Falávamos

Falávamos is a conjugated form of the Portuguese verb falar (to speak, to talk). It represents the first-person plural of the pretérito imperfeito do indicativo (imperfect indicative), used to describe past actions that were ongoing, habitual, or background in nature. In this sense, falávamos can convey a sense of “we were speaking” or “we used to speak.”

Usage and nuance:

- It is commonly used to describe past routines or situations without focusing on their end. Examples: “Nós falávamos sobre o projeto todo dia” or “Antes, nós falávamos muito quando éramos crianças.”

- It can establish setting or context in narratives, similar to “we were talking” in English.

- The imperfect subjunctive form for the same subject is falássemos, used in clauses following expressions of doubt, wishes, or conditions (e.g., “Se nós falássemos mais alto…”).

Morphology:

- Person and tense: nós falávamos (we spoke / we were speaking).

- The corresponding past simple (pretérito perfeito) for a completed action is falamos; in Portugal, the form is sometimes spelled with a different nuance (falámos) in the past simple depending on regional usage.

- Related forms include eu falava, tu falavas, ele falava, nós falávamos, vós faláveis, eles falavam.

Related terms:

- falar (to speak)

- pretérito imperfeito do indicativo

- falássemos (imperfect subjunctive)

Summary:

Falávamos denotes an imperfect past action of speaking by the group “we,” signaling continuity or habituality in past contexts, and it contrasts with forms that express completed past actions.