Verb tenses · Brazilian Portuguese
Portuguese Future Subjunctive (Futuro do subjuntivo)
The future subjunctive is the form after se, quando and similar words for something that may or will happen later: se eu for, quando você chegar.
Se chover amanhã, a gente fica em casa. If it rains tomorrow, we'll stay home.
- Used in speech and writing
- Level B1
- Same in Portugal
- falar +
- - - -mos -em
- comer +
- - - -mos -em
- partir +
- - - -mos -em
When to use the future subjunctive
After se, for a condition about the future.
Se eu tiver tempo, passo na sua casa amanhã.
If I have time, I'll stop by your place tomorrow.
After quando, assim que and logo que, for something that hasn't happened yet.
Assim que eu sair do trabalho, eu te ligo.
As soon as I leave work, I'll call you.
After enquanto and sempre que, for as long as or whenever something will be true.
Sempre que você precisar, pode me chamar.
Whenever you need to, you can call me.
After quem, onde, como and o que, for a person, place or way not yet known.
Quem chegar primeiro abre o escritório.
Whoever gets here first opens the office.
Often confused with the present subjunctive.
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 | falar | comer | partir |
| vocêvocê, ele, ela, a gente | falar | comer | partir |
| nósnós | falarmos | comermos | partirmos |
| vocêsvocês, eles, elas | falarem | comerem | partirem |
| tuturegional | falares | comeres | partires |
Irregular verbs
The most common irregular verbs in the future subjunctive, 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).
estar
- euestiver (irregular)
- vocêestiver (irregular)
- nósestivermos (irregular)
- vocêsestiverem (irregular)
- tuestiveres (irregular)
ir
- eufor (irregular)
- vocêfor (irregular)
- nósformos (irregular)
- vocêsforem (irregular)
- tufores (irregular)
ser
- eufor (irregular)
- vocêfor (irregular)
- nósformos (irregular)
- vocêsforem (irregular)
- tufores (irregular)
ter
- eutiver (irregular)
- vocêtiver (irregular)
- nóstivermos (irregular)
- vocêstiverem (irregular)
- tutiveres (irregular)
poder
- eupuder (irregular)
- vocêpuder (irregular)
- nóspudermos (irregular)
- vocêspuderem (irregular)
- tupuderes (irregular)
fazer
- eufizer (irregular)
- vocêfizer (irregular)
- nósfizermos (irregular)
- vocêsfizerem (irregular)
- tufizeres (irregular)
Also: desfazer, satisfazer and 9 more
saber
- eusouber (irregular)
- vocêsouber (irregular)
- nóssoubermos (irregular)
- vocêssouberem (irregular)
- tusouberes (irregular)
querer
- euquiser (irregular)
- vocêquiser (irregular)
- nósquisermos (irregular)
- vocêsquiserem (irregular)
- tuquiseres (irregular)
Also: maisquerer, malquerer
dizer
- eudisser (irregular)
- vocêdisser (irregular)
- nósdissermos (irregular)
- vocêsdisserem (irregular)
- tudisseres (irregular)
Also: contradizer, bendizer and 4 more
ver
- euvir (irregular)
- vocêvir (irregular)
- nósvirmos (irregular)
- vocêsvirem (irregular)
- tuvires (irregular)
haver
- euhouver (irregular)
- vocêhouver (irregular)
- nóshouvermos (irregular)
- vocêshouverem (irregular)
- tuhouveres (irregular)
vir
- euvier (irregular)
- vocêvier (irregular)
- nósviermos (irregular)
- vocêsvierem (irregular)
- tuvieres (irregular)
Any verb in the future subjunctive
How Brazilians use it
An everyday form, not a bookish one
Se eu puder, quando der, o que você quiser: Brazilians use the future subjunctive in every conversation. Forms like se eu fazer are heard in casual speech, but they're marked as wrong, so stick to se eu fizer.
Regular verbs look like the infinitive
For regular verbs, the eu and você forms are the same as the infinitive: se eu falar, quando ele comer. You only see the tense at work in irregular verbs (for, tiver, fizer, quiser) and in the plural endings: quando vocês voltarem.
In Portugal
The future subjunctive works the same way in Portugal.
Common mistakes
Not
Se eu ir à festa, eu te aviso.ButSe eu for à festa, eu te aviso.
The future subjunctive of ir (and of ser) is for. Irregular verbs build it on the preterite: eles foram → se eu for.
Not
Quando eu fazer 30 anos, vou viajar.ButQuando eu fizer 30 anos, vou viajar.
Fazer → fizer, from fizeram. The same goes for ter → tiver, estar → estiver, poder → puder, querer → quiser, ver → vir and vir → vier.
Not
Mais tarde, quando eu chego em casa, eu te ligo.ButMais tarde, quando eu chegar em casa, eu te ligo.
Quando with the present means “whenever”, as a habit. For one time in the future, quando takes the future subjunctive.
Trigger words
These words and phrases call for the future subjunctive.
| Trigger | Example |
|---|---|
| se | Se der tempo, a gente passa no mercado. If there's time, we'll stop at the supermarket. |
| quando | Quando você chegar, me liga. When you get here, call me. |
| assim que | Assim que eu souber, te aviso. As soon as I know, I'll let you know. |
| enquanto | Enquanto você estiver aqui, fique à vontade. As long as you're here, make yourself at home. |
| sempre que | Sempre que vocês vierem a São Paulo, podem ficar aqui. Whenever you come to São Paulo, you can stay here. |
| onde | Pode sentar onde quiser. You can sit wherever you like. |
| quem | Quem terminar primeiro pode ir embora. Whoever finishes first can leave. |
Practise the future subjunctive
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.
Future Subjunctive cheat sheet (PDF)Questions
What is the future subjunctive in Portuguese?
The futuro do subjuntivo is the verb form used after se, quando, assim que and similar words when they point to the future: se eu for (if I go), quando você chegar (when you arrive). English uses the present there; Portuguese has a form of its own.
How do you form the future subjunctive in Portuguese?
Take the eles form of the preterite, drop -ram and add the endings: -r for eu and você, -rmos for nós, -rem for vocês and eles. Falaram → falar, fizeram → fizer, foram → for, tiveram → tiver.
When do you use the future subjunctive in Portuguese?
After se, quando, assim que, enquanto, sempre que, quem, onde and o que, when the sentence is about something that hasn't happened yet: se chover, a gente fica em casa (if it rains, we'll stay home).
What is the difference between the present subjunctive and the future subjunctive in Portuguese?
The word in front decides. The present subjunctive follows que and talvez (espero que você venha, I hope you come); the future subjunctive follows se and quando about the future (quando você vier, when you come).
Related tenses: the present subjunctive, the imperfect subjunctive, the personal infinitive
See the future subjunctive 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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