B1 · Mittelstufe Kapitel 34

Future, Conditional, and Polite Forms

9 Gesamtregeln
94 Beispiele
9 Min.

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Unlock the power of possibility and future planning in Portuguese.

  • Express polite requests and hypothetical desires.
  • Conjugate essential future and conditional tense verbs.
  • Navigate social scenarios involving future plans and invitations.
Speak with grace, plan with confidence.

Was du lernen wirst

Use the conditional for polite requests, the future tense, and master key irregular forms.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Use 'Gostaria' and 'Poderia' to make polite requests in a cafe setting.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: Conjugate irregular verbs like 'Fazer' and 'Dizer' in the future tense.

Kapitel-Leitfaden

Overview

This chapter is your gateway to expressing future plans, polite requests, and hypothetical situations in Portuguese. Mastering the future and conditional tenses, along with specific polite forms, is crucial for B1 learners to communicate with greater nuance and naturalness. You'll move beyond simple present and past tenses, gaining the ability to discuss possibilities, make soft suggestions, and convey respect in your interactions.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to confidently talk about what you will do (e.g., using the future of 'Poder', 'Dizer', 'Querer', and 'Fazer'), what you would like or would do (e.g., using 'Gostaria', 'Poderia', and regular conditional verbs), and even discuss life-changing events like getting married with appropriate verb forms. This knowledge will significantly enhance your ability to engage in more complex and sophisticated conversations.
You will learn the structure of regular future and conditional verbs, and conquer key irregular forms that are frequently used in daily conversation. The emphasis on polite forms like Gostaria and Poderia will also equip you to navigate social interactions with greater ease and cultural appropriateness, making your Portuguese sound much more native.

How This Grammar Works

The future and conditional tenses in Portuguese are built upon similar structures, often using the infinitive form of the verb as their base, with specific endings added. Many verbs, however, have irregular stems that need to be memorized. Politeness is often embedded within these tenses.
Polite Requests & Suggestions (Gostaria, Poderia):
For polite requests, the conditional tense is frequently used.
Gostaria de: 'I would like to'

Ex: Eu gostaria de um café, por favor. (I would like a coffee, please.)

Ex: Você gostaria de vir conosco? (Would you like to come with us?)

Poderia: 'Could you' or 'I/one could' (conditional of 'Poder')

Ex: Você poderia me ajudar? (Could you help me?)

Ex: Nós poderíamos ir mais tarde. (We could go later.)

Getting Married in Portuguese (Casar-se):
The verb 'casar' (to marry) is typically used reflexively as 'casar-se' (to get married).

Ex: Ela vai se casar no próximo ano. (She is going to get married next year.)

Ex: Eles se casariam se tivessem dinheiro. (They would get married if they had money.)

Portuguese Conditional: Regular -er Verbs (I would eat...):
For regular -er verbs, remove the -er and add the conditional endings to the *infinitive* (the full verb).
For 'você'/'ele'/'ela': infinitive + -ia

Ex: Você comeria um bolo agora? (Would you eat a cake now?) (Comer -> Comeria)

Ex: Ele viveria na praia se pudesse. (He would live on the beach if he could.) (Viver -> Viveria)

Future of 'Poder': Saying 'Will Be Able To':
The verb 'Poder' (to be able to) has an irregular future stem: 'poder-'. The endings are added to this stem.
For 'você'/'ele'/'ela': poder- + -á

Ex: Você poderá falar com ele amanhã. (You will be able to speak with him tomorrow.)

Saying 'Will Say' in Portuguese (Dizer Future):
The verb 'Dizer' (to say/tell) has an irregular future stem: 'dir-'.
For 'você'/'ele'/'ela': dir- + -á

Ex: Você dirá a verdade? (Will you tell the truth?)

Future Intentions: 'Will Want' (Querer no Futuro):
The verb 'Querer' (to want) has an irregular future stem: 'querer-'.
For 'você'/'ele'/'ela': querer- + -á

Ex: Você quererá um carro novo? (Will you want a new car?)

Portuguese Conditional: Would (-ir verbs):
For regular -ir verbs, add the conditional endings to the *infinitive* (the full verb).
For 'você'/'ele'/'ela': infinitive + -ia

Ex: Você abriria a janela para mim? (Would you open the window for me?) (Abrir -> Abriria)

Ex: Ele partiria amanhã se pudesse. (He would leave tomorrow if he could.) (Partir -> Partiria)

The Conditional Tense: Politeness & Hypotheticals (-ia):
The conditional tense is formed by adding -ia, -ias, -ia, -íamos, -íeis, -iam to the infinitive of most verbs. It's used for polite requests, what would happen in a hypothetical situation, or what would be true.

