This is the 10166th most frequent Portuguese word.
encontrava
"Encontrava" means "found" or "was finding," referring to the imperfect past tense of the verb "encontrar" (to find).
In this sentence, 'encontrava' is used to indicate a repeated or habitual action in the past, showing how she often found joy in small things.
Ela encontrava alegria nas pequenas coisas da vida.
She found joy in the small things in life.
Here, 'encontrava' describes a state of being or situation in the past, referring to his common experiences of facing dilemmas.
Quando jovem, ele se encontrava em muitos dilemas.
When young, he found himself in many dilemmas.
In this context, 'encontrava' describes the teacher's repeated effort or experimentation in finding ways to teach mathematics, emphasizing a habitual or ongoing action in the past.