A2Lesson 2: Simple Past (Pretérito Perfeito)
The most common verbs are irregular in the Pretérito Perfeito, with unique conjugations that must be memorized as they appear constantly in everyday conversation about past events.
ser/ir → fui, foi, fomos, foram (same forms!)
ter → tive, teve, tivemos, tiveram
fazer → fiz, fez, fizemos, fizeram
ver → vi, viu, vimos, viram
dizer → disse, disse, dissemos, disseram
Other essentials: vim (vir), pude (poder), soube (saber)
These verbs appear in nearly every past conversation
No patterns to follow - pure memorization required
You literally cannot have a conversation about the past without these verbs! Try saying what you did yesterday without "fui" (I went), "tive" (I had), or "fiz" (I did) – impossible! These irregulars are the backbone of past narration: "Fui ao cinema" (I went to the movies), "Tive um problema" (I had a problem), "Vi sua mensagem" (I saw your message). Master these and you can tell any story, share any experience, and understand 80% of past tense conversations.
irregular stem + special endings (varying by verb)
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| Pronoun | Conjugation | Ser Example | Ir Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eu | fui | Fui professor | Fui ao cinema |
| Você/Ele/Ela | foi | Foi difícil | Foi para casa |
| Nós | fomos | Fomos amigos | Fomos à praia |
| Vocês/Eles/Elas | foram | Foram felizes | Foram embora |
Context determines meaning:
"Fui ao supermercado ontem" (I went to the supermarket yesterday)
"Tive uma reunião importante" (I had an important meeting)
"Fiz todo o trabalho sozinho" (I did all the work alone)
"Vi Maria no shopping" (I saw Maria at the mall)
"Ele disse que volta amanhã" (He said he's coming back tomorrow)
"Foi um fim de semana ótimo" (It was a great weekend)
"Tivemos um churrasco em casa" (We had a barbecue at home)
"Fizeram uma festa surpresa" (They threw a surprise party)
"Vimos o jogo juntos" (We watched the game together)
Only context distinguishes:
"Como foi?" = How was it? OR How did it go?
"Foi bem" = It was good OR It went well
"Foi ontem" = It was yesterday OR He/She went yesterday
Accent marks past tense:
Pôde (could - past) with circumflex
Pode (can - present) without accent
After spelling reform, this is one of few remaining distinctions
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