Learn Portuguese (Portugal): Antigamente, tu raramente navegavas à noite. - In the past, you rarely browsed at night.

Antigamente, tu raramente navegavas à noite.

In the past, you rarely browsed at night.

Breakdown of Antigamente, tu raramente navegavas à noite.

Questions & Answers about Antigamente, tu raramente navegavas à noite.

Where exactly should I put adverbs like raramente in a sentence?

In Portuguese, adverbs of frequency like raramente are quite flexible. Placing them directly between the subject (tu) and the verb (navegavas) is very natural and common. However, you could also place it right after the verb and say tu navegavas raramente.

Why is the verb in the Imperfect tense (navegavas) instead of the simple past (navegaste)?

We use the Imperfect tense here because the sentence describes a past habit or routine. The words antigamente (in the past/formerly) and raramente (rarely) are huge clues that this wasn't just a single completed action, but a repeated pattern over time.

Does navegar mean sailing a boat or browsing the internet?

It can mean both! Just like in English where you "surf" or "navigate" the web, navegar is the standard Portuguese verb for browsing the internet. Given the modern context of the English translation, it means browsing online here.

Why does the "a" in à noite have a backward accent?