In this Portuguese lesson, you’ll learn how to say that you were going to do something in Portuguese —something we express all the time in daily life. Think about phrases like “I was going to call you”, “I was going to say this”, or “That’s what I was going to suggest”.
Whether you want to talk about plans that changed, something you almost said, or an action you were about to take, this structure is one you’ll use often. And the best part? It’s simple to learn and easy to use!
How to Say You Were Going to Do Something in Portuguese
This video is from my earlier days of recording, so the production isn’t the best—but don’t let that stop you. The examples and pronunciation are just as useful, and you’ll still get everything you need to understand and use this structure in real-life conversations. So, hit play and follow along!
Let’s look at a simple conversation where this structure appears naturally:
Maria: O que você ia dizer? (What were you going to say?)
Lúcia: Vamos ao cinema hoje? (Let’s catch a movie today.)
Maria: Eu ia sugerir a mesma coisa! (I was going to suggest the same thing!)
How This Structure Works
To say “I was going to do something” in Portuguese, you’ll use this formula:
- Subject +
- Imperfect past (pretérito imperfeito do indicativo) of the verb Ir +
- Infinitive of the main verb
In the sentence: “Eu ia sugerir a mesma coisa!” you have:
- Subject: Eu
- Imperfect past of the verb Ir: ia
- Infinitive of the main action verb: sugerir
Simple, right? Now, let’s take a closer look at how to conjugate the verb ir in this tense and explore more real-life examples.
The Verb Ir in the Imperfect Past Tense in Portuguese
Ir is an irregular verb that you’ll use all the time, so it’s worth knowing well!
You might already be familiar with its present tense — if not, I have a lesson on the present tense of the verb Ir with tips for you to avoid common mistakes.
I also have a lesson on the easiest way to use the future tense in Brazilian Portuguese, which is done by using Ir in the present tense. Sounds funny, right? Check the lesson out!
Now, let’s look at how to conjugate Ir in the imperfect past tense (pretérito imperfeito do indicativo):
- Eu ia
- Você/Ele/Ela ia
- Nós íamos
- Vocês/Eles/Elas iam
This tense is key for expressing what you were going to do, but didn’t. Now, let’s see it in action with more real-life examples.
More Examples: Saying You Were Going to Do Something in Portuguese
1) Ontem eu ia jantar com Mauro, mas acabei tendo que trabalhar até tarde. (Yesterday I was going to have dinner with Mauro, but I ended up having to work until late.)
2) Eu não ia dizer nada, mas já que você insiste… (I wasn’t going to say anything, but since you insist…)
3) Clara ia pedir demissão, mas mudou de ideia. (Clara was going to quit her job, but she changed her mind.)
4) Eu ia dizer isso. (I was going to say that.)
5) Eu ia fazer isso. (I was going to do that.)
6) João ia atravessar a rua quando o sinal fechou. (João was going to cross the street when the light turned red.)
7) Eu ia perguntar isso! (I was going to ask that!)
Fun Language Insight
In Brazil, when the traffic light is red, we say it’s closed (fechado). When it’s green, we say it’s open (aberto).
I once had a funny moment with this! Years ago, my husband Carl was driving, and we were stopped at a red light. When it turned green, I told him: “It’s open.” He looked at me, confused: “What’s open?” That’s when I learned you can’t say that in English! 😆
I hope this lesson helps you feel confident using “I was going to do something” in Portuguese, whether it’s for daily conversations, changed plans, or things left unsaid.
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