Breakdown of Eu preparava o jantar na cozinha quando o telemóvel tocou.
eu
I
o telemóvel
the mobile phone
em
in / on / at
quando
when
o jantar
the dinner
preparar
to prepare
a cozinha
the kitchen
tocar
to ring
Questions & Answers about Eu preparava o jantar na cozinha quando o telemóvel tocou.
Why do we use preparava here instead of preparei?
Preparava is the Pretérito Imperfeito (imperfect past). We use it here because making dinner was an ongoing background action, meaning 'was preparing'. If we used the Pretérito Perfeito preparei, it would mean a completed, single event ('I prepared').
Why is tocou in the Pretérito Perfeito (simple past) while the other verb is in the Imperfect?
This sentence uses a classic combination! The imperfect preparava sets the scene with an ongoing action, and the simple past tocou is the sudden, completed action that interrupts it. The word quando (when) is a great clue that a sudden interruption is coming.
Could I say estava a preparar instead of preparava?
Yes, absolutely! In Portugal, it is very common to use estar a + infinitive in the past tense (estava a preparar) to show an action was in progress. In this sentence, preparava and estava a preparar mean exactly the same thing.
I learned that tocar means 'to touch' or 'to play an instrument'. Why does it mean 'rang' here?
Tocar is a very versatile verb! Besides touching or playing an instrument, it is the standard verb used for a phone, doorbell, or alarm ringing. Because the phone ringing was a sudden, completed action, it takes the simple past form tocou.
Why is it na cozinha instead of em cozinha?
Na is a mandatory contraction of the preposition em (in/at) and the feminine singular article a (the). Because cozinha (kitchen) is a specific feminine noun, you must combine em + a into na ('in the').
Learn Eu preparava o jantar na cozinha quando o telemóvel tocou and more in Portuguese
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free