Introduction
The conditional perfect in Portuguese is a verb tense used to express hypothetical situations, regrets, or unrealized actions in the past. It helps convey what "could have," "would have," or "should have" happened but didn't.
Formation
The conditional perfect is formed with the conditional tense of the auxiliary verb "ter" (to have) plus the past participle of the main verb.
Structure:
- Subject + Ter (Conditional) + Past Participle
Conjugation of "Ter" in Conditional Perfect
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Eu | teria |
| Tu | terias |
| Ele/Ela/Você | teria |
| Nós | teríamos |
| Vós | teríeis |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | teriam |
Examples
- Eu teria falado com ele.
(I would have spoken to him.)
- Nós teríamos viajado para o Brasil.
(We would have traveled to Brazil.)
- Eles teriam terminado o projeto.
(They would have finished the project.)
Common Uses
1. Expressing Regret
- Eu teria estudado mais para o exame.
(I should have studied more for the exam.)
2. Hypothetical Past Situations
- Ela teria ido à festa se soubesse.
(She would have gone to the party if she had known.)
3. Unrealized Actions
- Você teria ganho o prêmio se participasse.
(You would have won the prize if you had participated.)
Comparison with Other Tenses
| English Meaning | Conditional Perfect | Simple Past |
|---|---|---|
| I would have visited the museum. | Eu teria visitado o museu. | Eu visitei o museu. (I visited the museum.) |
| She would have cooked dinner. | Ela teria cozinhado o jantar. | Ela cozinhou o jantar. (She cooked dinner.) |
| We would have met him yesterday. | Nós teríamos encontrado ele ontem. | Nós encontramos ele ontem. (We met him yesterday.) |
| They would have seen the movie. | Eles teriam visto o filme. | Eles viram o filme. (They saw the movie.) |
| You would have completed the task. | Você teria completado a tarefa. | Você completou a tarefa. (You completed the task.) |
Practice Sentences
- Eu teria comprado o carro se tivesse dinheiro.
(I would have bought the car if I had money.)
- Nós teríamos ficado em casa se soubéssemos do clima.
(We would have stayed home if we knew about the weather.)
- Vocês teriam visto o filme se chegaram mais cedo.
(You would have seen the movie if you arrived earlier.)
- Ele teria escrito o relatório ontem.
(He would have written the report yesterday.)
- Ela teria aprendido a tocar piano.
(She would have learned to play the piano.)
Key Points to Remember
- The conditional perfect is used for unrealized or hypothetical actions in the past.
- It conveys a sense of regret or missed opportunity.
- The structure is consistent: ter in the conditional + past participle.
By mastering the conditional perfect, you can effectively communicate nuanced past scenarios in Portuguese, highlighting what might have been.