In this lesson you will learn 7 expressions of time that will enrich your Portuguese vocabulary and conversations. You will learn how to say in Portuguese:

1. Today
2. Yesterday
3. Tomorrow
4. The day after tomorrow
5. The day before yesterday
6. Nowadays
7. In the past, in the old days

Imagine that you are in Brazil. You are telling a friend what you have done so far and you are making plans on what to do next while in Brazil. You will certainly use these expressions.

This vocabulary is also useful when you use your planner at work and in many other common situations.

Additionally, you can use these words and expressions to practice different verb tenses. For example, expressions 1 and 6 are great to practice the present tense; expressions 2 and 5 are great for the simple past (pretérito perfeito do indicativo); expressions 3 and 4 will help you practice the future tense; and expression 7 will is great to practice the imperfect past (pretérito imperfeito do indicativo).

The lesson shows the words used in real-life situations. Here is the video:

1. Hoje = today

Alice: O que você vai fazer hoje?

Paulo: Hoje quero descansar.  Minha semana foi puxada.

Translation:

Alice: What are you doing today?

Paulo: Today I want to rest. My week was very tough.

 

2. Ontem = yesterday

Alice: Por que você não veio trabalhar ontem?

Paulo: Estava muito gripado. Ontem passei o dia na cama.

Translation:

Alice: Why didn’t you come to work yesterday?

Paulo: I had a bad cold. Yesterday I spent the day in bed.

 

3. Amanhã = tomorrow

Alice: Amanhã é o meu aniversário. Vamos jantar juntos?

Paulo: Combinado. Te pego às 8 amanhã.

Translation:

Alice: Tomorrow is my birthday. Let’s have dinner together.

Paulo: Deal. I will pick you up at 8 tomorrow.

• Learn birthday vocabulary and phrases and the Brazilian birthday song.

 

4. Depois de amanhã = the day after tomorrow

Alice: Quando você vai ao Brasil?

Paulo: Depois de amanhã.

Translation:

Alice: When are you going to Brazil?

Paulo: The day after tomorrow.

 

5. Anteontem = the day before yesterday

It is also possible to say: Antes de ontem. It means the same thing.

Alice: Você tem falado com a Cris?

Paulo: Tenho, sim. Jantamos juntos anteontem.

Translation:

Alice: Have you been in touch with Cris?

Paulo: Yes, I have. We had dinner together the day before yesterday.

 

6. Hoje em dia = nowadays

Alice: Você vai à praia nos fins de semana?

Paulo: Eu ia muito quando era criança. Hoje em dia prefiro fazer trilhas.

Translation:

Alice: Do you go to the beach on the weekend?

Paulo: I used to go a lot when I was a kid. Nowadays I prefer to go hiking.

 

7. Antigamente = in the past, in the old days

Alice: Antigamente era comum as pessoas se casarem muito jovens.

Translation:

Alice: In the past it was common for people to get married very young.

 

Now that you know these expressions, you will probably notice them more often and hopefully you will be able to use them with confidence in your conversations.

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