Brazilian Portuguese – the Present Subjunctive

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Use

In Portuguese there are several ways to talk about the future, each with varying shades of meaning.  The present subjunctive is used to show that some idea or action is hypothetical.

For example, ‘I hope that you have a pair of sunglaases‘ is hypothetical. So is, ‘Do you want me to speak to her?’

HYPOTHETICAL situations include those that express desire, emotion, improbability, give commands, and to express opinion.

TRIGGERS: espero que; caso que; é importante que; é possivel que; é necessário que; get the idea?

Some examples:

Do you want me drive? > Você quer que eu diriga?

I hope that you talk to her today. > Eu espero que você fale com ela hoje.

It’s important that you understand everything. > É importante que você entenda tudo.

Do you want me to send it by email? > Você quer que eu mande por email?

Forming

There is a pattern to the conjugation and rather than explain it, just see if you can get it by example:

-ar present subjunctive regular verbs

that I speak que eu fal e
that he speaks que ele fal e
that we speak que nós fal emos
that they speak que eles fal em

-er and -ir present subjunctive regular verbs

that I eat que eu com a
that he eats que ele com a
that we eat que nós com amos
that they eat que eles com am

2 thoughts on “Brazilian Portuguese – the Present Subjunctive”

  1. Roger

    Maybe they changed the title, but it does say, “Brazilian Portuguese – the Present Subjunctive.”
    I clicked on it thinking they would talk about the present subjunctive, and they did.
    Either way, Tá Falado is a great tool too.

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