Ex: Eu viajaria se tivesse tempo. (I would travel if I had time.)

Ex: Você me ajudaria com isso? (Would you help me with this?)

Irregular Future: Fazer (To do -> I will do):
The verb 'Fazer' (to do/make) has an irregular future stem: 'far-'.
For 'você'/'ele'/'ela': far- + -á

Ex: Você fará o jantar hoje? (Will you make dinner today?)

Common Mistakes

✗ Você gostaria fazer um sanduíche?
✓ Você gostaria *de* fazer um sanduíche?
Why: 'Gostaria' when followed by an infinitive requires the preposition 'de'.
✗ Ele vai casar ela no sábado.
✓ Ele vai *se* casar no sábado. / Ele vai casar *com* ela no sábado.
Why: 'Casar-se' means 'to get married'. If you're marrying someone else, it's 'casar com alguém'. The reflexive 'se' is essential for 'to get married'.
✗ Eu faria o almoço, mas não tenho tempo. (Attempting to use future 'fazer' in conditional)
✓ Eu *faria* o almoço, mas não tenho tempo. (This is correct for conditional 'fazer' – the stem is 'far-' for both future and conditional, but the mistake here is confusing the use or conjugation of the stem. Let's rephrase for clarity regarding irregular stems).
✗ Ele dizirá a verdade. (Using regular ending for irregular stem)
✓ Ele *dirá* a verdade.
Why: The future stem for 'dizer' is 'dir-', not 'diz-'.
✗ Você pode me emprestar seu carro? (Asking impolitely)
✓ Você *poderia* me emprestar seu carro?
Why: 'Poderia' (conditional) is much more polite than 'pode' (present) for a request.
✗ Eu faço se tivesse dinheiro. (Using present for hypothetical)
✓ Eu *faria* se tivesse dinheiro.
Why: For hypothetical situations with 'se' (if), the main clause often uses the conditional tense.

Real Conversations

A

A

Olá! Você gostaria de ir ao cinema comigo no sábado?
B

B

Ah, obrigada! Eu adoraria, mas infelizmente não poderei. Tenho um compromisso.
A

A

Que pena! Talvez você queira ir no domingo?

English:

A

A

Hello! Would you like to go to the cinema with me on Saturday?
B

B

Oh, thank you! I'd love to, but unfortunately, I won't be able to. I have an engagement.
A

A

What a pity! Maybe you will want to go on Sunday?
A

A

Com licença, você poderia me dizer onde fica a estação de trem?
B

B

Claro! Você seguirá reto por esta rua e virará na terceira à direita.
A

A

Muito obrigada! Você me salvaria muito tempo.

English:

A

A

Excuse me, could you tell me where the train station is?
B

B

Of course! You will go straight down this street and turn on the third right.
A

A

Thank you very much! You would save me a lot of time.
A

A

Meu amigo vai se casar no Brasil no próximo ano. Você acha que eu faria bem em ir?
B

B

Com certeza! Eu iria se fosse você. Será uma ótima experiência!
A

A

É, você tem razão. Eu direi a ele que irei.

English:

A

A

My friend is getting married in Brazil next year. Do you think I would do well to go?
B

B

Absolutely! I would go if I were you. It will be a great experience!
A

A

Yeah, you're right. I will tell him I'll go.

Quick FAQ

Q

What's the difference between the simple future (e.g., 'farei') and 'ir + infinitive' (e.g., 'vou fazer') for expressing future actions?

The 'ir + infinitive' construction (e.g., Eu vou fazer) is very common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese for general future intentions, often implying a more immediate or certain future. The simple future tense (e.g., Eu farei) is generally perceived as more formal or literary, though still used, especially for more distant plans, predictions, or in written contexts. At B1, it's good to recognize both.

Q

When should I use 'Você poderia' instead of 'Você pode' for requests?

Always use 'Você poderia' for polite requests. 'Você pode' (Can you?) is more direct and can sometimes sound abrupt, especially with strangers or in formal situations. 'Você poderia' (Could you?) softens the request significantly, showing more respect and consideration.

Q

Are there other common irregular verbs in the future and conditional tenses besides 'Poder', 'Dizer', 'Querer', and 'Fazer'?

Yes, there are a few others you'll encounter. Key ones include 'Ter' (to have) which becomes 'ter-' (future: terei, terá; conditional: teria), 'Vir' (to come) which becomes 'vir-' (future: virei, virá; conditional: viria), and 'Haver' (to have/exist) which becomes 'haver-' (future: haverei, haverá; conditional: haveria). The stems for future and conditional are often the same for irregular verbs.

