The Portuguese Imperfect tense, also known as the Pretérito Imperfeito, is one of the past tenses used in the Portuguese language. It is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as to set the background or provide context for another past event. The Imperfect tense is relatively straightforward to conjugate once you understand the patterns for each category of verbs. In this explanation, we will explore how the Imperfect tense is formed and conjugated for each category of verbs in Portuguese, providing example sentences to illustrate its usage.
Conjugation of Regular Verbs
In Portuguese, regular verbs are divided into three categories based on their infinitive endings: -ar, -er, and -ir. The conjugation patterns for the Imperfect tense are quite similar across these categories.
To form the Imperfect tense for regular -ar verbs, you take the stem of the verb (the infinitive form without the -ar ending) and add the appropriate endings: -ava, -avas, -ava, -ávamos, -áveis, -avam. Here is an example with the verb “falar” (to speak):
Eu falava – I used to speak
Tu falavas – You used to speak
Ele/Ela/Você falava – He/She/You (formal) used to speak
Nós falávamos – We used to speak
Vós faláveis – You all used to speak
Eles/Elas/Vocês falavam – They/You all used to speak
For regular -er verbs, you follow a similar pattern. Let’s take the verb “beber” (to drink) as an example:
Eu bebia – I used to drink
Tu bebias – You used to drink
Ele/Ela/Você bebia – He/She/You (formal) used to drink
Nós bebíamos – We used to drink
Vós bebeis – You all used to drink
Eles/Elas/Vocês bebiam – They/You all used to drink
Lastly, for regular -ir verbs, the Imperfect tense is also formed in a similar way. Let’s consider the verb “partir” (to leave):
Eu partia – I used to leave
Tu partias – You used to leave
Ele/Ela/Você partia – He/She/You (formal) used to leave
Nós partíamos – We used to leave
Vós partíeis – You all used to leave
Eles/Elas/Vocês partiam – They/You all used to leave
Conjugation of Irregular Verbs
While regular verbs follow a predictable pattern for the Imperfect tense, there are some irregular verbs that have unique conjugations. These irregularities often occur in the stem of the verb. Here are a few examples of irregular verbs in the Imperfect tense:
Ser (to be):
Eu era – I used to be
Tu eras – You used to be
Ele/Ela/Você era – He/She/You (formal) used to be
Nós éramos – We used to be
Vós éreis – You all used to be
Eles/Elas/Vocês eram – They/You all used to be
Ir (to go):
Eu ia – I used to go
Tu ias – You used to go
Ele/Ela/Você ia – He/She/You (formal) used to go
Nós íamos – We used to go
Vós íeis – You all used to go
Eles/Elas/Vocês iam – They/You all used to go
Ver (to see):
Eu via – I used to see
Tu vias – You used to see
Ele/Ela/Você via – He/She/You (formal) used to see
Nós víamos – We used to see
Vós víeis – You all used to see
Eles/Elas/Vocês viam – They/You all used to see
Note that irregular verbs have their own unique conjugation patterns, and it’s important to memorize them individually.
Usage of the Imperfect Tense
The Portuguese Imperfect tense is commonly used to describe ongoing actions or states in the past. It often sets the background for another event or provides context. Here are some example sentences that illustrate the usage of the Imperfect tense:
Quando era criança, eu brincava no parque todos os dias.
(When I was a child, I used to play in the park every day.)
Ela sempre estudava muito para os exames.
(She always used to study a lot for exams.)
Nós morávamos em uma casa pequena perto da praia.
(We used to live in a small house near the beach.)
Vocês viajavam pelo mundo e conheciam diferentes culturas.
(You all used to travel the world and experience different cultures.)
Durante o verão, eu visitava meus avós no campo.
(During the summer, I used to visit my grandparents in the countryside.)
In these sentences, the Imperfect tense is used to describe repeated actions or habits in the past. It helps to create a vivid picture of ongoing activities and situations that were happening at a specific time in the past.
Conclusion
The Portuguese Imperfect tense, or Pretérito Imperfeito, is a past tense used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past. It is relatively easy to conjugate regular verbs in the Imperfect tense by adding the appropriate endings based on the verb’s infinitive ending (-ar, -er, or -ir). However, there are irregular verbs that have unique conjugation patterns, which need to be memorized individually. The Imperfect tense is commonly used to provide background information, describe habits, or set the stage for another past event. By mastering the conjugation patterns and understanding its usage, you will be able to effectively communicate in Portuguese using the Imperfect tense.
Originally posted 2023-07-16 18:11:58.