Pretérito Perfeito vs. Pretérito Imperfeito: How to Talk About the Past in Portuguese

If you’ve been learning Portuguese for a while, you’ve probably asked yourself: why are there two different ways to talk about the past?

The Pretérito Perfeito and the Pretérito Imperfeito both describe past actions, but they’re not the same. Sometimes choosing the wrong one just sounds a little strange, but other times it changes the meaning completely.

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Pretérito Perfeito: Things That Are Finished

Use the Pretérito Perfeito for actions that are done. Meaning: with a clear beginning and end.

• Ontem comi pizza.
  (Yesterday I ate pizza.)

  
  

• No sábado fomos ao cinema.
  (On Saturday we went to the movies.)

  
  

• Trabalhei em Madrid durante dois anos.
  (I worked in Madrid for two years. — it’s over now.)

Think of it as the “done and finished” tense.

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Pretérito Imperfeito: Things in Progress or Habits

Use the Pretérito Imperfeito to talk about things that were in progress, happening often, or simply to describe how things were in the past.

• Quando era criança, brincava na rua todos os dias.
  (When I was a child, I used to play on the street every day.)

  
  

• Estava a chover quando saí de casa.
  (It was raining when I left home.)

  
  

• Ele morava em Lisboa naquela época.
  (He was living in Lisbon at that time.)

Think of it as the “background and habits” tense.

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Why This Feels Tricky

• English speakers only have one simple past: I lived. In Portuguese you must choose: morei (finished) or morava (ongoing).
• Spanish speakers already know this difference, but the way it works in Portuguese is not always the same, which can cause confusion.
• Native speakers use both all the time, often in the same story. That’s why this is one of the hardest but most important steps at A2.

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When They Work Together

👉 Eu lia um livro quando o telefone tocou.
(I was reading a book when the phone rang.)

• lia → Imperfeito (the ongoing background action).
• tocou → Perfeito (the event that interrupted).

This combination shows up constantly in Portuguese storytelling: the Imperfeito sets the scene, and the Perfeito marks the events.

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Quick Self-Test

Try to pick the right tense:

1. Ontem eu ______ (fui/ia) ao supermercado.
2. Quando era criança, sempre ______ (brinquei/brincava) com os meus primos.
3. Ele ______ (trabalhou/trabalhava) na empresa durante 10 anos.
4. Nós ______ (jantámos/jantávamos) juntos todos os domingos.
5. Enquanto ela ______ (cozinhou/cozinhava), eu arrumei a sala.

(Answers: 1 = fui, 2 = brincava, 3 = trabalhou, 4 = jantávamos, 5 = cozinhava/arrumei.)

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How to Practice

• Tell short stories: Describe your day as a list of finished events (acordei, tomei café, fui trabalhar).
• Add descriptions: Use Imperfeito to paint the background (Estava sol, fazia calor, as crianças brincavam… e de repente…).
• Listen for patterns: When you watch Portuguese series or podcasts, pay attention to -ava and -ei/-ou. You’ll start to notice the difference.

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Want to Get Confident With This?

This is one of the core topics at A2 level, and one we’ll practice step by step in my upcoming A2 Live Intensive Course.

You’ll get:

• 4 weeks of live Zoom classes (with recordings).
• Clear explanations and real speaking practice.
• Feedback from me, a native European Portuguese tutor.
• A group of learners at the same level as you.

👉 See all the details and join here.

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Learning Portuguese is full of puzzles like this; but once you get them, you’ll see how the language really comes alive. This past tense difference is one of the biggest leaps from beginner to confident speaker.

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