When talking about childhood memories, past habits, or how things "used to be", Portuguese uses the Pretérito Imperfeito (the Imperfect) tense.
Forming the Imperfect for -ar Verbs
To form the imperfect for regular -ar verbs, drop the -ar from the infinitive and add these endings:
| Pronoun | Ending | Example (brincar - to play) |
|---|---|---|
| eu | -ava | brincava |
| tu | -avas | brincavas |
| ele / ela / você | -ava | brincava |
| nós | -ávamos | brincávamos |
| eles / elas / vocês | -avam | brincavam |
Notice that the nós form always requires an acute accent on the á.
| In my childhood, I used to play here. | Na minha infância, eu brincava aqui. |
| In childhood, we lived in a village. | Na infância, nós morávamos numa aldeia. |
| My grandfather and my grandmother lived in the village. | O meu avô e a minha avó moravam na aldeia. |
Setting the Scene in the Past
When reminiscing, you will often use time markers to set the scene, like antigamente ("in the past" or "back in the day").
| In the past, my grandfather worked in the city. | Antigamente, o meu avô trabalhava na cidade. |
Expressing "Used to" with Costumar
Another common way to express a past habit is with costumar (to usually do). Conjugated in the imperfect and followed by an infinitive, it translates directly to "used to do [something]".
| In the past, the girls usually played in the street. | Antigamente, as meninas costumavam brincar na rua. |
| My grandmother used to buy me a toy. | A minha avó costumava comprar-me um brinquedo. |
Everyday Actions
This -ava pattern applies to hundreds of everyday actions, like walking (andar), jumping (saltar), or studying (estudar).
| He walked slowly and did not jump. | Ele andava devagar e não saltava. |
| The girls used to jump at recess. | As meninas saltavam no recreio. |
| Ten years ago, I used to study here. | Há dez anos, eu estudava aqui. |
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