Hindi marks the same habit-vs-once difference
Roz / hamesha (every day / always) feel like the imperfetto — a repeated habit. Kal / ek baar (yesterday / once) feel like the passato prossimo — a single event. When you describe growing up in India, lean on the imperfetto: 'abitavo, andavo, mangiavamo' — it maps almost exactly onto 'main rehta tha / jaata tha'.
