→ you also do it regularly, but it highlights that:

you’re doing it along the way, as time passes,
it feels more gradual / ongoing during the week.

So:

"comparo" = simple, habitual fact.
"vou comparando" = habitual plus a sense of continuous, step‑by‑step monitoring over the week.

In European Portuguese, is "vou comparando" natural, or should it be "estou a comparar" or "ando a comparar"?

In European Portuguese (Portugal):

"Estou a comparar" is the standard way to say “I am comparing (right now)”.
"Ando a comparar" means “I’ve been comparing / I go around comparing (lately)”, suggesting a repeated or ongoing activity over a period.
"Vou comparando" is also natural and common, especially to stress gradual progress as time passes.

In your sentence:

"Eu vou comparando o tempo que passo em cada rede social durante a semana."
is good European Portuguese and conveys the idea of continuously and gradually comparing over the week.

You could also hear:

"Ando a comparar o tempo que passo..." – focusing on a current habit.
"Vou comparando o tempo que passo..." – focusing on gradual, ongoing comparison as the week unfolds.

You would not normally say in European Portuguese:

"Estou comparando" – this is more Brazilian usage. In Portugal, you say "estou a comparar".

Is "comparando" here a gerund like in English (-ing)? How is it used in Portuguese?

Yes, "comparando" is the gerúndio (gerund) of comparar.

In Portuguese:

The gerúndio is formed with -ando / -endo / -indo:
- comparar → comparando
- comer → comendo
- partir → partindo

But its usage differs from English:

English often uses -ing with be: I am comparing.
In European Portuguese, the common progressive is estar a + infinitive:
- Estou a comparar = I am comparing.

The ir + gerúndio construction, like "vou comparando", is used more for gradual, evolving actions, rather than for a simple “right now” progressive. So the gerúndio here has a more specific, aspectual function (gradual / ongoing), not just any “-ing” use.

Could the sentence be "Eu comparo o tempo que passo em cada rede social durante a semana" instead? Would it change the meaning much?

Yes, you can say:

"Eu comparo o tempo que passo em cada rede social durante a semana."

This is grammatically correct and natural.

Difference in nuance:

"Eu comparo..."
→ States a habit or general practice. You do this, but it sounds like a more neutral, factual statement.
"Eu vou comparando..."
→ Suggests you continuously / repeatedly do this through the week, with a sense of ongoing checking or monitoring as time goes by.

In many contexts, both would be understood almost the same, but "vou comparando" adds a bit of colour: it sounds like you’re keeping an eye on it bit by bit instead of doing one big comparison.

Why is it "o tempo que passo" and not just "tempo que passo"? What does "o" add here?

"o tempo" uses the definite article "o" (the), which is very common in Portuguese, often more so than in English.

"o tempo que passo"
→ literally “the time that I spend”.
It refers to a specific, known quantity of time: the time you (typically) spend on each social network.

If you said just:

"tempo que passo" (without the article),

it could sound a bit incomplete or less natural in this context. In European Portuguese, the article anchors the noun and is usually preferred in such constructions.

So: keep the "o". It helps mark this as that specific time you spend (not just time in general).

Why is "passo" in the present tense if we’re talking about the whole week? Would a different tense make sense?

"passo" here is present simple (eu passo = I spend).

In Portuguese, as in English, the present simple can express:

habits: what you usually do,
general truths.

So "o tempo que passo em cada rede social durante a semana" is:

“the time (that) I spend on each social network during the week”
as a habitual, typical pattern.

You generally would not change the tense here. Alternatives like "passei" (I spent) or "vou passar" (I will spend) would change the meaning to past or future, which is not the idea. The speaker is describing a regular, ongoing habit, so present simple is the correct choice.

Why is it "em cada rede social" instead of "na" or something else? Could I say "em cada uma das redes sociais"?

"em cada rede social"
= in each social network
Here "cada" (each) is followed by a singular noun (rede social), and "em" is the basic preposition in / on.

You cannot contract "em" with a definite article here (na, no, etc.) because:

"cada" does not take an article in this structure.
You say "cada rede social", not "cada a rede social".

So "na cada rede social" is wrong.

You can say:

"em cada uma das redes sociais"
= in each one of the social networks.

Here the structure is different:

cada uma = each one
das redes sociais = of the social networks (de + as).

Both are correct:

"em cada rede social" – shorter, very common.
"em cada uma das redes sociais" – a bit longer, slightly more explicit/emphatic.

Can "durante a semana" be placed somewhere else in the sentence? Would it change the meaning?

Yes, "durante a semana" (during the week) can move around without changing the basic meaning.

Some natural options:

Eu vou comparando o tempo que passo em cada rede social durante a semana.
Durante a semana, eu vou comparando o tempo que passo em cada rede social.
Eu vou comparando, durante a semana, o tempo que passo em cada rede social.

They all essentially mean the same:

You carry out this comparing over the course of the week.

Position mainly affects rhythm and emphasis, not meaning. The version you gave (1) is very natural and common.

Is the subject pronoun "Eu" necessary here, or could I just say "Vou comparando..."?

You can absolutely drop "Eu":

Vou comparando o tempo que passo em cada rede social durante a semana.

In Portuguese (especially European Portuguese):

The verb ending -o in vou already shows it’s 1st person singular (I).
So the subject "eu" is often omitted, unless you want to:
- add emphasis (e.g. I, specifically, do this), or
- contrast it with someone else (e.g. Eu vou comparando, mas ele não liga a isso).

So both are correct:

With "Eu": slightly more emphatic or explicit.
Without "Eu": more typical, neutral Portuguese.

Why is "rede social" singular after "cada"? Could it ever be plural here?

"cada" (each) in Portuguese always takes a singular noun:

cada pessoa – each person
cada livro – each book
cada rede social – each social network

So:

"em cada rede social" – correct.
"em cada redes sociais" – incorrect.

If you want to emphasize the plural set, you have to change the structure, not "cada" itself. For example:

em cada uma das redes sociais
(each one of the social networks)

Here, the singular "cada uma" is followed by a plural noun (das redes sociais), but "cada" itself still governs a singular word (uma).

Does "vou comparando" mean future at all? It looks like "I will go comparing".

Despite "vou" being a present form of ir (to go), in this construction it is not a future tense like English “I’m going to compare”.

"Eu vou comparando..."
is not “I am going to compare” (future), but rather
“I go on comparing / I keep comparing / I gradually compare”.

So:

When ir is followed by an infinitive, it often indicates future:
- Vou comparar = I am going to compare (future intention).
When ir is followed by a gerund, it indicates an ongoing, gradual process:
- Vou comparando = I keep comparing (over time).

In your sentence, you definitely have the second case: ongoing, not future.

Does this sentence sound natural in Portugal specifically (European Portuguese), or is it more Brazilian?

The sentence:

"Eu vou comparando o tempo que passo em cada rede social durante a semana."

sounds natural and acceptable in European Portuguese.

Notes for European Portuguese:

"vou comparando" is a good, idiomatic way to express gradual, ongoing action.
The rest of the structure (o tempo que passo em cada rede social durante a semana) is fully standard and neutral for Portugal.
A very “European Portuguese” alternative progressive phrasing would be:
- "Ando a comparar o tempo que passo em cada rede social durante a semana."

But your original sentence is fine and would be readily understood and used by speakers in Portugal.