Verbal Aspect: How Action Develops Over Time

Verbal aspect is a grammatical category that indicates how the action expressed by the verb develops over time, regardless of when it occurs. While verb tense situates the action chronologically, aspect reveals its internal structure, duration, and completion.

What is Verbal Aspect?

Verbal aspect expresses:

• Duration: Punctual or durative action
• Completion: Finished or unfinished action
• Frequency: Single or repeated action
• Phases: Beginning, development, or end of action
• Perspective: How the speaker views the action

Difference between Tense and Aspect

Verb Tense

Locates action in time:

• Past: “Estudei” (I studied)
• Present: “Estudo” (I study)
• Future: “Estudarei” (I will study)

Verbal Aspect

Shows how action develops:

• Perfective: “Estudei” (complete action)
• Imperfective: “Estudava” (ongoing action)
• Iterative: “Estudava sempre” (repeated action)

Aspectual Categories

1. Perfective Aspect

Presents action as complete, finished:

Characteristics

• Action viewed as a whole
• Focus on result
• Defined temporal limit

Examples

• “Li o livro” (I read the book - complete)
• “Construíram a casa” (They built the house - visible result)
• “Chegou às 8h” (Arrived at 8 o’clock - punctual moment)

Markers

• Simple past tense
• Telic verbs (with inherent end)
• Punctual time adverbs

2. Imperfective Aspect

Presents action in development:

Characteristics

• Ongoing action
• No defined limit
• Focus on process

Examples

• “Lia o livro” (Was reading the book - ongoing process)
• “Construíam a casa” (They were building the house - unfinished)
• “Estudo português” (I study Portuguese - continuous habit)

Markers

• Imperfect past
• Present indicative
• Progressive periphrases

3. Inchoative Aspect

Marks beginning of action:

Examples

• “Começou a chover” (It started to rain)
• “Passou a estudar” (Started studying)
• “Pôs-se a correr” (Set off running)

Inchoative Periphrases

• Começar a + infinitive (to start)
• Passar a + infinitive (to begin)
• Pôr-se a + infinitive (to set about)
• Entrar a + infinitive (to enter into)

4. Terminative Aspect

Marks end of action:

Examples

• “Acabou de chegar” (Just arrived)
• “Terminou de ler” (Finished reading)
• “Deixou de fumar” (Stopped smoking)

Terminative Periphrases

• Acabar de + infinitive (to finish/just)
• Terminar de + infinitive (to finish)
• Deixar de + infinitive (to stop)
• Parar de + infinitive (to stop)

5. Durative Aspect

Emphasizes action duration:

Examples

• “Está estudando há horas” (Has been studying for hours)
• “Continua trabalhando” (Continues working)
• “Anda preocupado” (Has been worried)

Markers

• Estar + gerund
• Continuar + gerund
• Andar + gerund/participle
• Ficar + gerund

6. Iterative Aspect

Indicates action repetition:

Examples

• “Costuma chegar cedo” (Usually arrives early)
• “Vivia reclamando” (Was always complaining)
• “Volta e meia aparece” (Shows up now and then)

Markers

• Costumar + infinitive
• Viver + gerund
• Frequency adverbs
• Verb repetition

7. Habitual Aspect

Expresses customary actions:

Examples

• “Acordo às 6h” (I wake up at 6 am)
• “Aos domingos, vou à praia” (On Sundays, I go to the beach)
• “Sempre estuda à noite” (Always studies at night)

Markers

• Present indicative
• Imperfect past
• Habit adverbs

Aspect and Verb Tenses

Preterite (Simple Past)

Predominantly perfective:

• “Estudou a lição” (Studied the lesson - complete)
• “Escreveu o livro” (Wrote the book - finished)

But can be iterative:

• “Estudou muito na vida” (Studied a lot in life - repetition)

Imperfect Past

Predominantly imperfective:

• “Estudava quando chegou” (Was studying when arrived - ongoing)
• “Morava em Paris” (Lived in Paris - durative)

Expresses habituality:

• “Ia sempre ao cinema” (Always went to the movies - past habit)

Present Indicative

Variable according to context:

• “Estudo português” (I study Portuguese - habitual)
• “Agora estudo” (Now I’m studying - durative)
• “Amanhã estudo” (Tomorrow I study - future)

Future

Generally imperfective:

• “Estudarei amanhã” (I’ll study tomorrow - unrealized action)
• “Estarei estudando” (I’ll be studying - future progressive)

Aspectual Periphrases

Progressive

Periphrasis	Aspect	Example
Estar + gerund	Durative	Está chovendo (It’s raining)
Ir + gerund	Gradual progressive	Vai melhorando (Is getting better)
Vir + gerund	Continuous progressive	Vem crescendo (Has been growing)
Andar + gerund	Recent durative	Anda estudando (Has been studying)

