A2 · Grundkenntnisse Kapitel 7

Describing the Past & Looking Ahead

8 Gesamtregeln
82 Beispiele
7 Min.
Regeln in diesem Kapitel Schnelle Übung

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of storytelling by connecting your past memories with your future ambitions.

  • Conjugate verbs in the Imperfect tense to describe habits.
  • Identify the difference between finished past actions and ongoing descriptions.
  • Formulate future plans using the Future do Presente tense.
From yesterday's memories to tomorrow's dreams.

Was du lernen wirst

You've already got the Portuguese basics down and you're getting comfortable – now it's time to level up and speak with even more confidence! In this chapter, we're going on an exciting journey through the past and into the future. First, we'll dive into the past, but not just single, finished events. You'll learn how to talk about your old habits, like

When I was a kid, I used to play every day,
or
The weather was always good.
This part is perfect for when you want to tell a story, describe a scene, or explain what something was like previously (such as
He was a kind person
or
We had a lot of fun back then
). We'll master verbs like 'ser' (was/used to be), 'fazer' (used to do/was), and 'ver' (used to see) in the Imperfect tense, so you can paint vivid pictures of the past for your listeners. For example, when your friend talks about their last vacation, you'll be able to add details like,
We used to walk by the sea every day and drink coffee in the evenings.
After we've explored the past thoroughly, we'll hop into a time machine and head to the future! Here, you'll learn how to confidently discuss your upcoming plans. Think
I will go shopping tomorrow
or
We will visit Portugal next year.
This section will be incredibly useful when you need to explain work schedules, chat about your travel arrangements, or even make a promise to someone. You'll comfortably be able to say,
I will definitely come,
or
We will be there next year.
By the end of this chapter, you'll be able to bring past memories to life, explain your old habits, and talk about future plans and events with complete assurance. Ready? Let's go!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Describe your childhood habits using the Imperfect tense.

Kapitel-Leitfaden

Overview

Welcome to "Describing the Past & Looking Ahead," your next step in mastering Portuguese grammar at the A2 CEFR level! You've already built a solid foundation, and now it’s time to expand your expressive capabilities significantly. This chapter is designed to help you narrate past events with vivid detail and confidently articulate your future plans, making your Portuguese conversations much richer and more engaging.
We'll start by delving into the Portuguese Imperfect Tense, a crucial tool for talking about past habits, ongoing situations, and descriptions. Imagine being able to share stories like
When I was a child, I used to visit my grandparents every summer
or
The beach was always beautiful.
This tense allows you to paint a picture of the past, explaining what things *were like* rather than just what *happened*. You'll master verbs like ser (to be), fazer (to do/make), and ver (to see) in their imperfect forms, unlocking a new level of storytelling.
After mastering the past, we'll fast-forward to the future. This section will equip you with the Portuguese Simple Future Tense, enabling you to discuss your upcoming plans, commitments, and predictions with clarity. Whether you're planning a trip, scheduling a meeting, or simply talking about what you'll do tomorrow, this tense will ensure you communicate effectively.
By the end of this chapter, you’ll be able to reminisce about old times and confidently map out your future in Portuguese. Let's get started!

How This Grammar Works

This chapter introduces two powerful verb tenses: the Imperfect Tense for the past and the Simple Future for what's to come. The Imperfect Tense in Portuguese is used for actions that were habitual, ongoing, or descriptive in the past. Think used to or was/were -ing.
For Past Habits & Storytelling: The Imperfect Tense, regular -ar verbs take endings like -ava, -avas, -ava, -ávamos, -áveis, -avam. For example, falar (to speak) becomes Eu falava (I used to speak). Regular -er & -ir Verbs follow a similar pattern with endings like -ia, -ias, -ia, -íamos, -íeis, -iam.
So, comer (to eat) becomes Eu comia (I used to eat), and partir (to leave) becomes Eu partia (I used to leave).
Specific verbs: For Past Descriptions: Using 'Ser' (Era), the verb ser is highly irregular: Eu era, tu eras, ele/ela era, nós éramos, vós éreis, eles/elas eram. Example: Ele era muito amigável (He used to be very friendly / He was very friendly). For Past Habits & Weather: 'Fazer' in Imperfect, fazer becomes fazia: Fazia muito sol no verão (It used to be very sunny in the summer).
For Portuguese Past Tense: Using 'Ver' for Habits & Descriptions, ver becomes via: Nós víamos os pássaros todos os dias (We used to see the birds every day). Finally, for Portuguese Past Tense: When to use 'podia' (Imperfect), poder becomes podia: Eu podia correr rápido quando era criança (I could run fast when I was a child).
Moving to the future, the Portuguese Simple Future (Futuro do Presente) is used for definite plans and predictions. It’s formed by adding specific endings to the infinitive of the verb. For Regular -ar Verbs, -er Verbs, and -ir Verbs, the endings are the same for all conjugations: -ei, -ás, -á, -emos, -eis, -ão.
For example, falar becomes Eu falarei (I will speak), comer becomes Eu comerei (I will eat), and partir becomes Eu partirei (I will leave). This straightforward conjugation makes expressing future plans incredibly simple!

