Portuguese Simple Past and Imperfect: Understanding the Two Main Past Tenses in Brazilian Portuguese

In this post we’ll compare the Portuguese Simple Past and Imperfect, the two tenses that are most commonly used in Brazilian Portuguese. First, we’ll give a high-level comparison of how these two tenses differ in general terms. After that we’ll take a close look at several categories where the two tenses stress something different about a past action. To begin, we’ll look at habitual actions vs specific completed actions. Second, we’ll look at ongoing actions vs completed actions. Next, we’ll turn to general states in the past vs specific experiences or changes of state. Then we’ll turn to background descriptions compared to events in a story. Next, we’ll look at several common verbs that change meaning depending on which past tense they’re used in. Finally, we’ll wrap up with a note on how the same situation can be represented by either tense, depending on how the speaker wants to present it.

If you’d like to delve deeper into how to form these two tenses and the general rules for using them, check out:

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Comparing the Portuguese Simple Past and Imperfect Tenses

The distinction between the pretérito perfeito (simple past) and the pretérito imperfeito (imperfect past) is a key issue for learners of Portuguese. Both tenses describe actions and situations in the past, but they present those actions in different ways. In very broad terms:

The pretérito perfeito presents an action or situation as a completed event or as a whole.
The pretérito imperfeito describes an action or situation as habitual, ongoing, or part of the background, without emphasizing its beginning or end.

In English, we often make similar distinctions using the simple past (did, went, lived) or the past progressive (was doing, were going, was living), or by using expressions like used to or would. There often isn’t a clear correspondence that universally changes a particular English tense into a particular Portuguese tense.

Examples

For example, consider the English sentence I lived in Brazil. Depending on the context, we could translate this into Portuguese in two different ways:

Eu morava no Brasil.
I lived in Brazil. (I was living in Brazil at that time. I used to live in Brazil.)
Eu morei no Brasil.
I lived in Brazil.(At some point in the past I lived in Brazil.)

The first sentence describes a past situation without focusing on when it began or ended. The second presents the period of living in Brazil as a completed experience. Both are grammatically correct, but they express slightly different perspectives.

If you’re interested in grammatical or linguistic terminology, this is a question of verbal aspect. Verbal tense is all about time – past, present, future. Verbal aspect is about how the speaker views the action. Did it happen as a point, with a clear beginning and end? Or was it an ongoing process? Was it a one-off event, or was it a repeated habit? Did it have a specific end point that maybe led to a particular result, or was it just background activity?

Let’s explore these distinctions in more detail, beginning with the most common uses and then examining some verbs whose meanings can change depending on which past tense we use.

1. Habitual Actions vs. Specific Completed Events

First, let’s look at one of the most common uses of the imperfect. That is to describe habits, routines, or repeated actions in the past. In English, we often translate these sentences using used to or would, although the simple past is also possible.

The simple past, on the other hand, is used when we describe a particular event or a series of events as completed. Compare:

Eu tomava café todas as manhãs.
I used to drink coffee every morning.
Eu tomei café hoje de manhã.
I drank coffee this morning.

The first sentence describes a past habit. The second refers to a particular completed action.

More Pairs: Habitual vs Specific Completed

Quando eu era criança, jogava futebol todos os dias.
When I was a child, I used to play soccer every day.
Ontem joguei futebol com meus amigos.
Yesterday I played soccer with my friends.
Nós visitávamos nossos avós todos os domingos.
We used to visit our grandparents every Sunday.
Nós visitamos nossos avós no domingo passado.
We visited our grandparents last Sunday.
Ela sempre comprava pão naquela padaria.
She always bought bread at that bakery.
Ela comprou pão naquela padaria ontem.
She bought bread at that bakery yesterday.
Eu ia à academia três vezes por semana.
I used to go to the gym three times a week.
Eu fui à academia três vezes na semana passada.
I went to the gym three times last week.
Meu pai lia o jornal todas as manhãs.
My father would read the newspaper every morning.
Meu pai leu o jornal esta manhã.
My father read the newspaper this morning.

NOTE: Repeated Actions Can Also Use the Simple Past

It’s important to understand that the imperfect isn’t automatically required whenever an action happens more than once. If we describe a specific number of actions within a completed period, we normally use the simple past. For example:

Eu visitei Paris três vezes.
I visited Paris three times.
Nós fomos ao cinema quatro vezes no mês passado.
We went to the movies four times last month.
Ela me ligou várias vezes ontem.
She called me several times yesterday.

These are repeated actions, but they’re presented as a completed set of events.

Ela me ligava todos os dias.
She used to call me every day.
Ela me ligou todos os dias na semana passada.
She called me every day last week.

