Use the Imperfect Indicative when talking about actions that were ongoing or habitual actions in the past, background information, or description in the past, and indirect speech.
Habitual action in the past:
I used to practice yoga every day ➜
Praticava ioga todo dia.
Background information:
It was raining when we arrived ➜
Estava chovendo quando chegamos.
Description in the past:
The house was old and beautiful ➜
A casa era velha e bonita.
Indirect speech:
She said that he was her friend ➜
Ela disse que ele era amigo dela.
Forming
-ar regular verbs
- Eu trabalhava. ➜ I used to work.
- Você, ele, ela trabalhava. ➜ You, he, she used to work.
- Nós trabalhávamos. ➜ We used to work.
- Vocês, eles, elas trabalhavam. ➜ They used to work.
-er regular verbs
- Eu comia. ➜ I used to eat.
- Você, ele, ela comia. ➜ You, he, she used to eat.
- Nós comíamos. ➜ We used to eat.
- Vocês, eles, elas comiam. ➜ They used to eat.
-ir regular verbs
- Eu dormia. ➜ I used to sleep.
- Você, ele, ela dormia. ➜ You, he, she used to sleep.
- Nós dormíamos. ➜ We used to sleep.
- Vocês, eles, elas dormiam. ➜ They used to sleep.
Examples
ar verbs ➜ Trabalhava nessa empresa. (I used to work at that company.)
er verbs ➜ Eu bebia todos os dias. (I used to drink every day.)
ir verbs ➜ Eu dormia bem. (I used to sleep well.)
Common Irregulars
ser : Quando eu era criança, eu era muito tímido. ➜ When I was a child, I used to be very shy.
ter : Ela tinha uma casa perto da praia. ➜ She used to have a house near the beach.
ver : Ele via o pôr do sol todas as tardes. ➜ He used to watch the sunset every afternoon.
vir : Ela vinha à cidade todas as semanas. ➜ She used to come to the city every week.