B2 · Intermédiaire supérieur Chapitre 20

Hypotheticals and Polite Requests

6 Règles totales
60 exemples
7 min
Règles dans ce chapitre Pratique rapide

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of nuance by using the conditional tense to express polite requests and hypothetical scenarios.

  • Conjugate the 'Big Three' irregular verbs in the conditional.
  • Construct complex 'would' sentences for social grace.
  • Apply the conditional to speculate about past events.
Speak with grace: Master the Portuguese conditional.

Ce que tu vas apprendre

Ready to elevate your Portuguese and sound truly authentic? This chapter is your key to unlocking sophisticated and nuanced conversations, just like a native speaker! Here, you'll dive deep into the Conditional tense (Futuro do Pretérito) to express everything from polite desires and hypothetical scenarios to educated guesses about the past. We'll start by mastering the Big Three irregular verbs—dizer, fazer, and trazer—which transform into dir-, far-, and trar- before taking their endings. Then, you'll discover how effortlessly you can form the would tense in Portuguese by adding simple -ia endings to verb infinitives. Imagine yourself in a crucial situation, perhaps delicately negotiating a business deal or making a very polite request to a waiter in a chic restaurant. These skills will empower you to express yourself with grace and avoid sounding overly direct. Or, think about those times you want to speculate about past events, expressing doubt or suggesting possibilities—like saying,

He must have been there
or
She would have known.
This chapter gives you the tools to do just that. We’ll build your foundation with the irregular Big Three, then move to the general pattern of conditional formation for all other verbs. Finally, you’ll learn to leverage this versatile tense for expressing probabilities and conjectures about past situations. By the end of this chapter, you’ll confidently construct complex conditional sentences, make impeccable polite requests, and discuss past events with subtle nuance. Your conversations will gain depth and professionalism, making you feel truly at home in Portuguese. No hypothetical situation or polite inquiry will be beyond your expressive reach!

Learning Objectives

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

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Use 'faria', 'diria', and 'traria' to make refined requests in restaurant or business settings.

Guide du chapitre

Overview

Ready to truly elevate your Portuguese and sound just like a native speaker? This chapter is your essential guide to unlocking sophisticated and nuanced conversations. We’re diving deep into the Conditional tense, known in Portuguese as the Futuro do Pretérito, a versatile tool that allows you to express everything from polite desires and hypothetical scenarios to educated guesses about the past.
Mastering this tense is a crucial step for B2 Portuguese grammar learners aiming for fluency and authenticity.
Imagine yourself in a situation where you need to make a delicate request, negotiate a business deal, or simply express a wish without sounding overly direct. The Conditional tense empowers you to do just that, adding grace and professionalism to your speech. You'll learn how to form the would tense in Portuguese, starting with the Big Three irregular verbs—dizer (to say), fazer (to do/make), and trazer (to bring)—which transform into dir-, far-, and trar- before taking their endings.
Beyond politeness, this tense is invaluable for speculating about past events. Ever wanted to say,
He must have been there
or
She would have known
in Portuguese? This chapter provides the tools to express doubt, suggest possibilities, and make conjectures about past situations with subtle nuance.
By the end, you'll confidently construct complex conditional sentences, make impeccable polite requests, and discuss past events like a seasoned Portuguese speaker. This is a game-changer for your Portuguese grammar B2 journey!

