The imperfect (eu falava) is used to express an action that was happening in the past, in a continuous manner, as well as for repeated or habitual past actions. It is also used to describe the background of a story being narrated. It is not was well defined in terms of time as the preterite.
Eu falava can be I was speaking, or I used to speak.
Eu falava com o professor até o telefone tocar.
I was talking to the teacher until the phone rang.
Let’s look at some other examples:
Eu falava com Alessandro todos os dias.
I used to speak to Alessandro every day.
Nós líamos quando Mat chegou.
We were reading when Mat arrived.
Aonde ia o senhor quando o vi?
Where were you going when I saw you?
Quando eu era criança, eu não gostava de ir à escola.
When I was a child, I did not like to go to school.
Meu marido nadava todos os dias, mas agora não pode pois está frio.
My husband used to swim everyday, but now he can’t since it is cold.
(It was a habit, but now he does not).
Os senhores vivíam no Rio de Janeiro.
The men used to live in Rio.
Havia muita gente na festa.
There were a lot of people at the party.
O livro estava na mesa.
The book was on the table.
With many thanks to my collaborator: Mat Pestana
ATENÇÃO: NÃO envie comentários com assuntos NÃO relacionados ao post acima. Todos os comentários deste tipo serão desconsiderados! Para tirar dúvidas, acesse o Fórum do English Experts.