O IMPERFEITO the imperfect

The imperfect is used to describe what was happening in the past or what used to happen in the past. Only four verbs have irregular forms (see below). All other verbs follow the model:

	falAR	comER	abrIR
Eu	falAVA	comIA	abrIA
Você	falAVA	comIA	AbrIA
Ele / Ela	falAVA	comIA	AbrIA
Nós	falÁVAMOS	comÍAMOS	AbrÍAMOS
Vocês	falAVAM	comIAM	AbrIAM
Eles / Elas	falAVAM	comIAM	AbrIAM

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NOTE: verbs in -ER and in -IR have the same endings throughout.

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IMPERFECT or PRETERITE?

You have already studied the preterite, which is a tense used to talk about the past. Now you are studying another tense used to refer to the past. Thus, what is the difference between them?

In general terms:

The PRETERITE, or the past definite, refers to an action completed in the past.

Ex.: Ontem, eu fui ao cinema. ('I went to the movies yesterday.')

The IMPERFECT describes something that was happening or used to happen in the past.

Ex.: Eu COMIA muitas frutas tropicais quando eu MORAVA no Brasil.

('I USED TO eat lots of tropical fruit when I LIVED in Brazil.')

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USE THE IMPERFECT for:

1) habitual actions in the past (equivalent to English "used to," "would," or simple past tense of the verb)

Ex: Quando eu ERA pequena, eu ANDAVA de bicicleta todo dia.

('When I WAS little, I USED TO ride a bike every day.')

2) events that were going on in the past but not completed

Ex.: Ela ESTUDAVA enquanto ele VIA TV.

('She WAS READING while he WAS WATCHING TV,' or 'She READ while he WATCHED TV.')

3) events which were going on in the past when other events happened (in this case it is often used with the Preterite)

Ex.: Patricia JANTAVA quando Ana chegou.

('Patricia WAS HAVING DINNER when Ana arrived.')

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IMPERFECT of verb IR

Do you remember that verbs have a stem and an ending (-AR, -ER, or -IR)?

The funny thing about verb IR is that it has no stem; just endings. Thus, its imperfect consists of just the endings used to make the imperfect of verbs in -IR.

Eu IA, você IA, ele/ela IA, nós ÍAMOS, vocês IAM, eles/elas IAM.

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IMPERFECT of verbs SER, VIR, PÔR, and TER

These are the only irregular verbs in the imperfect:

	SER	VIR	PÔR	TER
Eu	era	vinha	punha	tinha
Você	era	vinha	punha	tinha
Ele / Ela	era	vinha	punha	tinha
Nós	éramos	vínhamos	púnhamos	tínhamos
Vocês	eram	vinham	punham	tinham
Eles / Elas	eram	vinham	punham	tinham

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SPECIAL USE of IMPERFECT: to make REQUESTS

The imperfect of verb querer, QUERIA, is used informally instead of the conditional to express a desire or make a request.

You may say at the grocery store:

Eu queria dois mamãos. ('I wanted two papayas,' meaning 'I would like two papayas.')

You may say to your friend:

Eu queria ir para o cinema hoje a noite. ('I'd like to go to the movies tonight.')

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