A2Lesson 2: Simple Past (Pretérito Perfeito)
The Pretérito Perfeito expresses completed actions in the past, with regular verbs following predictable patterns by adding specific endings to the verb stem for each conjugation group.
-AR verbs: -ei, -ou, -amos, -aram (falei, falou, falamos, falaram)
-ER verbs: -i, -eu, -emos, -eram (comi, comeu, comemos, comeram)
-IR verbs: -i, -iu, -imos, -iram (parti, partiu, partimos, partiram)
Used for completed past actions with clear endpoints
Often with time markers: ontem, semana passada, ano passado
Different from ongoing/habitual past (imperfect)
Nós form of -AR and -IR verbs looks like present tense
Essential for telling stories and past experiences
You can't tell anyone about your weekend, share experiences, or explain what happened without the Pretérito Perfeito! This is your go-to past tense for recounting events: "Viajei para o Rio" (I traveled to Rio), "Comemos pizza ontem" (We ate pizza yesterday), "Eles assistiram o filme" (They watched the movie). Master these patterns and you can narrate any past experience, from what you did this morning to stories from years ago.
verb stem + past tense endings: -ei/-ou/-amos/-aram (AR), -i/-eu/-emos/-eram (ER), -i/-iu/-imos/-iram (IR)
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| Pronoun | Ending | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eu | -ei | falei | I spoke |
| Você/Ele/Ela | -ou | falou | you/he/she spoke |
| Nós | -amos | falamos | we spoke |
| Vocês/Eles/Elas | -aram | falaram | you all/they spoke |
"Viajei para a praia no sábado" (I traveled to the beach on Saturday)
"Assistimos um filme ontem" (We watched a movie yesterday)
"Eles jantaram num restaurante novo" (They had dinner at a new restaurant)
"Dormi até tarde domingo" (I slept late on Sunday)
"Você trabalhou no fim de semana?" (Did you work on the weekend?)
"Acordei às 6 horas" (I woke up at 6 o'clock)
"Tomei café da manhã em casa" (I had breakfast at home)
"Cheguei atrasado no trabalho" (I arrived late to work)
"Almocei com colegas" (I had lunch with colleagues)
Context or time markers needed:
"Falamos português" = We speak OR We spoke Portuguese
"Falamos português ontem" = We spoke Portuguese yesterday
"Sempre falamos português" = We always speak Portuguese
Some verbs look regular but aren't:
dar → dei (not "di")
ver → vi (not "vi")
vir → vim (not "vini")
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