The Conditional tense, also known as “Futuro do Pretérito” in Portuguese, is used to express actions that would happen in the future, but only if a certain condition were met. It is often used to talk about hypothetical or imaginary situations, wishes, or polite requests. In this tense, the verb is conjugated differently depending on the person and the type of verb.
Conjugation of Regular Verbs in the Conditional Tense
Regular verbs in the Conditional tense are conjugated by adding the appropriate endings to the infinitive form of the verb. The endings for the Conditional tense are -ia, -ias, -ia, -íamos, -íeis, and -iam. Let’s take a look at the conjugation of regular verbs for each category of persons:
First Person Singular (eu) – The ending for the first person singular infinitive verb is -ia.
Example: Se eu tivesse dinheiro, viajaria pelo mundo. (If I had money, I would travel the world.)
Second Person Singular (tu) – The ending for the second person singular infinitive verb is -ias.
Example: Se tu estudasses mais, aprenderias rapidamente. (If you studied more, you would learn quickly.)
Third Person Singular (ele/ela/você) – The ending of the verb for the third person singular infinitive verb is -ia.
Example: Se ele chegasse mais cedo, não perderia o voo. (If he arrived earlier, he wouldn’t miss the flight.)
First Person Plural (nós) – The ending for the first person plural infinitive verb is -íamos.
Example: Se nós ganhássemos na loteria, compraríamos uma casa nova. (If we won the lottery, we would buy a new house.)
Second Person Plural (vós) – The ending for the second person plural infinitive verb is -íeis.
Example: Se vós me ajudásseis, ficaria muito grato. (If you all helped me, I would be very grateful.)
Third Person Plural (eles/elas/vocês) – The ending for the third person plural is -iam.
Example: Se eles tivessem tempo, participariam do evento. (If they had time, they would participate in the event.)
Conjugation of Irregular Verbs in the Conditional Tense
Some verbs have irregular conjugations in the Conditional tense. Although there are patterns for these irregularities, it’s necessary to memorize them individually. Let’s look at a few examples:
Ir (to go)
Eu iria (I would go)
Tu irias (You would go)
Ele/ela/você iria (He/she/you would go)
Nós iríamos (We would go)
Vós iríeis (You all would go)
Eles/elas/vocês iriam (They/you all would go)
Ter (to have)
Eu teria (I would have)
Tu terias (You would have)
Ele/ela/você teria (He/she/you would have)
Nós teríamos (We would have)
Vós teríeis (You all would have)
Eles/elas/vocês teriam (They/you all would have)
Fazer (to do/make)
Eu faria (I would do/make)
Tu farias (You would do/make)
Ele/ela/você faria (He/she/you would do/make)
Nós faríamos (We would do/make)
Vós faríeis (You all would do/make)
Eles/elas/vocês fariam (They/you all would do/make)
Example Sentences:
- Se eu ganhasse na loteria, compraria uma casa na praia. (If I won the lottery, I would buy a house at the beach.)
- Se você estudasse mais, conseguiria uma promoção no trabalho. (If you studied more, you would get a promotion at work.)
- Se ele soubesse a verdade, ficaria chocado. (If he knew the truth, he would be shocked.)
- Se nós tivéssemos tempo, viajaríamos para a Europa. (If we had time, we would travel to Europe.)
- Se vocês me ajudassem, eu agradeceria muito. (If you all helped me, I would be very grateful.)
- Se eles falassem outro idioma, trabalhariam no exterior. (If they spoke another language, they would work abroad.)
In these sentences, the conditional clause (starting with “Se” – if) establishes a condition that needs to be met for the action in the main clause to occur. The main clause expresses the hypothetical or desired outcome using the Conditional tense conjugations.
It’s important to note that the Conditional tense in Portuguese is often used in combination with the Imperfect Subjunctive tense to express hypothetical or unreal conditions in the past. In these cases, the Imperfect Subjunctive is used in the conditional clause, and the Conditional tense is used in the main clause.
Overall, the Conditional tense in Portuguese allows speakers to express hypothetical or unreal situations, wishes, or polite requests. By understanding the conjugation patterns and practicing with examples, beginners can gradually become familiar with its usage and effectively communicate in Portuguese.
Originally posted 2023-07-16 18:00:46.