Phase

Periphrasis	Aspect	Example
Começar a + inf.	Inchoative	Começou a trabalhar (Started working)
Acabar de + inf.	Recent terminative	Acabou de sair (Just left)
Voltar a + inf.	Reiterative	Voltou a estudar (Went back to studying)
Tornar a + inf.	Reiterative	Tornou a errar (Made a mistake again)

Modal with Aspectual Value

Periphrasis	Aspect	Example
Costumar + inf.	Habitual	Costuma acordar cedo (Usually wakes up early)
Haver de + inf.	Certain future	Há de conseguir (Will surely succeed)
Ter de/que + inf.	Future obligation	Tem que terminar (Has to finish)

Aspect and Verb Classes

Telic Verbs

Have inherent end:

• Chegar, morrer, nascer (arrive, die, be born)
• Construir, escrever, pintar (build, write, paint)
• Favor perfective aspect

Atelic Verbs

No defined end:

• Correr, estudar, trabalhar (run, study, work)
• Amar, saber, ter (love, know, have)
• Favor imperfective aspect

State Verbs

Express durativity:

• Ser, estar, permanecer (be, be, remain)
• Saber, conhecer, possuir (know, know, possess)
• Naturally imperfective

Change Verbs

Mark transition:

• Tornar-se, ficar, virar (become, get, turn)
• Começar, terminar, mudar (begin, finish, change)
• Aspectually complex

Aspectual Markers

Adverbs and Phrases

Perfective

• De repente, subitamente (suddenly)
• Logo, imediatamente (soon, immediately)
• De uma vez (at once)

Imperfective

• Aos poucos, gradualmente (little by little, gradually)
• Sempre, continuamente (always, continuously)
• Pouco a pouco (bit by bit)

Iterative

• Várias vezes, repetidamente (several times, repeatedly)
• De vez em quando (from time to time)
• Volta e meia (now and then)

Prefixes with Aspectual Value

Prefix	Value	Example
RE-	Repetition	Refazer, reler (redo, reread)
DES-	Reversal	Desfazer, desmontar (undo, disassemble)
ES-/EX-	Completion	Esvaziar, exportar (empty, export)

Aspect in Portuguese Varieties

Brazil

• Preference for “estar + gerund”
• Different use of present perfect
• Innovative periphrases: “vive fazendo” (keeps doing)

Portugal

• Use of “estar a + infinitive”
• Iterative present perfect
• Maintenance of classical forms

Africa

• Influences from local languages
• Hybrid aspectual systems
• Periphrastic innovations

Aspect and Text Genres

Narrative

• Perfective for main actions
• Imperfective for descriptions
• Alternation for dynamism

Description

• Predominance of imperfective
• State verbs
• Timeless present

Instructions

• Imperative and infinitive
• Neutral aspect
• Focus on sequence

Argumentation

• Gnomic present
• Habitual aspect
• Mental state verbs

Common Errors

1. Time/Aspect Confusion

❌ “Ontem estava estudando o dia todo” (Yesterday was studying all day) ✅ “Ontem estudei o dia todo” (Yesterday I studied all day - complete action)

2. Inappropriate Use of Periphrases

❌ “Começou de fazer” (Started of doing) ✅ “Começou a fazer” (Started to do)

3. Incompatible Aspect

❌ “Sempre chegou às 8h ontem” (Always arrived at 8 yesterday) ✅ “Ontem chegou às 8h” (Yesterday arrived at 8) or “Sempre chega às 8h” (Always arrives at 8)

Analysis Exercises

Identify the Aspect

1. “Morava no Rio quando jovem” (Lived in Rio when young)
2. “Começou a chover forte” (It started raining hard)
3. “Tem estudado muito” (Has been studying a lot)
4. “Costumava viajar sempre” (Used to travel always)

Answers

1. Durative imperfective
2. Inchoative
3. Durative (present perfect)
4. Past habitual

Practical Applications

In Creative Writing

• Use perfective to advance plot
• Use imperfective to create atmosphere
• Alternate aspects for narrative rhythm

In Formal Communication

• Be precise in chosen aspect
• Avoid aspectual ambiguities
• Consider text genre

Conclusion

Verbal aspect is an essential dimension of temporal expression in Portuguese, complementing and enriching the verb tense system. Mastering it allows not only greater communicative precision but also sophisticated stylistic resources for expressing temporal nuances. Understanding verbal aspect means understanding how our language conceptualizes and expresses the temporal dimension of human actions.