Simple Past - What Happened
The tense for completed actions
"Ontem foi louco!" (Yesterday was crazy!) Every story starts with the past. In Portuguese, we use the simple past for things that happened and ended. "Ele chegou, pediu, bebeu, pagou, saiu." Done, finished, complete. That's simple past.
Essential Past Forms (15)
Foi
Was/Went
↻
Pronunciation: foy
Ontem foi bom
Teve
Had/There was
↻
Pronunciation: TEH-vee
Teve um problema
Fez
Did/Made
↻
Pronunciation: fehz
Ele fez isso
Falou
Spoke/Said
↻
Pronunciation: fah-LOH
Ela falou comigo
Chegou
Arrived
↻
Pronunciation: sheh-GOH
Já chegou
Saiu
Left
↻
Pronunciation: sah-EE-oo
Ele saiu cedo
Comeu
Ate
↻
Pronunciation: koh-MEH-oo
Comeu tudo
Bebeu
Drank
↻
Pronunciation: beh-BEH-oo
Bebeu demais
Viu
Saw
↻
Pronunciation: vee-oo
Você viu?
Disse
Said
↻
Pronunciation: JEE-see
Ele disse não
Aconteceu
Happened
↻
ah-kohn-teh-SEH-oo
O que aconteceu?
Pediu
Asked for/Ordered
↻
Pronunciation: peh-JEE-oo
Pediu uma cerveja
Pagou
Paid
↻
Pronunciation: pah-GOH
Quem pagou?
Ficou
Stayed/Became
↻
Pronunciation: fee-KOH
Ficou bom
Voltou
Returned
↻
Pronunciation: vohl-TOH
Ele voltou tarde
Past Tense Patterns
-AR verbs: falou, chegou, pagou (add -ou)
-ER verbs: comeu, bebeu, vendeu (add -eu)
-IR verbs: saiu, partiu, dormiu (add -iu)
Story tip: Chain them! "Chegou, pediu, bebeu, pagou, saiu."
Imperfect - Setting the Scene
Background and ongoing past actions
"Estava chovendo, o bar estava cheio..." The imperfect sets the scene. It's what was happening, the background of your story. "Eu sempre ia lá" - I always used to go there. Habits, descriptions, ongoing past - that's imperfect.
Imperfect Forms (12)
Estava
Was (state)
↻
Pronunciation: esh-TAH-vah
Estava cansado
Era
Was (characteristic)
↻
Pronunciation: EH-rah
Era bonito
Tinha
Had/Used to have
↻
Pronunciation: TEEN-yah
Tinha muita gente
Falava
Used to speak
↻
Pronunciation: fah-LAH-vah
Sempre falava
Ia
Used to go
↻
Pronunciation: EE-ah
Sempre ia lá
Vinha
Used to come
↻
Pronunciation: VEEN-yah
Ele vinha sempre
Bebia
Was drinking
↻
Pronunciation: beh-BEE-ah
Bebia muito
Morava
Used to live
↻
Pronunciation: moh-RAH-vah
Morava aqui
Trabalhava
Used to work
↻
trah-bah-LYAH-vah
Trabalhava lá
Gostava
Used to like
↻
Pronunciation: gohs-TAH-vah
Eu gostava
Queria
Wanted/Would like
↻
Pronunciation: keh-REE-ah
Ele queria sair
Sabia
Knew
↻
Pronunciation: sah-BEE-ah
Não sabia
Imperfect vs Simple Past:
Simple past = snapshot (chegou - arrived). Imperfect = video (estava chegando - was arriving). Use imperfect for scene-setting, simple past for plot points.
Present Continuous - Right Now
What's happening as we speak
"Tá vendo aquele cara? Está bebendo desde meio-dia." Present continuous is the action movie of Portuguese - it's happening NOW. "Estou fazendo" (I'm doing), "está acontecendo" (it's happening). Live commentary needs this tense.
Continuous Forms (12)
Estou fazendo
I'm doing
↻
esh-TOH fah-ZEN-doo
Right now
Está falando
Is speaking
↻
esh-TAH fah-LAHN-doo
Currently
Estamos indo
We're going
↻
esh-TAH-moosh EEN-doo
In progress
Tô trabalhando
I'm working
↻
toh trah-bah-LYAHN-doo
Casual form
Tá chovendo
It's raining
↻
tah shoh-VEN-doo
Weather now
Está esperando
Is waiting
↻
esh-TAH esh-peh-RAHN-doo
Right now
Estou pensando
I'm thinking
↻
esh-TOH pen-SAHN-doo
Mental action
Está acontecendo
It's happening
↻
ah-kohn-teh-SEN-doo
Unfolding now
Estou aprendendo
I'm learning
↻
ah-pren-DEN-doo
Ongoing process
Tá entendendo?
Are you understanding?
