Verb tenses · Brazilian Portuguese
Portuguese Conditional (Futuro do pretérito)
The conditional is how Portuguese says “would”: what would happen, polite requests, and the result of an if-sentence.
Eu compraria uma casa na praia. I would buy a house at the beach.
- Used in speech and writing
- Level B1
- Same in Portugal
- falar +
- -ia -ia -íamos -iam
- comer +
- -ia -ia -íamos -iam
- partir +
- -ia -ia -íamos -iam
When to use the conditional
The result of an imagined situation, with se + the imperfect subjunctive.
Se eu tivesse dinheiro, eu viajaria mais.
If I had money, I would travel more.
Polite requests and offers.
Você poderia fechar a janela?
Could you close the window?
Advice, with dever.
Você deveria ir ao médico.
You should go to the doctor.
The future seen from the past, in reported speech.
Ele disse que chegaria às oito.
He said he would arrive at eight.
Guesses about the past, often in the news.
O suspeito teria fugido de carro.
The suspect allegedly escaped by car.
Often confused with the future.
Regular verbs
Every regular verb follows one of these three: -ar like falar (to speak), -er like comer (to eat), -ir like partir (to leave). The ending is in bold and underlined. Tu is used in parts of Brazil, and is shown last.
| Person | falar | comer | partir |
|---|---|---|---|
| eueu | falaria | comeria | partiria |
| vocêvocê, ele, ela, a gente | falaria | comeria | partiria |
| nósnós | falaríamos | comeríamos | partiríamos |
| vocêsvocês, eles, elas | falariam | comeriam | partiriam |
| tuturegional | falarias | comerias | partirias |
Irregular verbs
The most common irregular verbs in the conditional, most used first. Verbs built on the same one change the same way: learn ter and you know manter and obter. Irregular forms are marked (irregular).
fazer
- eufaria (irregular)
- vocêfaria (irregular)
- nósfaríamos (irregular)
- vocêsfariam (irregular)
- tufarias (irregular)
Also: desfazer, satisfazer and 9 more
dizer
- eudiria (irregular)
- vocêdiria (irregular)
- nósdiríamos (irregular)
- vocêsdiriam (irregular)
- tudirias (irregular)
Also: contradizer, bendizer and 4 more
trazer
- eutraria (irregular)
- vocêtraria (irregular)
- nóstraríamos (irregular)
- vocêstrariam (irregular)
- tutrarias (irregular)
Any verb in the conditional
How Brazilians use it
The imperfect does the job in speech
In conversation Brazilians often use the imperfect instead: se eu pudesse, eu comprava (if I could, I'd buy it); eu ia adorar (I'd love it). The conditional is still common in polite phrases like eu gostaria and você poderia.
In Portugal
The conditional works the same way in Portugal.
Common mistakes
Not
Se eu tenho tempo, eu iria.ButSe eu tivesse tempo, eu iria.
With the conditional, the se clause takes the imperfect subjunctive: se eu tivesse, se eu pudesse, se eu fosse.
Not
Eu fazeria isso.ButEu faria isso.
Fazer, dizer and trazer drop a syllable, as in the future: faria, diria, traria.
Not
Quando eu era criança, eu jogaria futebol todo dia.ButQuando eu era criança, eu jogava futebol todo dia.
English “would” for past habits (“I would play every day”) is the imperfect in Portuguese, not the conditional.
Trigger words
These words and phrases call for the conditional.
| Trigger | Example |
|---|---|
| se eu… | Se eu pudesse, eu moraria no Rio. If I could, I would live in Rio. |
| você poderia | Você poderia me ajudar? Could you help me? |
| eu gostaria | Eu gostaria de reservar uma mesa. I would like to book a table. |
| seria bom | Seria bom sair mais cedo. It would be good to leave earlier. |
| no seu lugar | No seu lugar, eu aceitaria a proposta. In your place, I would accept the offer. |
| disse que | Ela disse que ligaria depois. She said she would call later. |
Practise the conditional
Ten questions on the most common verbs. Type the form; you'll see right or wrong at once.
Cheat sheet
The endings and the most common irregular verbs on one printable page.
Conditional cheat sheet (PDF)Questions
How do you say “would” in Portuguese?
With the conditional, the futuro do pretérito: eu faria (I would do), ela gostaria (she would like). In casual speech Brazilians often use the imperfect instead: eu fazia, eu ia fazer.
How do you form the conditional in Portuguese?
Add -ia, -íamos, -iam to the whole infinitive: falaria, falaríamos, falariam; comeria; partiria. Only fazer, dizer and trazer are irregular: faria, diria, traria.
Why is the conditional called futuro do pretérito?
Because it is the future seen from the past: ele disse que viria (he said he would come). Brazilian grammar books use that name; in English it is the conditional.
Related tenses: the imperfect, the imperfect subjunctive
See the conditional in real books
Tables teach the forms; stories teach when to use them. Read Brazilian books and stories at your level, tap any verb for its meaning in that sentence, and press Listen to hear the page in a Brazilian voice.
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