In the first sentence, we’re describing a habit, so we use the imperfect. In the second, we’re referring to a completed series of calls during a specific week.

The important distinction, then, isn’t simply one action vs. repeated actions. It’s a past habit or ongoing pattern vs. events viewed as completed.

2. Ongoing Actions vs. Completed Actions

Next, let’s turn to another important distinction. The imperfect is also used to describe background actions that were in progress at a particular moment in the past. In English, we often translate this meaning with was/were + -ing. If another event interrupted that background, we use the simple past.

Compare the two sentences in this pair.

Eu lia um livro quando você chegou.
I was reading a book when you arrived.
Eu li um livro ontem.
I read a book yesterday.

In the first sentence, the imperfect lia describes a background action already in progress when something else happened. The simple past chegou introduces this interrupting event. In the second sentence, li presents the reading as a completed event, so the verb is in the simple past.

More Pairs: Ongoing vs Completed Actions

Eu preparava o jantar quando o telefone tocou.
I was preparing dinner when the phone rang.
Eu preparei o jantar ontem à noite.
I prepared dinner last night.
Ela dormia quando alguém bateu à porta.
She was sleeping when someone knocked on the door.
Ela dormiu oito horas ontem.
She slept eight hours yesterday.
Nós assistíamos a um filme quando a luz acabou.
We were watching a movie when the power went out.
Nós assistimos a um filme ontem à noite.
We watched a movie last night.
As crianças brincavam no jardim quando começou a chover.
The children were playing in the garden when it started to rain.
As crianças brincaram no jardim durante duas horas.
The children played in the garden for two hours.

NOTE: The Imperfect and the Past Progressive

In Brazilian Portuguese, an ongoing past action can also be expressed with the imperfect of estar + gerund.

Eu estava lendo quando você chegou.
I was reading when you arrived.
Ela estava dormindo quando o telefone tocou.
She was sleeping when the phone rang.
Nós estávamos jantando quando começou a chover.
We were having dinner when it started to rain.

Both the simple imperfect and estava + gerund can describe an action in progress. The difference is that the progressive construction emphasizes the ongoing activity more explicitly. Compare:

Eu lia quando ela chegou.
I was reading when she arrived.
Eu estava lendo quando ela chegou.
I was reading when she arrived.

Both are correct. In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, the second construction is especially natural when emphasizing an action in progress at a particular moment.

3. General States vs. Specific Experiences or Changes of State

Now let’s take a look at a third important contrast between the Portuguese simple past and imperfect. The imperfect is frequently used to describe conditions, emotions, physical characteristics, and other states that existed in the past. The simple past, by contrast, can describe a particular experience, a completed period, or a change from one state to another. Compare:

Eu estava cansado naquela época.
I was tired during that period.
Eu fiquei cansado depois da caminhada.
I got tired after the walk.

Notice that the second sentence uses ficar, which often expresses a change of state.

More Pairs: General States or Changes of State

Ela era muito tímida quando era criança.
She was very shy when she was a child.
Ela ficou tímida quando todos começaram a olhar para ela.
She became shy when everyone started looking at her.
Nós estávamos felizes naquela época.
We were happy at that time.
Nós ficamos felizes quando recebemos a notícia.
We became happy / We were delighted when we received the news.
Eu tinha muito medo de cachorros quando era pequeno.
I was very afraid of dogs when I was little.
Eu tive muito medo quando vi aquele cachorro enorme.
I became very frightened when I saw that enormous dog.
Ela estava doente quando morava em São Paulo.
She was sick when she lived in São Paulo.
Ela esteve doente durante duas semanas.
She was sick for two weeks.

In the last pair, both sentences describe a state of being sick, but they present it differently. Estava doente describes a condition that existed at a particular time. Esteve doente presents the illness as a completed episode within a defined and completed time frame.

This illustrates an important principle: the simple past doesn’t always describe an action. It can also describe a state or condition viewed as a complete episode.

4. Background Descriptions vs. Events in a Story

Next, let’s look at a difference that is important when relating events in a story. When telling a story in Portuguese, the imperfect often provides the background, while the simple past introduces the main events. Think of the imperfect as describing the scene and the simple past as moving the story forward. For example:

Era uma noite fria. Chovia muito e o vento soprava forte. De repente, alguém bateu à porta.
It was a cold night. It was raining heavily, and the wind was blowing hard. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

Notice the different functions. The imperfect verbs era, chovia, and soprava describe the background conditions. The simple past bateu introduces a new event.

