We can couple the auxiliary verbs ser/estar with a past participle, and we can conjugate ser/estar in the perfect past or imperfect past, so in total we have four combinations in past tenses. Take the past participle of the verb “abrir” as example:
1. foi aberto 2. era aberto 3. esteve aberto 4. estava aberto
Do all of the four combinations occur in european portuguese? And what are the differences in their meanings? Can you give some example sentences to illustrate when to use them respectively in context?
@q70007 all of these can occur in European Portuguese, simply dependent on the possibilities offered by each verb. Timewise, the differences are the same that generally apply to the simple vs. imperfect past, where the latter is a closed and more distant event, while the other has a certain ambiguous continuity to it (this is a gross simplification). Beyond that, the differences will also depend on the main verb and the ways it can or can’t be used in each context. Here are some examples with aberto:
O portão foi aberto lentamente. → The gate was opened slowly.
O portão era aberto todos os dias à mesma hora. → The gate was opened every day at the same time.
O restaurante esteve aberto muitos anos. → The restaurant was open for many years.
O restaurante estava aberto quando passei ontem. → The restaurant was open when I passed by yesterday.
This is really interesting Joseph. Recently I’ve been grappling with how the two verbs ser and estar work in conjunction with the imperfect and perfect tenses. There are a lot of permutations and, to an English speaker, the differences are quite subtle.
Your examples are very helpful in explaining them. Are there any learning notes which cover this area?
@hancockliphook, happy to help. At the moment, we don’t have any Learning Notes addressing in detail these uses of ser/estar, but I’ll write it down as a suggestion for future content. Meanwhile, feel free to ask any follow-up questions you may have!