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Wrong:
    Ontem, eu fui para a praia e o sol estava brilhante.
    (Yesterday, I went to the beach and the sun was shining bright.)
✓ Correct:
Ontem, eu fui para a praia e o sol estava brilhante.
(Yesterday, I went to the beach and the sun was shining bright.)
*Explanation:* While the English translation might sound similar, the first sentence implies the sun *shone* brightly as a single completed action (which would be 'brilhou' in Portuguese), rather than describing the continuous state of the sun *being* bright. The Imperfect Tense (estava) is correctly used here to describe a condition or ongoing state in the past, not a single event.
  1. 1✗ Wrong:
    Amanhã, eu vou comer um bolo.
    (Tomorrow, I go eat a cake.)
✓ Correct:
Amanhã, eu comerei um bolo.
(Tomorrow, I will eat a cake.)
*Explanation:* While ir + infinitive (ir comer) is very common in spoken Portuguese for the future (similar to going to eat), the chapter specifically focuses on the Simple Future (comerei). Using the Simple Future is grammatically precise and often preferred in more formal contexts or when emphasizing a definite commitment.
  1. 1✗ Wrong:
    Quando eu era criança, eu jogava futebol só uma vez.
    (When I was a child, I played soccer only once.)
✓ Correct:
Quando eu era criança, eu jogava futebol.
(When I was a child, I used to play soccer.)
*Explanation:* The Imperfect Tense (jogava) is used for *habitual* actions in the past (used to play). If you played soccer only *once*, you would use the Pretérito Perfeito (joguei), as it refers to a single, completed action in the past. The original sentence incorrectly mixes a habitual tense with a singular event.

Real Conversations

A

A

Quando eras criança, o que fazias nos verões? (When you were a child, what did you use to do in the summers?)
B

B

Ah, eu sempre ia para a casa da minha avó. Nós nadávamos no rio e comíamos muitas frutas. (Oh, I always used to go to my grandmother's house. We used to swim in the river and eat a lot of fruit.)
A

A

O que farás no próximo fim de semana? (What will you do next weekend?)
B

B

Eu visitarei uns amigos em Lisboa e talvez farei um passeio de barco. (I will visit some friends in Lisbon and maybe I will take a boat trip.)
A

A

Como era a tua escola primária? (What was your primary school like?)
B

B

Era pequena, mas os professores eram muito dedicados. Nós tínhamos aulas ao ar livre frequentemente. (It was small, but the teachers were very dedicated. We used to have outdoor classes frequently.)

Quick FAQ

Q

How do I know when to use the Imperfect Tense versus another past tense in Portuguese?

The Imperfect Tense (e.g., eu falava) is primarily for past habits, ongoing actions, descriptions of states, or background information. If you're talking about a single, completed action, you'll likely need the Pretérito Perfeito (e.g., eu falei), which is not covered in detail here but is good to be aware of.

Q

Are there many irregular verbs in the Portuguese Simple Future?

No, the Simple Future is quite regular! The endings (-ei, -ás, -á, -emos, -eis, -ão) are generally added directly to the infinitive form of most verbs. Some common irregulars like fazer (farei), dizer (direi), and trazer (trarei) exist, but they are few compared to other tenses.

Q

Can I use ir + infinitive for future plans instead of the Simple Future?

