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.
Thanks for the guidance on when to use the past imperfect and when to use the preterit. Knowing that the imperfect is used for background information eliminates many – but not all of – my doubts on this subject. What about an event that happens over a defined – but quite long – period of time? For example: “I lived in Texas from 1991 until 1998.” Am I going to want to use “eu morei” in this situation or should it be “eu morava”?
Hey Jim,
With Preterite and Imperfect, the key is usually if the phrase is the action or the background information. If you say simply “I lived in Texas from 91 to 98” then it is the action and “eu morei” is fine. If you are setting the stage for another action, “I lived in Texas from 91 to 98 when I received the money from my father” then “eu morava” would work better. Whenever you use “morava” the listener will be waiting for you to finish your thought, something will feel like it is missing to tell the story.
Muito obrigado pela resposta Professor Orlando!
Hi Orlando,
“Quando você era jovem, que esportes você praticava?”
Why do we use “que esportes” here and not “qual esportes”?
Thanks,
Otto
Truth told, you could use either here. The basic rule of thumb is that ‘que’ is used with nouns: que dia, que livro, que casa, que homem… And ‘qual’ is used with some form of the verb to be: qual é o dia, qual é o livro, quais são as casas, quais são os homens… This is a pretty good rule of thumb to get you rolling.
BTW, you will notice that even in English we are quite flexible with what vs. which, e.g., ‘what book do you want? which book do you want?’
Thanks for the reply Orlando. I had the same question… now I don’t 🙂