Ir in Imperfect

The imperfect tense describes the past without a clear end. Imagine a video playing on a loop. That is the feeling of the imperfect tense. It is different from the 'perfect' past, which is a snapshot. When you use ia, you are saying 'I used to go'. You might also be saying 'I was going' or 'I was about to'. It focuses on the duration or the habit of the action. It does not focus on the completion. This is why it is called 'imperfect'—it is unfinished. In B1 level Portuguese, this is your secret weapon for conversation. It makes you sound much more natural and less like a textbook. You will use it to describe your old routines. You will also use it to set the stage for other events. It is essentially the 'used to' or 'was' of your past descriptions.

1. 1Forming ir in the imperfect is surprisingly simple and consistent. It follows the pattern of regular -ir verbs but feels unique. Follow these three steps to conjugate it perfectly every time:
2. 2Start with the irregular stem i-.
3. 3Add the specific endings for the imperfect tense.
4. 4Pay close attention to the accent mark on the 'we' form.
5. 5Here is the breakdown for each person:
6. 6Eu (I): ia
7. 7Tu (You - informal): ias
8. 8Ele/Ela/Você (He/She/You): ia
9. 9Nós (We): íamos (Notice the accent! This is very important.)
10. 10Vós (You all - formal/old): íeis (Rarely used, but good to know.)
11. 11Eles/Elas/Vocês (They/You all): iam
12. 12Yes, the 'I' and 'He/She' forms are exactly the same. Context will tell your listener who you are talking about. If you forget the accent on íamos, your teacher might cry. Just kidding, but it does change the pronunciation! Keep that 'í' sharp and clear.

There are four main times you will use ia in real life.

First, use it for past habits and routines. If you went to the gym every day in 2020, use ia. Example: Eu ia à academia todos os dias.

Second, use it for intentions that changed. Imagine you were going to call your mom, but then you fell asleep. Example: Eu ia te ligar, mas peguei no sono. This is extremely common in daily life.

Third, use it to describe the background of a story. You might say, 'The sun was shining and the path went to the lake'. Example: O caminho ia até o lago.

Fourth, use it for polite requests in Brazil. Instead of saying 'I want', you can say 'I was going to ask'. Example: Eu ia pedir um favor. It sounds much softer and more polite. It is like a grammar hug for your listener. Use it when ordering food if you want to be extra nice.

Do not use ia for one-time, completed actions in the past. If you went to Paris once last year, use fui. If you went to the store this morning, use fui. The imperfect is not for 'snapshots' of history.

Avoid using it when the start and end times are clear. If you say 'I went to the party from 8 to 10', use fui. Using ia there would sound like you are still at the party. (Which might be fun, but it is grammatically wrong!)

Also, do not confuse ia with the future tense. It sounds a bit like the future 'going to', but it is strictly past. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. Green means habit, yellow means intention, red means stop using it for single events!

The biggest mistake is mixing up fui and ia. Remember: fui is a dot, ia is a line.

Another mistake is forgetting the 'm' at the end of iam. Without the 'm', you are back to the singular form. This happens a lot when speaking fast.

Misplacing the accent on íamos is another classic error. Native speakers will still understand you, but it sounds 'off'.

Some people try to use ia for things that are still happening. If you still go to the gym, use the present tense vou.

Finally, learners often forget that ia can mean 'was going to'. They try to translate 'was going to' literally using multiple words. Just use ia plus the infinitive verb. It is much simpler and more elegant. Even native speakers mess this up when they are tired, so don't worry too much! Just keep practicing until it feels natural.

How does ia differ from the conditional iria? Great question.

Iria means 'would go'. It is for hypothetical situations. 'I would go if I had money.'

Ia means 'used to go' or 'was going to'. It is rooted in the past reality or past intention.

In informal Brazilian Portuguese, people actually use ia instead of iria all the time! They might say Eu ia se tivesse dinheiro. It is technically 'wrong' but everyone does it.

Also, compare it to the past continuous estava indo. This means 'was going' (literally in progress). Ia is more versatile and can cover the same ground. Most of the time, ia is the faster, more common choice. It is the 'Swiss Army Knife' of past verbs.