Here’s another example:

Eu caminhava pela rua quando vi um velho amigo. Ele estava sentado em um café e lia um jornal. Quando me viu, levantou-se e sorriu.
I was walking down the street when I saw an old friend.He was sitting in a café and reading a newspaper. When he saw me, he stood up and smiled.

The imperfect forms caminhava, estava, and lia establish the ongoing situation. The simple past forms vi, viu, levantou-se, sorriu describe events that advance the story.

More Examples: Background Descriptions vs Event

O sol brilhava quando saímos de casa.
The sun was shining when we left home.
As crianças brincavam quando a mãe chegou.
The children were playing when their mother arrived.
Todos conversavam quando o professor entrou.
Everyone was talking when the teacher entered.
Eu dormia profundamente quando ouvi um barulho.
I was sleeping soundly when I heard a noise.
A música tocava quando eles começaram a dançar.
The music was playing when they started dancing.

NOTE: Weather Expressions

Weather is particularly useful for illustrating the distinction. In each weather pair below, the imperfect describes the weather as an ongoing condition or background, while the simple past presents the weather event or period as a whole.

Chovia quando saí de casa.
It was raining when I left home.
Choveu muito ontem.
It rained a lot yesterday.
Fazia frio naquela manhã.
It was cold that morning.
Fez muito frio no inverno passado.
It was very cold last winter.
Nevava quando chegamos.
It was snowing when we arrived.
Nevou durante toda a noite.
It snowed all night.

5. Verbs Whose Meanings Change Depending on the Past Tense

So far, we’ve looked at differences involving habits, ongoing actions, completed events, and background descriptions. But with certain Portuguese verbs, the choice between the imperfect and simple past can produce a more noticeable change in meaning.

This is especially common with verbs that describe knowledge, desires, abilities, and states of mind. In these cases, the imperfect often describes an existing state, while the simple past may describe the moment that state began, a particular attempt, or a specific outcome.

A. SABER: To Know vs. To Find Out

The verb saber is one of the clearest examples of how the two past tenses can express different meanings. In the imperfect, sabia usually means knew. It describes knowledge that someone already possessed.

In the simple past, soube often means found out, learned, or heard about. It refers to the moment when someone acquired information.

Eu sabia a resposta.
I knew the answer.
Eu soube da resposta ontem.
I found out the answer yesterday.

Here are some more examples with the imperfect:

Eu sabia que ele morava em São Paulo.
I knew that he lived in São Paulo.
Ela sabia falar francês quando era criança.
She knew how to speak French when she was a child.
Nós não sabíamos o que fazer.
We didn’t know what to do.
Você sabia que eles eram irmãos?
Did you know that they were brothers?

Now compare them to these with the simple past:

Eu soube da notícia ontem.
I found out about the news yesterday.
Ela soube que estava grávida na semana passada.
She found out that she was pregnant last week.
Nós soubemos do acidente pela televisão.
We learned about the accident on television.
Quando você soube da verdade?
When did you find out the truth?

The distinction is also present in negative sentences:

Eu não sabia.
I didn’t know.
Eu não soube disso na época.
I didn’t find out about that at the time.

The imperfect describes a lack of knowledge. The simple past describes not acquiring the information during a particular period.

Keep in mind that this isn’t an absolute rule. The simple past of saber can sometimes mean knew, particularly in certain contexts. But find out is a very common interpretation, and it’s an important distinction for learners.

B. CONHECER: To Know or Be Familiar With vs. To Meet or Become Acquainted With

The verb conhecer behaves similarly to saber, but it’s used for knowing people, places, and things through familiarity or experience. In the imperfect, conhecia generally means knew or was familiar with.

In the simple past, conheci often means met, became acquainted with, or visited for the first time.

Eu conhecia o professor.
I knew the professor.
Eu conheci o professor ontem.
I met the professor yesterday.
Ela conhecia muito bem aquela cidade.
She knew that city very well.
Ela conheceu aquela cidade durante uma viagem.
She got to know that city during a trip.
Nós conhecíamos seus pais.
We knew your parents.
Nós conhecemos seus pais na festa.
We met your parents at the party.
Eu não conhecia esse restaurante.
I wasn’t familiar with that restaurant.
Eu conheci esse restaurante no ano passado.
I discovered that restaurant last year.

The distinction is between already having familiarity with someone or something and acquiring that familiarity through an experience.

Notice, however, that conheci doesn’t always mean meeting someone for the first time. It can also describe a completed experience of visiting or getting to know a place.

Eu conheci Portugal em 2019.
I visited Portugal for the first time in 2019.

