Continuing actions with "ainda"
When you want to express that an action or state is ongoing and hasn't changed, use the adverb ainda (still). It is typically placed directly before the verb.
| Does the dog still gnaw the bone? | O cão ainda rói o osso? |
Stopping actions with "já não"
To express that an action or state has ceased, use já não (no longer / not anymore). Since já means "already", you can think of já não as literally meaning "already not". Like ainda, it is generally placed immediately before the verb.
| The old dog no longer gnaws bones. | O cão velho já não rói ossos. |
| We no longer have late nights. | Nós já não fazemos noitadas. |
Evolving routines
As we age, our daily habits often shift. You can use ainda and já não to contrast the things you used to do with the things you do now, such as trading late nights out for waking up early (madrugar).
| If I were younger, I would still have late nights. | Se eu fosse mais jovem, ainda faria noitadas. |
| I no longer sleep much; I prefer to wake up early. | Eu já não durmo muito; prefiro madrugar. |
| Do they still wake up early on the weekend? | Eles ainda madrugam ao fim de semana? |
Shifting interests and tolerance
These adverbs are also perfect for discussing how your patience and hobbies evolve over time. Whether you have lost your tolerance for a mess, continue to collect vintage items, or have moved on from childhood interests, ainda and já não naturally capture these changing personal preferences.
| I no longer tolerate the mess in this house. | Eu já não tolero a desordem nesta casa. |
| My father still collects vinyl records. | O meu pai ainda coleciona discos de vinil. |
| Although he is thirty years old, he still reads comic books. | Embora ele tenha trinta anos, ainda lê banda desenhada. |
| She is no longer interested in politics. | Ela já não se interessa por política. |
