pagava

Pagava is the imperfect indicative form of the Portuguese verb pagar, meaning to pay. It expresses a past action or state that was ongoing or habitual, rather than a completed event. The form can agree with different subjects: eu pagava, ele/ela pagava, nós pagávamos, eles/elas pagavam. In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, forms with tu and vós are uncommon, and you typically encounter eu pagava, você pagava, nós/eles pagavam. In European Portuguese, tu pagavas and you plural forms are also used in informal speech.

Etymology and history: pagar derives from the Italian/French lineage of payer, originating in Latin concepts related to payment. In Portuguese, pagar entered the language in the medieval period and acquired its modern conjugation patterns through regular -ar verb endings, including the imperfect form pagava.

Usage: Pagava is used to describe past actions that were habitual or background in nature, or to set scene in the past. For example: Quando era jovem, eu pagava as contas todo mês. Ele pagava sempre com cheques. Eles pagavam as compras antes do fechamento. The imperfect contrasts with the preterite, as pagou refers to a completed payment.

See also: pagar, pagamento, forms of Portuguese verbs.