Q

Can I use the conditional for making suggestions to others, not just polite requests for myself?

Absolutely! The conditional is perfect for making gentle suggestions or recommendations. For example,

Você poderia tentar ligar para ele
(You could try calling him) or
Nós deveríamos estudar mais
(We should study more – 'dever' in conditional often implies 'should').

Cultural Context

In Brazilian Portuguese culture, politeness and indirect communication are highly valued, particularly in initial interactions or with those of higher status. This makes the conditional tense, especially verbs like 'Gostaria' (I would like) and 'Poderia' (Could you/I), indispensable. Direct requests using the present tense, such as
Você pode me ajudar?
(Can you help me?), while grammatically correct, might be perceived as less refined than
Você poderia me ajudar?
(Could you help me?).
Using these softer forms demonstrates respect and good manners, which is crucial for building rapport.
The discussion of future plans, whether personal or professional, also benefits from the nuances of the future tense. Expressing intentions clearly but also with a sense of possibility or hypothetical outcomes allows for a more natural flow of conversation. Even the verb 'casar-se' (to get married) carries significant cultural weight; marriage and family are central to many Brazilians' lives, and discussing such events correctly using the reflexive form shows an understanding of this importance.
Mastering these forms allows you to integrate more smoothly into social settings and navigate cultural expectations with grace.

Wichtige Beispiele (8)

1

Eu gostaria de um café, por favor.

Ich hätte gerne einen Kaffee, bitte.

Höfliche Anfragen & Vorschläge (Gostaria, Poderia)
2

Você poderia me enviar o arquivo por e-mail?

Könnten Sie mir die Datei per E-Mail schicken?

Höfliche Anfragen & Vorschläge (Gostaria, Poderia)
3

Eu me caso com você em qualquer lugar.

Ich heirate dich an jedem Ort.

Heiraten auf Portugiesisch (Casar-se)
4

Eles se casam e postam tudo no Instagram.

Sie heiraten und posten alles auf Instagram.

Heiraten auf Portugiesisch (Casar-se)
5

Eu comeria dez brigadeiros agora se pudesse.

Ich würde jetzt zehn Brigadeiros essen, wenn ich könnte.

Portugiesisches Konditional: Regelmäßige -er Verben (Ich würde essen...)
6

Você beberia um café comigo amanhã?

Würdest du morgen einen Kaffee mit mir trinken?

Portugiesisches Konditional: Regelmäßige -er Verben (Ich würde essen...)
7

Eu abriria a porta se tivesse a chave.

Ich würde die Tür öffnen, wenn ich den Schlüssel hätte.

Portugiesisches Konditional: Würde (-ir Verben)
8

Você dividiria a sua conta da Netflix comigo?

Würdest du dein Netflix-Konto mit mir teilen?

Portugiesisches Konditional: Würde (-ir Verben)

Tipps & Tricks (4)

💡

Der 'Queria' Shortcut

In Brasilien hörst du im Alltag oft das Imperfekt statt des Konditionals, was trotzdem sehr höflich wirkt:
Eu queria um pão de queijo.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Höfliche Anfragen & Vorschläge (Gostaria, Poderia)
⚠️

Das 'Se' ist kein Extra!

In Prüfungen ist das Pronomen Pflicht. Eu caso bedeutet nämlich, dass du die Trauung als Standesbeamter leitest!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Heiraten auf Portugiesisch (Casar-se)
🎯

Der R-Faktor

Achte immer auf das 'r' vor der Endung. Ohne 'r' bist du in der Vergangenheit: Eu comia. Mit 'r' sagst du Eu comeria.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Portugiesisches Konditional: Regelmäßige -er Verben (Ich würde essen...)
🎯

Kling wie ein Local in Brasilien

In 90% der Gespräche nutzt du einfach vou poder. Das klingt viel natürlicher als das steife poderei. Beispiel:
Eu vou poder te ajudar.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Zukunft von 'Poder': Sagen 'wird können'

Wichtige Vokabeln (6)

Gostaria I would like Casar-se to get married Poderia could you Farei I will do Direi I will say Querer to want

Real-World Preview

heart

Planning the Wedding

Review Summary

  • Stem + -ia

Häufige Fehler

Reflexive verbs require the pronoun to match the subject.

Wrong: Eu vai casar.
Richtig: Eu vou me casar.

Sometimes learners forget the stem change in 'fazer'.

Wrong: Eu farei a tarefa amanhã.
Richtig: Eu farei a tarefa amanhã.

Ensure you don't confuse conditional with future.