Yes, absolutely! In everyday spoken Portuguese, especially in Brazil, ir + infinitive (Eu vou comer - I am going to eat) is extremely common and often preferred for expressing future actions. The Simple Future (Eu comerei - I will eat) gives a slightly more formal tone or emphasizes certainty.

Cultural Context

Portuguese speakers love to tell stories, and the Imperfect Tense is their best friend for painting vivid pictures of the past. It allows for a rich tapestry of descriptions and habits, making conversations about childhood, old routines, or historical events feel very natural and engaging. When discussing the future, the Simple Future is often used for more definite plans or predictions, especially in formal contexts or when making clear commitments.
In casual conversation, particularly in Brazil, the ir + infinitive construction is very prevalent for the future, but mastering the Simple Future will give you a more complete understanding and allow you to express yourself with greater precision and elegance.

Wichtige Beispiele (8)

1

Eu viajava muito antes da faculdade.

Ich bin vor dem Studium viel gereist.

Vergangene Gewohnheiten & Erzählen: Das Imperfeito (-ar Verben)
2

Nós morávamos em São Paulo nessa época.

Wir wohnten damals in São Paulo.

Vergangene Gewohnheiten & Erzählen: Das Imperfeito (-ar Verben)
3

Eu vivia em São Paulo naquela época.

Ich habe damals in São Paulo gelebt.

Vergangene Gewohnheiten: Portugiesisches Imperfekt (-er & -ir Verben)
4

Nós não entendíamos a lição, então pedimos ajuda.

Wir haben die Lektion nicht verstanden, also baten wir um Hilfe.

Vergangene Gewohnheiten: Portugiesisches Imperfekt (-er & -ir Verben)
5

Eu era viciado nessa série.

Ich war süchtig nach dieser Serie.

Vergangene Beschreibungen: Verwendung von 'Ser' (Era)
6

Nós éramos tão jovens e nem sabíamos.

Wir waren so jung und wussten es gar nicht.

Vergangene Beschreibungen: Verwendung von 'Ser' (Era)
7

Antigamente, eu fazia vídeos para o YouTube.

Früher habe ich Videos für YouTube gemacht.

Gewohnheiten & Wetter: 'Fazer' im Imperfekt
8

Fazia muito calor naquele dia.

Es war sehr heiß an jenem Tag.

Gewohnheiten & Wetter: 'Fazer' im Imperfekt

Tipps & Tricks (4)

🎯

Der „Used To“-Trick

Wenn du im Englischen „used to“ vor das Verb setzen kannst und es Sinn ergibt, brauchst du im Portugiesischen definitiv das Imperfekt. Eu jogava bola. (Ich habe früher Ball gespielt).
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Vergangene Gewohnheiten & Erzählen: Das Imperfeito (-ar Verben)
💡

Achte auf Signalwörter

Wörter wie sempre (immer) oder antigamente (früher) verraten dir sofort, dass du das Imperfeito brauchst:
Antigamente eu vivia em Lisboa.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Vergangene Gewohnheiten: Portugiesisches Imperfekt (-er & -ir Verben)
💡

Denk an 'Früher war ich...'

Wenn du im Deutschen 'war' im Sinne von 'früher immer' oder 'damals' benutzt, nimmst du fast immer 'era'. Beispiel:
Eu era muito tímido na escola.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Vergangene Beschreibungen: Verwendung von 'Ser' (Era)
💡

Die 'Früher'-Regel

Wenn du im Deutschen 'pflegte zu tun' oder 'machte früher immer' sagen könntest, brauchst du im Portugiesischen fast sicher fazia. Ein Beispiel:
Eu fazia natação aos sábados.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Gewohnheiten & Wetter: 'Fazer' im Imperfekt

Wichtige Vokabeln (5)

antigamente in the past/formerly sempre always amanhã tomorrow próximo next frequentemente frequently

Real-World Preview

coffee

Discussing Childhood

Review Summary

  • Stem + -ava, -avas, -ava, -ávamos, -avam

Häufige Fehler

Use the imperfect for habits, not the preterite.

Wrong: Eu andei muito quando criança.
Richtig: Eu andava muito quando criança.

While 'vou comer' is acceptable, use the synthetic future for formal clarity.