↻
tah en-ten-DEN-doo
Check comprehension
Estão chegando
They're arriving
↻
esh-TÃW sheh-GAHN-doo
Imminent
Tô saindo
I'm leaving
↻
toh sah-EEN-doo
Right now
Casual Continuous
Formal: Estou fazendo (I'm doing)
Casual: Tô fazendo (same meaning)
Question: Tá fazendo o quê? (What are you doing?)
At the beach bar, everyone uses "tô" and "tá" - it's friendlier.
Perfect Tenses - Connection to Now
Actions affecting the present
"Já tomou caipirinha?" (Have you already had a caipirinha?) Perfect tense connects past to now. "Tenho visto" (I have seen), "já fiz" (I've already done). It's the bridge between what happened and what matters now.
Perfect Forms (12)
Já fiz
I've already done
↻
zhah feez
Completed
Já foi
Already went/was
↻
zhah foy
Past experience
Nunca vi
I've never seen
↻
NOON-kah vee
No experience
Sempre quis
Always wanted
↻
SEM-pree keesh
Long desire
Ainda não
Not yet
↻
ah-EEN-dah nãw
Pending
Acabei de
I just (did)
↻
ah-kah-BAY jee
Very recent
Tenho feito
I have been doing
↻
TEN-yoo FAY-too
Ongoing habit
Tem sido
Has been
↻
tayn SEE-doo
Recent state
Já esteve?
Have you been?
↻
zhah esh-TEH-vee
Experience question
Já tomou?
Have you had/taken?
↻
zhah toh-MOH
Common question
Já conhece?
Do you already know?
↻
zhah kohn-YEH-see
Familiar check
Quantas vezes?
How many times?
↻
KWAN-tahsh VEH-zesh
Frequency
Conversation Fillers - Sound Natural
The glue that holds stories together
"Então, tipo assim, né?" These little words make you sound Brazilian. They buy thinking time, soften statements, connect ideas. Every story needs "então" (so), "né" (right?), "tipo" (like). Master these and your Portuguese flows.
Essential Fillers (15)
Né?
Right?/Isn't it?
↻
Pronunciation: neh
Tag question
Então
So/Then
↻
Pronunciation: en-TÃW
Story connector
Tipo
Like/Kind of
↻
Pronunciation: CHEE-poo
Softener
Assim
Like this/So
↻
Pronunciation: ah-SEEN
Explanation aid
Sabe?
You know?
↻
Pronunciation: SAH-bee
Engagement
Olha
Look/Listen
↻
Pronunciation: OH-lyah
Attention getter
Cara
Dude/Man
↻
Pronunciation: KAH-rah
Casual address
Nossa
Wow/Geez
↻
Pronunciation: NOH-sah
Surprise
Pois é
Yeah/Exactly
↻
Pronunciation: poysh eh
Agreement
Sei lá
I don't know
↻
Pronunciation: say lah
Uncertainty
Ah é?
Oh really?
↻
Pronunciation: ah eh
Interest
Tá ligado?
You know?/Get it?
↻
tah lee-GAH-doo
Understanding check
Mano
Bro
↻
Pronunciation: MAH-noo
Very casual
Beleza
Cool/Alright
↻
beh-LEH-zah
Agreement
Valeu
Thanks/Got it
↻
vah-LEH-oo
Acknowledgment
Natural Flow:
Start sentences with "Então," end questions with "né?", use "tipo" when explaining. These fillers give you thinking time and make your Portuguese sound authentic, not textbook.
Complete Story Phrases
Put all tenses together
Now let's mix everything. Real stories jump between tenses naturally. "Ontem estava na praia" (yesterday I was at the beach) - imperfect. "Quando chegou um cara" (when a guy arrived) - simple past. "E agora ele está voltando" (and now he's coming back) - continuous. That's how we tell stories!
Story Building Phrases
Você não vai acreditar...
You won't believe...
↻
Story opener
Hook attention
Estava eu lá quando...
There I was when...
↻
Scene setting
Classic start
De repente
Suddenly
↻
Plot twist
Drama builder
Aí que aconteceu
That's when it happened
↻
Climax intro
Key moment
No final das contas
In the end
↻
Conclusion
Wrap up
Foi assim que...
That's how...
↻
Explanation
Story lesson
Felipe's Story Formula
Set scene (imperfect): "Estava no bar ontem..." (I was at the bar yesterday)
Action (simple past): "Chegou uma galera..." (A group arrived)
Background (imperfect): "Eles falavam inglês..." (They spoke English)
Result (perfect): "Nunca vi tanta cerveja!" (I've never seen so much beer!)
Now (continuous): "E agora estão voltando hoje!" (And now they're coming back today!)
Ready to Tell Your Own Stories?
"Perfeito! Now you can flow through time in Portuguese. Past, present, future - it's all connected in stories. Remember: 'Ontem' starts the past, 'estava' sets the scene, 'de repente' brings drama, 'agora' brings us to now. Every conversation at my bar is a story waiting to be told. Your turn - what's your story? Vamos lá!" - Felipe