GIVE ANSWERS - Português

To express the past in Portuguese, there are several verb tenses that you can use depending on the context and the type of action that you want to describe. Some of the most common past tenses in Portuguese include:

Pretérito Perfeito (Simple Past): This tense is used to describe actions that were completed in the recent past. It is formed by adding the endings ”-ei”, ”-aste”, ”-ou”, ”-amos”, ”-astes”, or ”-aram” to the verb stem. For example: ”Eu comprei um livro ontem” (I bought a book yesterday).

Pretérito Imperfeito (Imperfect Past): This tense is used to describe actions that were ongoing or repeated in the past. It is formed by adding the endings ”-ava”, ”-avas”, ”-ava”, ”-ávamos”, ”-áveis”, or ”-avam” to the verb stem. For example: ”Eu estudava muito quando era criança” (I used to study a lot when I was a child).

Pretérito Perfeito Composto (Present Perfect): This tense is used to describe actions that were completed in the recent past and are still relevant in the present. It is formed by using the present tense of the auxiliary verb ”ter” or ”haver” and the past participle of the main verb. For example: ”Eu tenho estudado bastante ultimamente” (I have been studying a lot lately).

Pretérito Mais-que-perfeito (Pluperfect): This tense is used to describe actions that were completed before another past action. It is formed by using the imperfect tense of the auxiliary verb ”ter” or ”haver” and the past participle of the main verb. For example: ”Quando cheguei em casa, ela já tinha saído” (When I got home, she had already left).

Pretérito Perfeito do Indicativo (Conditional Mood): This tense is used to describe hypothetical situations or actions that may have happened in the past but did not. It is formed by using the conditional mood of the auxiliary verb ”ter” or ”haver” and the past participle of the main verb. For example: ”Se eu tivesse estudado mais, teria passado no exame” (If I had studied more, I would have passed the exam).

In addition to these tenses, there are also other verb forms and structures that can be used to express the past in Portuguese, such as the gerund (ex. ”Eu estava estudando quando ela ligou” - I was studying when she called) or the past participle used as an adjective (ex. ”O livro comprado ontem era muito interessante” - The book bought yesterday was very interesting).

Hi Vincent. In Brazilian Portuguese we have many ways to speak the past tense... In the case of the ”imperfect past” tense you can add the suffix ”ia” or "ava" after the verb. Already in the "past perfect" tense you can add the suffixes ”ara”, "era" or "ira" after the verb... In the "past perfect" tense, the last letter is usually replaced by "i" or "ei'. But it depends on the verb... In any case, we also have irregular verbs. So the ideal would be for you to inform which verb you have doubts.