Wrong: Eu vou comer amanhã.
Richtig: Eu comerei amanhã.

Don't mix 'ser' with other verbs for habits.

Wrong: Ele era ir ao parque.
Richtig: Ele ia ao parque.

Regeln in diesem Kapitel (8)

1

Vergangene Gewohnheiten & Erzählen: Das Imperfeito (-ar Verben)

A2
Du benutzt die Imperfekt-Endungen „-AVA“ für Vergangenheitsgewohnheiten, andauernde Aktionen und um eine Szene zu beschreiben – nicht für einzelne, abgeschlossene Ereignisse.
Eu viajava muito antes da faculdade.
10 Beispiele
2

Vergangene Gewohnheiten: Portugiesisches Imperfekt (-er & -ir Verben)

A2
Das Imperfeito ist dein Werkzeug für Hintergrundmalerei in der Vergangenheit – perfekt für Gewohnheiten, Zustände und Beschreibungen.
Eu vivia em São Paulo naquela época.
11 Beispiele
3

Vergangene Beschreibungen: Verwendung von 'Ser' (Era)

A2
Nutze das Imperfeito von 'ser', um zu beschreiben, wie Leute, Dinge oder Zeiten früher waren. Deine Werkzeuge sind era, éramos und eram.
Eu era viciado nessa série.
10 Beispiele
4

Gewohnheiten & Wetter: 'Fazer' im Imperfekt

A2
Nimm fazia für Gewohnheiten, das Wetter oder um eine Szene in der Vergangenheit zu beschreiben – es ist dein Werkzeug für früher immer. Merke dir besonders: fazia, fazíamos und faziam.
Antigamente, eu fazia vídeos para o YouTube.
10 Beispiele
5

Portugiesische Vergangenheit: 'Ver' für Gewohnheiten & Beschreibungen (via, viam)

A2
Nutze den Stamm vi-, um über Gewohnheiten oder Dinge zu sprechen, die du früher oft gesehen hast: via und viam.
Eu via todos os episódios de Friends na Netflix.
11 Beispiele
6

Portugiesische Vergangenheit: Wann man 'podia' benutzt (Imperfekt)

A2
Nutze podia für
frühere Fähigkeiten
, alte Regeln oder um eine höfliche Bitte im Hier und Jetzt zu stellen.
Antes, eu podia comer uma pizza inteira sozinho.
10 Beispiele
7

Portugiesisches Futur I: Regelmäßige -ar Verben

A2
Klebe die Zukunfts-Endungen direkt an das ganze Verb, um formell, professionell und sicher zu klingen: falarei viajará estudaremos.
Eu viajarei para Portugal no próximo ano.
10 Beispiele
8

Portugiesisches Futur I: Regelmäßige -er & -ir Verben

A2
Für die Zukunft hängst du einfach -ei, «-ás», «-á», -emos oder «-ão» direkt an das Verb im Infinitiv.
Eu comerei todo o bolo sozinha!
10 Beispiele

Next Steps

You have mastered the timeline! Keep practicing these verb conjugations daily.

Write a 5-sentence story about your last vacation.

Continue to: Commands, Diminutives & Daily Expressions

Schnelle Übung (10)

Fülle die Lücke mit der korrekten Imperfekt-Form aus.

Quando eu era criança, eu ___ (brincar) na rua.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: brincava
Da „Als ich ein Kind war“ sich auf eine Zeitperiode/Gewohnheit in der Vergangenheit bezieht, verwenden wir das Imperfekt „brincava“.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Vergangene Gewohnheiten & Erzählen: Das Imperfeito (-ar Verben)

Welcher Satz beschreibt das Wetter in der Vergangenheit?

Wähle die richtige Option:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Fazia sol quando saí de casa.
'Fazia sol' beschreibt die Situation (es war sonnig). 'Fez sol' fasst eher den ganzen Tag zusammen, 'Fiz sol' ergibt keinen Sinn.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Gewohnheiten & Wetter: 'Fazer' im Imperfekt

Wähle das passende Pronomen zum Verb.

___ podíamos viajar mais se tivéssemos dinheiro.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nós
Die Endung '-íamos' gehört immer fest zu 'Nós'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Portugiesische Vergangenheit: Wann man 'podia' benutzt (Imperfekt)

Finde den Fehler im Kontext.

