This site uses cookies – small text files that are placed on your machine to help the site provide a better user experience. In general, cookies are used to retain user preferences, store information for things like shopping carts, and provide anonymized tracking data to third party applications like Google Analytics. As a rule, cookies will make your browsing experience better. However, you may prefer to disable cookies on this site and on others. The most effective way to do this is to disable cookies in your browser. We suggest consulting the Help section of your browser or taking a look at the About Cookies website which offers guidance for all modern browsers.
Which cookies and scripts are used and how they impact your visit is specified on the left. You may change your settings at any time. Your choices will not impact your visit.
Read the entire privacy policy.
NOTE: These settings will only apply to the browser and device you are currently using.
When he says “I always liked Sonho de Valsa…” that sounds like continuous action in the past, so why is the past perfect form of gostar (gostei) used instead of the past imperfect (gostava)?
Super question, almost always these types of questions can be answered with “they are both right, depending on what you are thinking.” With ‘sempre gostei’ the speaker is thinking of the event as something that happened in the past, and the telling of it is the focus of the action. With ‘sempre gostava’ the speaker is providing background information about some past event, but the focus of the action may be something else. If you make that division, it usually helps: gostei – talking about the action, gostava – giving background information for some other action that is emphasized.
For example, I’d say something like, “sempre gostava da comida da minha mãe, mas aquele dia o jantar saiu terrível.” I always liked my mom’s food, but that day the dinner was terrible. Notice that “gostava da comida” is setting the background for the main comment, ‘dinner that day was bad’
Hope that helps,
Orlando