The Portuguese conditional tense (futuro do pretérito) is a verb form used to express actions that would happen under certain conditions, make polite requests, or convey uncertainty about past events. It is a fundamental part of everyday conversation in Portugal and Brazil, and mastering it will make your Portuguese sound more natural and nuanced. This guide breaks down the formation, usage, and common pitfalls of the conditional tense, giving you a clear, practical recipe for using it correctly.
Ingredients
- 1 infinitive verb (e.g., falar, comer, partir, ser, ter)
- 1 set of conditional endings: -ia, -ias, -ia, -Ãamos, -Ãeis, -iam (for all verbs)
- 1 context requiring a condition, politeness, or future-in-the-past (e.g., “se eu pudesse,” “você poderia,” “ele disse que”)
- Optional: 1 irregular stem (e.g., faria, diria, teria, seria, estaria, haveria, saberia, caberia, traria, valeria, viria, quereria, pôr → poria)
Instructions
- Start with the full infinitive form of the verb. For regular verbs, you do not remove the ending (unlike the future tense). For example, use “falar” (to speak), “comer” (to eat), “partir” (to leave).
- Add the conditional endings directly to the infinitive. The endings are the same for all three conjugations (-ar, -er, -ir): -ia, -ias, -ia, -Ãamos, -Ãeis, -iam. For example: falar + ia = falaria (I would speak); comer + ia = comeria (I would eat); partir + ia = partiria (I would leave).
- For irregular verbs, use the same stem as the future tense (the infinitive minus the final -e, or a modified stem). Memorize the common irregulars: fazer → faria (would do/make), dizer → diria (would say), trazer → traria (would bring), ser → seria (would be), ter → teria (would have), estar → estaria (would be), haver → haveria (would have/there would be), saber → saberia (would know), caber → caberia (would fit), pôr → poria (would put), querer → quereria (would want), vir → viria (would come).
- Use the conditional to express a hypothetical action that depends on a condition, often introduced by “se” (if). For example: “Se eu tivesse tempo, viajaria mais” (If I had time, I would travel more). Note that the conditional is used in the main clause, not the “se” clause (which uses the imperfect subjunctive).
- Use the conditional to make polite requests or suggestions. For example: “Você poderia me ajudar?” (Could you help me?) or “Eu gostaria de um café” (I would like a coffee). This is softer than the present tense.
- Use the conditional to express future actions from a past perspective (future-in-the-past). For example: “Ele disse que viria” (He said he would come). This is common in reported speech.
- Use the conditional to express uncertainty or conjecture about the past. For example: “Seriam umas três horas” (It would have been about three o’clock) or “Quem seria?” (Who could it be?).
- Practice with common phrases: “O que você faria?” (What would you do?), “Eu não faria isso” (I wouldn’t do that), “Seria possÃvel?” (Would it be possible?).
Tips
- Don’t confuse the conditional with the future tense (futuro do presente). The future uses -ei, -á, -emos, -ão (e.g., falarei, falará), while the conditional uses -ia, -Ãamos (e.g., falaria, falarÃamos). The future expresses certainty; the conditional expresses possibility or dependence.
- In Brazilian Portuguese, the conditional is often replaced by the imperfect tense in casual speech (e.g., “Se eu tivesse, eu ia” instead of “Se eu tivesse, eu iria”). Both are correct, but the conditional is more formal and common in writing.
- Remember that the conditional endings are always the same, regardless of the verb’s conjugation. This is a major simplification compared to other tenses.
- When using “se” (if), the conditional goes in the main clause, not the “se” clause. The “se” clause takes the imperfect subjunctive (e.g., “Se eu pudesse, viajaria”).
Serving Suggestions
Use the conditional tense in everyday conversations to sound polite and hypothetical. It is essential for job interviews (“Eu gostaria de me candidatar”), customer service (“Poderia repetir, por favor?”), and making plans (“O que você faria no meu lugar?”). It also appears frequently in news reports and literature to express reported intentions or future-in-the-past.
Variations
- European Portuguese vs. Brazilian Portuguese: In Portugal, the conditional is used more consistently in speech, while in Brazil, speakers often prefer the imperfect tense (e.g., “eu ia” instead of “eu iria”) in informal contexts. The written form is the same.
- Conditional of probability: Use it to speculate about the past (“Estaria doente?” = Could he have been sick?). This is a common nuance not always taught in textbooks.
- Compound conditional: For actions that would have happened, use the conditional of “ter” + past participle (e.g., “teria falado” = would have spoken). This is the conditional perfect (futuro do pretérito composto).
Storage and Reheating
This is a grammar guide, not a perishable dish, so no storage is needed. However, to keep your knowledge fresh, review the irregular stems weekly for a month. Practice writing one sentence per day using the conditional, and you’ll internalize it quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the conditional and the future tense? The future tense (futuro do presente) expresses certainty about what will happen (e.g., “Falarei” = I will speak). The conditional expresses what would happen under certain conditions (e.g., “Falaria” = I would speak). The endings are different: future uses -ei, -á, -emos, -ão; conditional uses -ia, -Ãas, -ia, -Ãamos.
Do I need to memorize irregular verbs? Yes, but there are only about a dozen common ones. They are the same irregulars as the future tense (e.g., fazer → faria, dizer → diria, trazer → traria). Once you know the future stem, you know the conditional stem.
Can I use the conditional with “se” (if)? Yes, but remember that the conditional goes in the main clause, not the “se” clause. The “se” clause uses the imperfect subjunctive. For example: “Se eu tivesse dinheiro, compraria uma casa” (If I had money, I would buy a house).
Is the conditional used in Brazil? Yes, it is used in formal speech and writing, and in everyday situations like polite requests (“Você poderia…”). However, in casual conversation, Brazilians often use the imperfect tense instead (e.g., “Eu ia” instead of “Eu iria”). This is a stylistic difference, not a grammatical error.
How do I form the conditional of “pôr” (to put)? The verb “pôr” is irregular. Its conditional stem is “por-” (without the accent), so you get “poria”, “porias”, “poria”, “porÃamos”, “porÃeis”, “poriam”.
What is the conditional perfect? The conditional perfect (futuro do pretérito composto) is used to talk about actions that would have happened but didn’t. It’s formed with the conditional of “ter” + past participle: “teria falado” (would have spoken), “teria comido” (would have eaten).
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