Find and fix the mistake:

Welcher Satz sagt korrekt: 'Gestern konnte ich nicht ins Fitnessstudio gehen'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ontem eu não pude ir para a academia.
Für ein abgeschlossenes, einmaliges Ereignis (gestern) musst du 'pude' nehmen, nicht 'podia'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Portugiesische Vergangenheit: Wann man 'podia' benutzt (Imperfekt)

Fülle die Lücke mit der richtigen Form von 'fazer' für eine Gewohnheit aus der Kindheit.

Quando eu era criança, eu ___ muitos desenhos. (Ich malte früher viel)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: fazia
Wir nutzen 'fazia' (Imperfeito), weil es sich um eine Gewohnheit in der Kindheit handelt, nicht um ein einmaliges Ereignis.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Gewohnheiten & Wetter: 'Fazer' im Imperfekt

Fülle die Lücke mit der richtigen Futur-Form von 'comer'.

Amanhã, eu ___ sushi no jantar.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: comerei
Um das Futur für 'eu' zu bilden, nimmst du den Infinitiv 'comer' und hängst '-ei' dran.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Portugiesisches Futur I: Regelmäßige -er & -ir Verben

Finde den Fehler

Find and fix the mistake:

Nós eramos muito amigos na faculdade.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nós éramos muito amigos na faculdade.
Du brauchst den Akzent auf 'éramos'. Ohne ihn ist die Aussprache falsch.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Vergangene Beschreibungen: Verwendung von 'Ser' (Era)

Welcher Satz ist korrekt im Futur konjugiert?

Wähle die richtige Vorhersage über eine Lieferung:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: O entregador chegará em 10 minutos.
'Chegará' ist die Futur-Form von 'chegar' für die 3. Person Singular (der Lieferant).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Portugiesisches Futur I: Regelmäßige -er & -ir Verben

Wähle den richtigen Satz aus.

Welcher Satz beschreibt eine Gewohnheit in der Vergangenheit korrekt?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Antigamente, nós assistíamos filmes todos os sábados.
'Antigamente' (früher) und 'todos os sábados' (jeden Samstag) verlangen nach dem Imperfeito ('assistíamos').

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Vergangene Gewohnheiten: Portugiesisches Imperfekt (-er & -ir Verben)

Finde den Akzentfehler.

Find and fix the mistake:

Nós andavamos de bicicleta no parque.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nós andávamos de bicicleta no parque.
Die „nós“-Form im Imperfekt erfordert IMMER einen Akutakzent auf der vorletzten Silbe: „-ávamos“.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Vergangene Gewohnheiten & Erzählen: Das Imperfeito (-ar Verben)

Score: /10

Häufige Fragen (6)

„Falei“ ist das Präteritum: Ich sprach (einmal, fertig). „Falava“ ist das Imperfekt: Ich sprach (Gewohnheit) oder ich sprach gerade (andauernd). Stell dir „Falei“ wie einen Punkt auf einer Zeitachse vor und „Falava“ wie eine Linie. Zum Beispiel:
Eu falei com ele ontem
(Ich habe gestern mit ihm gesprochen) vs.
Eu sempre falava com ele
(Ich habe immer mit ihm gesprochen).
Fast immer. „I was walking“ wird zu „Eu caminhava“. Du kannst auch die Verlaufsform „Eu estava caminhando“ verwenden, aber das einfache Imperfekt „caminhava“ ist sehr gebräuchlich und natürlich.
Das Imperfeito ist für laufende oder gewohnheitsmäßige Aktionen ohne klares Ende (Ich aß gerade,
Ich aß früher immer
). Das Pretérito ist für abgeschlossene Taten zu einem Punkt (Ich aß gestern).
Ja, bei regelmäßigen Verben sind sie genau gleich. Zum Beispiel nutzen eu vendia (von vender) und eu abria (von abrir) beide die Endung -ia.
Meistens nicht. Für Orte nutzt man estar (estava).
Eu estava em casa ontem.
Nutze era für Beschreibungen, nicht für Standorte.
Foi ist für abgeschlossene Events (Foto). Era ist für Zustände oder Gewohnheiten (Video).
A viagem foi muito legal.
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