C. QUERER: To Want vs. A Particular Desire, Decision, or Attempt

The verb querer (to want) is another important example. In the imperfect, queria describes a desire or intention that existed over a period of time.

In the simple past, quis presents the desire as a specific, bounded event. Depending on the context, it may suggest a decision, an attempt, or a particular willingness to do something.

Eu queria falar com ela.
I wanted to speak with her.
Eu quis falar com ela.
I wanted to speak with her / I tried to speak with her.
Eu queria aprender japonês quando era adolescente.
I wanted to learn Japanese when I was a teenager.
Eu quis aprender japonês depois da minha viagem ao Japão.
I wanted to learn Japanese after my trip to Japan.
Ela queria comprar uma casa.
She wanted to buy a house.
Ela quis comprar a casa quando viu o preço.
She wanted to buy the house when she saw the price.
Nós queríamos sair mais cedo.
We wanted to leave earlier.
Nós quisemos sair mais cedo, mas não conseguimos.
We wanted to leave earlier, but we couldn’t.

Notice that the simple past doesn’t automatically mean that someone acted on the desire or successfully accomplished anything. It simply presents the wanting as a bounded occurrence.

Negative QUERER: Not Wanting vs. Refusing

Now let’s look at the negative forms. Não queria (imperfect) generally describes a lack of desire. Não quis (simple past) often suggests a refusal or a decision not to do something.

Eu não queria ir à festa.
I didn’t want to go to the party.
Eu não quis ir à festa.
I didn’t want to go to the party / I refused to go.
Ela não queria falar sobre o assunto.
She didn’t want to talk about the subject.
Ela não quis falar sobre o assunto.
She refused to talk about the subject.
Meu filho não queria comer os legumes.
My son didn’t want to eat the vegetables.
Meu filho não quis comer os legumes.
My son refused to eat the vegetables.

The simple past often suggests a particular occasion on which someone declined to do something. However, the interpretation of refusal depends on context. Não quis doesn’t always imply an emphatic refusal.

D. PODER: To Be Able To vs. To Manage To

The verb poder (can, to be able to) is another important case. In the imperfect, podia describes an ability, permission, or possibility that existed in the past.

In the simple past, pude often describes an ability or opportunity on a particular occasion and may imply that the action was successfully accomplished. One common English translation in this case is managed to.

Eu podia abrir a porta.
I could open the door / I was able to open the door.
Eu pude abrir a porta.
I managed to open the door / I was able to open the door on that occasion.
Quando era jovem, eu podia correr dez quilômetros sem parar.
When I was young, I could run ten kilometers without stopping.
Ontem pude correr dez quilômetros sem parar.
Yesterday I was able to/managed to run ten kilometers without stopping.
Nós podíamos sair mais cedo naquela época.
We were allowed to leave earlier back then.
Ontem pudemos sair mais cedo.
Yesterday we were able to leave earlier.
Ela podia falar com o diretor sempre que precisava.
She could speak with the director whenever she needed to.
Ela pôde falar com o diretor ontem.
She was able to speak with the director yesterday.

Negative PODER: Inability vs. Failure to Accomplish Something

In the negative, the distinction is often particularly clear.

Eu não podia abrir a porta.
I couldn’t open the door.
Eu não pude abrir a porta.
I couldn’t manage to open the door / I wasn’t able to open the door on that occasion.

The imperfect describes a lack of ability or possibility. The simple past focuses on a particular occasion when the action could not be accomplished.

Eu não podia dirigir quando era criança.
I couldn’t drive when I was a child.
Eu não pude dirigir ontem porque estava doente.
I couldn’t drive yesterday because I was sick.
Nós não podíamos entrar sem autorização.
We weren’t allowed to enter without permission.
Nós não pudemos entrar porque a porta estava trancada.
We couldn’t get in because the door was locked.
Ela não podia pagar o aluguel com aquele salário.
She couldn’t afford the rent on that salary.
Ela não pôde pagar o aluguel no mês passado.
She didn’t manage to pay the rent last month.

The imperfect describes an ongoing limitation or inability, while the simple past describes a particular unsuccessful occasion.

E. TER: To Have vs. To Experience or Receive

The verb ter also illustrates the distinction between an ongoing state and a completed event or experience. In the imperfect, tinha commonly describes possession, age, characteristics, or conditions in the past.

In the simple past, tive often refers to a particular experience, event, or period during which something was possessed or experienced.

Eu tinha um cachorro quando era criança.
I had a dog when I was a child.
Eu tive um cachorro durante dez anos.
I had a dog for ten years.

Both describe possession, but the first presents it as background information, while the second treats the entire period as a completed experience.

