Verb tenses · Brazilian Portuguese
Portuguese Present Subjunctive (Presente do subjuntivo)
The present subjunctive is the form for wishes, doubts, feelings and things that may or may not happen, usually after que: espero que você goste.
Tomara que não chova amanhã. I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow.
- Used in speech and writing
- Level B1
- Same in Portugal
- -ar
- -e -e -emos -em
- -er
- -a -a -amos -am
- -ir
- -a -a -amos -am
When to use the present subjunctive
Wanting, asking or hoping that someone else does something.
Minha mãe quer que eu ligue mais vezes.
My mother wants me to call more often.
A feeling or judgement about something.
É uma pena que ela não possa vir.
It's a shame she can't come.
Doubt and possibility, after talvez, duvido que, é possível que.
Talvez eu saia mais cedo hoje.
Maybe I'll leave early today.
After para que, embora, antes que, caso and other que-conjunctions.
Vou deixar a chave com o porteiro para que você possa entrar.
I'll leave the key with the doorman so you can get in.
Negative commands, and commands to você: the imperative borrows these forms.
Não se preocupe, eu resolvo.
Don't worry, I'll sort it out.
Often confused with the present.
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 | fale | coma | parta |
| vocêvocê, ele, ela, a gente | fale | coma | parta |
| nósnós | falemos | comamos | partamos |
| vocêsvocês, eles, elas | falem | comam | partam |
| tuturegional | fales | comas | partas |
Spelling changes
Some regular verbs change a letter in this tense to keep the sound of their stem. They aren't irregular: the change is in the spelling, not the sound.
- -car → -queficar → eu fiqueand 349 more
- -gar → -guechegar → eu chegueand 212 more
- -cer → -çaparecer → eu pareçaand 128 more
- -çar → -cecomeçar → eu comeceand 99 more
- -gir → -jadirigir → eu dirijaand 34 more
- -ger → -japroteger → eu protejaand 10 more
- -guer → -gaerguer → eu ergaand 2 more
- -guir → -gadistinguir → eu distingaand 1 more
- -cir → -çaressarcir → eu ressarça
Irregular verbs
The most common irregular verbs in the present 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
- euesteja (irregular)
- vocêesteja (irregular)
- nósestejamos (irregular)
- vocêsestejam (irregular)
- tuestejas (irregular)
ir
- euvá (irregular)
- vocêvá (irregular)
- nósvamos (irregular)
- vocêsvão (irregular)
- tuvás (irregular)
ser
- euseja (irregular)
- vocêseja (irregular)
- nóssejamos (irregular)
- vocêssejam (irregular)
- tusejas (irregular)
ter
- eutenha (irregular)
- vocêtenha (irregular)
- nóstenhamos (irregular)
- vocêstenham (irregular)
- tutenhas (irregular)
poder
- eupossa (irregular)
- vocêpossa (irregular)
- nóspossamos (irregular)
- vocêspossam (irregular)
- tupossas (irregular)
fazer
- eufaça (irregular)
- vocêfaça (irregular)
- nósfaçamos (irregular)
- vocêsfaçam (irregular)
- tufaças (irregular)
Also: desfazer, satisfazer and 9 more
saber
- eusaiba (irregular)
- vocêsaiba (irregular)
- nóssaibamos (irregular)
- vocêssaibam (irregular)
- tusaibas (irregular)
querer
- euqueira (irregular)
- vocêqueira (irregular)
- nósqueiramos (irregular)
- vocêsqueiram (irregular)
- tuqueiras (irregular)
Also: maisquerer, malquerer
dizer
- eudiga (irregular)
- vocêdiga (irregular)
- nósdigamos (irregular)
- vocêsdigam (irregular)
- tudigas (irregular)
Also: contradizer, bendizer and 4 more
ver
- euveja (irregular)
- vocêveja (irregular)
- nósvejamos (irregular)
- vocêsvejam (irregular)
- tuvejas (irregular)
haver
- euhaja (irregular)
- vocêhaja (irregular)
- nóshajamos (irregular)
- vocêshajam (irregular)
- tuhajas (irregular)
vir
- euvenha (irregular)
- vocêvenha (irregular)
- nósvenhamos (irregular)
- vocêsvenham (irregular)
- tuvenhas (irregular)
Any verb in the present subjunctive
How Brazilians use it
Brazilians use it all day
The subjunctive isn't bookish in Brazil. You'll hear it constantly in small phrases: tomara que, espero que, quer que eu te ajude?, não esquece de me avisar caso você precise. If you learn a handful of these, the forms come on their own.
Acho que takes the indicative
Acho que (I think) states what you believe, so the indicative follows: acho que ele vem. In the negative, careful speech switches to the subjunctive, não acho que ele venha, though many people keep the indicative.
In Portugal
The present subjunctive works the same way in Portugal.
Common mistakes
Not
Espero que você gosta.ButEspero que você goste.
Espero que is a hope, not a fact, so the verb after it goes in the subjunctive.
Not
Talvez ele vem hoje.ButTalvez ele venha hoje.
Talvez before the verb takes the subjunctive. Only when talvez comes after it is the indicative fine: ele vem hoje, talvez.
Not
Quero que você fazer isso.ButQuero que você faça isso.
With que and a second person, use the subjunctive. With the same person, drop que and use the infinitive: quero fazer isso.
Trigger words
These words and phrases call for the present subjunctive.
| Trigger | Example |
|---|---|
| espero que | Espero que você goste. I hope you like it. |
| tomara que | Tomara que dê tudo certo. I hope it all works out. |
| quer que eu…? | Quer que eu te busque no aeroporto? Do you want me to pick you up at the airport? |
| talvez | Talvez a gente vá à praia no sábado. Maybe we'll go to the beach on Saturday. |
| é importante que | É importante que todo mundo chegue na hora. It's important that everyone gets there on time. |
| embora | Embora esteja cansado, ele vai trabalhar hoje. Although he's tired, he's going to work today. |
| para que | Vou falar mais devagar para que todo mundo entenda. I'll speak more slowly so everyone understands. |
| antes que | Vamos sair antes que comece a chover. Let's leave before it starts raining. |
Practise the present 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.
Present Subjunctive cheat sheet (PDF)Questions
What is the present subjunctive in Portuguese?
The presente do subjuntivo is the verb form for wishes, doubts, feelings and possibilities, usually after que: espero que você goste (I hope you like it), talvez ele venha (maybe he'll come).
How do you form the present subjunctive in Portuguese?
Take the eu form of the present, drop the -o, and swap the vowel: -ar verbs take -e (falo → fale, falem), -er and -ir verbs take -a (como → coma, parto → parta). A few are irregular: ser → seja, estar → esteja, ir → vá, saber → saiba, querer → queira, dar → dê.
When do you use the subjunctive in Portuguese?
After words of wanting, hoping, doubting and feeling (quero que, espero que, duvido que, que pena que), after talvez, and after conjunctions like para que, embora and antes que. It's also the form of negative commands: não fale.
Do Brazilians really use the subjunctive?
Yes, every day. Phrases like tomara que, espero que and quer que eu…? are part of ordinary conversation, and getting them wrong is one of the things that marks a foreign speaker.
Related tenses: the imperfect subjunctive, the future subjunctive, the imperative
See the present 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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