When preparing for a trip, you will constantly be checking things off your to-do list. To talk about what you have accomplished and what is still pending, Portuguese uses two key time expressions:
- já (already)
- ainda não (not yet — literally "still not")
Both expressions are usually placed immediately before the verb.
The Simple Past for Checklists
In English, we often use the present perfect to ask about checklist items ("Have you already confirmed?"). In Portuguese, this is much simpler: you usually just use the simple past tense (Pretérito Perfeito Simples) paired with já or ainda não.
| Did you already confirm the reservation? | Já confirmaste a reserva? |
| We already chose the destination for the vacation. | Já escolhemos o destino para as férias. |
| They have not chosen the destination yet. | Eles ainda não escolheram o destino. |
Taking Care of Details
A very common Portuguese verb for running errands and managing tasks is tratar de (to take care of). Notice how já and ainda não sit right in front of the conjugated verb to organize your travel itinerary (o roteiro).
| I already took care of the visa today. | Já tratei do visto hoje. |
| We already went to the agency. | Já fomos à agência. |
| She has not prepared the itinerary yet. | Ela ainda não preparou o roteiro. |
Payments and Purchases
Whether you are paying for travel insurance (o seguro) or looking for your credit card (o cartão), the sentence structure remains exactly the same. Keep já or ainda não firmly planted before the action.
| Did you already pay for the insurance with the card? | Já pagaste o seguro com o cartão? |
| We haven't bought the insurance yet. | Ainda não comprámos o seguro. |