Ela tinha muitos problemas naquela época.
She had many problems at that time.
Ela teve muitos problemas no ano passado.
She had many problems last year.
Eu tinha medo de altura.
I was afraid of heights.
Eu tive medo quando olhei para baixo.
I got scared when I looked down.
Nós tínhamos uma casa na praia.
We had a house at the beach.
Nós tivemos uma casa na praia durante cinco anos.
We had a house at the beach for five years.
Eu tinha uma ideia.
I had an idea.
Eu tive uma ideia!
I had/came up with an idea! / An idea occurred to me!

The last pair is particularly interesting because tive uma ideia often suggests the moment an idea occurred to someone, while tinha uma ideia describes an idea someone already had.

F. SENTIR: To Feel vs. To Experience a Feeling

The verb sentir can describe an ongoing physical or emotional state, or a particular experience of feeling something.

Eu sentia dor nas costas naquela época.
I used to have back pain at that time.
Eu senti uma dor forte nas costas ontem.
I felt a sharp pain in my back yesterday.
Ela sentia saudade da família.
She missed her family.
Ela sentiu muita saudade da família durante a viagem.
She missed her family a lot during the trip.
Eu sentia frio todas as noites.
I felt cold every night.
Eu senti frio quando saí de casa.
I felt cold when I left the house.
Nós sentíamos medo quando ouvíamos aquele barulho.
We used to feel afraid when we heard that noise.
Nós sentimos medo quando ouvimos a explosão.
We were frightened when we heard the explosion.

Again, the imperfect emphasizes an ongoing or repeated feeling, while the simple past presents a particular experience as a whole.

G. SER and ESTAR: Descriptions vs. Completed Episodes

The verbs ser and estar are extremely common in both past tenses. With ser, the imperfect era frequently describes characteristics, identities, or situations in the past.

The simple past foi often describes a completed event, experience, or period.

A festa era muito divertida.
The party was a lot of fun.
A festa foi muito divertida.
The party was a lot of fun.

These sentences may have the same English translation, but the Portuguese perspectives are different. Era describes the party as it was at some point in the past, perhaps while telling a story about it. Foi evaluates the party as a completed event.

O filme era interessante, mas eu estava cansado.
The movie was interesting, but I was tired.
O filme foi muito interessante.
The movie was very interesting.
Ele era um bom professor.
He was a good teacher.
Ele foi um bom professor durante muitos anos.
He was a good teacher for many years.

The simple past of ser, on the other hand, is extremely common when evaluating a completed experience. For example, if you’re talking about a trip, a concert, or a meeting, and presenting them as fully completed events in the past that you’re evaluating to someone else, you might say:

A viagem foi maravilhosa.
The trip was wonderful.
O show foi incrível.
The concert was amazing.
A reunião foi muito produtiva.
The meeting was very productive.

The Same Situation, Two Different Perspectives: Choosing between the Portuguese Simple Past and Imperfect

One of the most useful things to understand about these tenses is that they don’t necessarily describe different events. Sometimes, the very same situation can be described using either tense, depending on what the speaker wants to emphasize. Take these examples:

Eu morava em São Paulo quando conheci minha esposa.
I was living in São Paulo when I met my wife.
Eu morei em São Paulo durante cinco anos.
I lived in São Paulo for five years.

In the first sentence, living in São Paulo provides the background for another event. In the second, the five-year period is presented as a completed experience.

Eu trabalhava naquela empresa quando começou a pandemia.
I was working at that company when the pandemic began.
Eu trabalhei naquela empresa de 2015 a 2020.
I worked at that company from 2015 to 2020.
Ela estudava medicina quando nos conhecemos.
She was studying medicine when we met.
Ela estudou medicina na universidade.
She studied medicine at university.

Both tenses are perfectly natural. The choice depends on whether the speaker is describing a situation in progress or presenting the period of the action as a completed experience.

Time Expressions Don’t Always Determine the Tense

Certain time expressions often appear with one tense or the other.

For example, the imperfect is common with:

sempre — always
geralmente — usually
todos os dias — every day
naquela época — at that time
quando eu era criança — when I was a child

The simple past is common with:

ontem — yesterday
na semana passada — last week
no ano passado — last year
uma vez — once
de repente — suddenly

However, these expressions are clues, not absolute rules.

For example:

Ontem, eu estava muito cansado.
Yesterday, I was very tired.
Na semana passada, chovia todos os dias.
Last week, it was raining every day.
Eu sempre gostei de música clássica.
I’ve always liked classical music.

All three are natural, even though their time expressions might seem to suggest a different tense. The important thing is not simply when something happened, but how the speaker chooses to present it.

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