The present subjunctive in Portuguese is used to express wishes, doubts, hypothetical situations, and other subjective or non-concrete events. It often follows verbs like "querer" (to want), "esperar" (to hope), "desejar" (to wish), and "pedir" (to ask).
Formation
The present subjunctive is formed by taking the first-person singular of the present indicative, removing the ending, and adding the subjunctive endings.
Conjugation
-AR Verbs
| Person | Ending | Example: falar (to speak) |
|---|
| Eu | -e | fale |
| Tu | -es | fales |
| Ele/Ela/Você | -e | fale |
| Nós | -emos | falemos |
| Vós | -eis | faleis |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | -em | falem |
-ER Verbs
| Person | Ending | Example: comer (to eat) |
|---|
| Eu | -a | coma |
| Tu | -as | comas |
| Ele/Ela/Você | -a | coma |
| Nós | -amos | comamos |
| Vós | -ais | comais |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | -am | comam |
-IR Verbs
| Person | Ending | Example: partir (to leave) |
|---|
| Eu | -a | parta |
| Tu | -as | partas |
| Ele/Ela/Você | -a | parta |
| Nós | -amos | partamos |
| Vós | -ais | partais |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | -am | partam |
Usage
1. Wishes
- Quero que tu fales com ele.
- (I want you to speak with him.)
2. Doubts
- É possível que eles comam tarde.
- (It's possible that they eat late.)
3. Hypothetical Situations
- Se nós partirmos agora, chegaremos cedo.
- (If we leave now, we'll arrive early.)
4. Expressing Uncertainty
- Não acho que ele saiba a resposta.
- (I don’t think he knows the answer.)
Common Expressions
- Talvez ele venha amanhã.
- (Maybe he will come tomorrow.)
- É importante que vocês estudem para o exame.
- (It's important that you study for the exam.)
Key Points
- The subjunctive is not about what is real or certain, but what is possible, desired, or uncertain.
- It often follows expressions of emotion, desire, doubt, and uncertainty.