Wrong: Eu comeria.
Richtig: Eu comeria.

Regeln in diesem Kapitel (9)

Next Steps

You have mastered the B1 level! Keep practicing these forms to sound like a native speaker.

Watch a Brazilian soap opera scene

Schnelle Übung (10)

Fülle die Lücke mit der richtigen Konditional-Form von 'comer' aus.

Eu ___ (comer) agora, mas não tenho fome.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: comeria
Um 'ich würde essen' zu sagen, hängst du '-ia' an den Infinitiv 'comer'. 'Comia' ist Vergangenheit, 'comerei' ist Zukunft.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Portugiesisches Konditional: Regelmäßige -er Verben (Ich würde essen...)

Finde und korrigiere den Fehler im Satz.

Find and fix the mistake:

Eles casam amanhã na praia.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eles se casam amanhã na praia.
Um auszudrücken, dass sie selbst heiraten, brauchst du das Reflexivpronomen 'se'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Heiraten auf Portugiesisch (Casar-se)

Fülle die Lücke mit der richtigen Futur-Form von 'querer' aus.

Eu ___ (querer) viajar para Portugal no próximo ano.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: quererei
Für 'Eu' wird die Futur-Endung -ei an den Infinitiv 'querer' angehängt.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Zukunftspläne: 'Werde wollen' (Querer no Futuro)

Welcher Satz nutzt das einfache Futur für 'você' korrekt?

Wähle die richtige Option:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Você quererá ajuda com o código?
Die Form ist Infinitiv (querer) + Endung (á) = quererá.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Zukunftspläne: 'Werde wollen' (Querer no Futuro)

Finde den Fehler in diesem Satz.

Find and fix the mistake:

Eles comia a sobremesa se estivesse disponível.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eles comeriam a sobremesa se estivesse disponível.
'Comia' ist Einzahl Vergangenheit. Für 'sie würden essen' nutzt du den Plural Konditional 'comeriam'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Portugiesisches Konditional: Regelmäßige -er Verben (Ich würde essen...)

Fülle die Lücke mit der richtigen Futur-Form von 'poder' aus.

No próximo ano, nós _______ viajar para a Europa.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: poderemos
Poderemos ist die korrekte 'nós'-Form im Futur. Podemos ist Gegenwart und poderíamos ist Konditional.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Zukunft von 'Poder': Sagen 'wird können'

Finde den Fehler im Futur von 'nós'.

Find and fix the mistake:

Nós quereamos jantar fora amanhã.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nós quereremos jantar fora amanhã.
Die korrekte Futur-Form für 'nós' ist 'quereremos'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Zukunftspläne: 'Werde wollen' (Querer no Futuro)

Vervollständige die höfliche Bitte.

Eu ___ (gostar) de um copo d'água, por favor.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: gostaria
Für höfliche Bitten nutzen wir den Konditional (-ia). 'Gostava' ist zu locker, 'gostarei' zu bestimmt.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Das Konditional: Höflichkeit & Hypothetisches (-ia)

Korrigiere das unregelmäßige Verb.

Find and fix the mistake:

Se eu pudesse, eu fazeria um bolo.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Se eu pudesse, eu faria um bolo.
'Fazer' ist unregelmäßig. Der Stamm ändert sich zu 'far-', also 'faria'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Das Konditional: Höflichkeit & Hypothetisches (-ia)

Wähle den richtigen hypothetischen Satz aus.

Welcher Satz bedeutet 'Ich würde dieses Auto kaufen'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu compraria aquele carro.
'Compraria' ist die Konditionalform. 'Comprei' ist die Vergangenheit.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Das Konditional: Höflichkeit & Hypothetisches (-ia)

Score: /10

Häufige Fragen (6)

Ja, er ist höflicher als das Präsens und perfekt für Fremde oder den Job:
Eu gostaria de falar com você.
Dafür nutzt du 'Eu deveria'. Ein Beispiel wäre:
Eu deveria estudar mais para a prova.
Grammatikalisch ja, aber man kann es scherzhaft für Dinge nutzen, die perfekt zusammenpassen, wie
O queijo se casa com o vinho
.
'Casar' ohne 'se' bedeutet, die Zeremonie als Priester zu leiten. Eu me caso bedeutet, dass du selbst heiratest.
Comeria ist Konditional (würde essen), während comia das Imperfekt ist (ich aß/habe gegessen). Das 'r' ist der Schlüssel:
Eu comeria uma pizza.
Ja, Verben wie gostaria sind der Standardweg, um höflich und formell zu sein, besonders im Service:
Eu gostaria de um café.