How to Say ‘I Was Going To’ in Portuguese: Ia Fazer — Practice

Use ia plus an infinitive for a past plan

The imperfect of ir followed by an infinitive expresses what someone was going to do. For eu, the form is ia; for nós, it is íamos.

Say whether the plan changed

Ia fazer does not by itself tell the listener whether you completed the action. Add mas (but), só que (except/only), or acabei… to explain what happened next.

Compare a past plan with a current intention

Use vou fazer for a present or near-future plan and ia fazer to report a plan from the past. This contrast helps make timelines clear in conversation.

Remember: Use the imperfect form of ir plus an infinitive to say what someone was going to do.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. I was going to call you yesterday.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Eu ia ligar para você ontem.

2. We were going to eat out, but it started to rain.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Íamos jantar fora, mas começou a chover.

3. I was going to buy the ticket, but it sold out.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Eu ia comprar o ingresso, mas esgotou.

4. She was going to go out, but she got sick.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Ela ia sair, só que ficou doente.

5. I’m going to talk to him later.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Vou falar com ele depois.

6. I was going to talk to him yesterday, but I forgot.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Eu ia falar com ele ontem, mas esqueci.

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Use the imperfect form of ir plus an infinitive to say what someone was going to do.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our How to Say ‘I Was Going To’ in Portuguese: Ia Fazer lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.