Pretérito Perfeito do Indicativo (Simple Past Indicative Tense)
The pretérito perfeito do indicativo is used to describe actions that were completed at a specific point in the past. It is often used for events that happened once, for a defined duration, or as part of a sequence.
Mood:
The indicative mood expresses actions that are factual and certain.
The simple past tense in the indicative mood expresses actions that began and ended in the past.
- Indicative mood = certainty, facts, reality
- Simple past tense = completed past actions
Usage:
- To describe completed actions: Ontem, eu falei com ela. (Yesterday, I spoke with her.)
- To narrate a sequence of completed actions: Ele chegou, sentou-se e começou a trabalhar. (He arrived, sat down, and started working.)
- To indicate an action at a specific time in the past: Eles viajaram no verão passado. (They travelled last summer.)
Regular Conjugation (Indicative):
| Person | AR Verbs | ER Verbs | IR Verbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eu (I) | falei | comi | parti |
| Tu (you, sg.) | falaste | comeste | partiste |
| Ele/Ela/Você | falou | comeu | partiu |
| Nós (we) | falámos | comemos | partimos |
| Vós (you, pl.) | falastes | comestes | partistes |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | falaram | comeram | partiram |
Irregular Verbs:
Some common verbs are irregular in the pretérito perfeito:
| Verb | Eu form | Nós form |
|---|---|---|
| ser / ir (to be / to go) | fui | fomos |
| ter (to have) | tive | tivemos |
| fazer (to do/make) | fiz | fizemos |
| ver (to see) | vi | vimos |
| dar (to give) | dei | demos |
| dizer (to say/tell) | disse | dissemos |
| estar (to be) | estive | estivemos |
| vir (to come) | vim | viemos |
| poder (to be able to) | pude | pudemos |
Common Time Expressions:
- Ontem (yesterday)
- Na semana passada (last week)
- No mês passado (last month)
- No ano passado (last year)
- Em 2010 (in 2010)
- Há três dias (three days ago)
Examples:
- Eu comi pizza ontem. (I ate pizza yesterday.)
- Nós estudámos para o exame. (We studied for the exam.)
- Ele chegou cedo e preparou o jantar. (He arrived early and made dinner.)
