Understanding Expressions of the Past in Portuguese: “há,” “faz…que,” “desde,” and “atrás”
When learning Portuguese, mastering the expressions of the past can significantly improve your fluency and comprehension. In this article, we will explore the uses of four key expressions: há, faz…que, desde, and atrás. These expressions are commonly used to refer to past events, durations, and starting points in time.
1. Há
The word “há” is equivalent to the English expression “ago” and is used to indicate how much time has passed since an event occurred.
Examples:
- Eu cheguei aqui há duas horas.
- Translation: I arrived here two hours ago.
- Ela se mudou para o Brasil há cinco anos.
- Translation: She moved to Brazil five years ago.
In these sentences, “há” is followed directly by a period of time.
2. Faz…que
The expression “faz…que” is another way to express how long ago something happened. It is similar to “há,” but it forms a sentence structure that more explicitly includes the duration and the verb in the past tense.
Examples:
- Faz dois anos que eu moro aqui.
- Translation: I have lived here for two years.
- Faz cinco minutos que ele saiu.
- Translation: He left five minutes ago.
“Faz” can also be replaced by “fazem” when the subject is plural, although it is more common to see “faz.”
3. Desde
“Desde” translates to “since” in English and is used to indicate the starting point of an action or event that continues into the present. It connects the starting time with the present moment, emphasizing the duration.
Examples:
- Eu estudo português desde 2019.
- Translation: I have been studying Portuguese since 2019.
- Ela mora aqui desde fevereiro.
- Translation: She has been living here since February.
In these cases, “desde” is followed by a specific point in time or date.
4. Atrás
“Atrás” also means “ago” and is used similarly to “há,” but it comes after the period of time instead of before it as in english.
Examples:
- Eu vi aquele filme dois dias atrás.
- Translation: I saw that movie two days ago.
- Ele voltou para casa um mês atrás.
- Translation: He returned home a month ago.
In these sentences, “atrás” emphasizes the point in time in the past.
Comparing:
To summarize, here are the key points to remember about these expressions of the past:
Há:
Há 3 anos eu estudo inglês
Eu estudo inglês há 3 anos.
Faz…que:
Faz 3 anos b eu estudo inglês
Eu estudo inglês faz 3 anos.
Desde
Desde 2021 eu estudo inglês
Eu estudo inglês desde 2021
Atrás
Eu comecei a estudar inglês 3 anos atrás
3 anos atrás eu comecei a estudar inglês