How This Grammar Works

At the heart of this chapter is the Futuro do Pretérito, or the Conditional tense, which primarily translates to would in English. We'll start by mastering the Big Three irregular verbs, which are crucial for the "Future & Conditional Stems: I will/would do (dir, far, trar)" rule. These verbs have unique stems:
* Dizer (to say) becomes dir-
* Fazer (to do/make) becomes far-
* Trazer (to bring) becomes trar-
These stems then take the standard conditional endings. For example, fazer (to do/make) conjugates as:
* 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 - mostly European Portuguese)
* Eles/Elas/Vocês fariam (They/You all would do/make)
This covers the "Short & Sweet: Irregular Conditional Stems
rule. For all other regular verbs, forming the Conditional is incredibly straightforward, aligning with the
Portuguese Conditional Tense: Saying 'Would' (Futuro do Pretérito) and Portuguese Conditional: Expressing 'Would' (Eu faria)
rules. You simply take the infinitive form of the verb and add the same
-ia" endings.
For example, with falar (to speak):
* Eu falaria (I would speak)
* Tu falarias (You would speak)
* Ele/Ela/Você falaria (He/She/You would speak)
* Nós falaríamos (We would speak)
* Vós falaríeis (You all would speak)
* Eles/Elas/Vocês falariam (They/You all would speak)
This pattern applies to all regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs. This elegant simplicity makes the "Portuguese Conditional: The 'Would' Tense (Futuro do Pretérito)
surprisingly easy to grasp. Finally, this tense is also used for
Guessing the Past: Using the Conditional for Probability." For instance, Ele estaria em casa (He would probably be at home / He must have been at home).
This allows you to express conjectures about past events, adding a layer of sophisticated nuance to your conversations.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1✗ Wrong:
    Você vai me ajudar com isso?
    (Are you going to help me with this?)
✓ Correct:
Você me ajudaria com isso?
(Would you help me with this?)
*Explanation:* While the first sentence is grammatically correct, using the simple future (vai ajudar) can sound too direct or demanding when making a request. The Conditional tense (ajudaria) is much more polite and appropriate for asking for favors or making suggestions in Portuguese.
  1. 1✗ Wrong:
    Eu fazeria o jantar se tivesse tempo.
    (I would make dinner if I had time.)
✓ Correct:
Eu faria o jantar se tivesse tempo.
(I would make dinner if I had time.)
*Explanation:* This common error involves regularizing the irregular verb fazer. Remember the "Short & Sweet: Irregular Conditional Stems" rule: fazer becomes far-, not fazer-. The same applies to dizer (diria, not dizeria) and trazer (traria, not trazeria).
  1. 1✗ Wrong:
    Ele provavelmente estava lá.
    (He probably was there.)
✓ Correct: Ele estaria lá. (He must have been there / He would have been there.)
*Explanation:* While provavelmente estava is understandable, using the Conditional tense (estaria) for
Guessing the Past: Using the Conditional for Probability
is a more natural and idiomatic way to express conjecture or an educated guess about a past event in Portuguese. It implies a higher degree of speculation or a milder assertion.

Real Conversations

A

A

Você poderia me dar uma informação? (Could you give me some information?)
B

B

Claro! O que você gostaria de saber? (Of course! What would you like to know?)
A

A

Se eu tivesse mais dinheiro, viajaria o mundo todo. (If I had more money, I would travel the whole world.)
B

B

Eu também faria o mesmo! (I would do the same too!)
A

A

Onde estaria ele ontem à noite? Não o vi em lugar nenhum. (Where would he have been last night? I didn't see him anywhere.)
B

B

Ele talvez estaria em casa, cansado do trabalho. (He might have been home, tired from work.)

Quick FAQ

Q

What is the difference between the Conditional and the Simple Future in Portuguese?

The Simple Future (futuro do presente) describes actions that *will* definitely happen (e.g., Eu farei - I will do). The Conditional (futuro do pretérito) expresses actions that *would* happen under certain conditions, polite requests, or conjectures about the past (e.g., Eu faria - I would do).

Q

Are there many irregular verbs in the Portuguese Conditional besides dizer, fazer, and trazer?

No, thankfully! These Big Three are the most common and important irregular verbs for the Conditional tense in Portuguese. Most other verbs follow the regular pattern of adding the -ia endings to their infinitive form.

Q

Can I use the Conditional to talk about things I *used to* do?

No, the Conditional tense is not typically used for past habits. For actions you *used to* do, you should use the Imperfect tense (pretérito imperfeito), such as Eu falava (I used to speak). The Conditional expresses would in hypothetical or polite contexts.

Q

How does the Conditional help with sounding more polite in Portuguese?

Using the Conditional tense softens requests and suggestions, making them less direct and more respectful. For example, instead of Quero um café (I want a coffee),

Gostaria de um café
(I would like a coffee) is much politer and more common in formal or service interactions.

Cultural Context

In Portuguese-speaking cultures, particularly in more formal settings or when interacting with strangers, politeness is highly valued. The Conditional tense is your go-to tool for demonstrating this respect. Using forms like gostaria (I would like) or poderia (you could/would be able to) in polite requests is not just good grammar; it's a social expectation.
It subtly conveys deference and consideration, making your interactions smoother and more positive. Mastering this aspect of Portuguese grammar will significantly enhance your ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in various social situations, from a chic restaurant to a professional meeting.

Exemples clés (8)

1

Eu **farei** o upload do vídeo amanhã cedo.

Je vais télécharger la vidéo demain matin.

Radicaux du Futur et Conditionnel : je ferai/ferais (dir, far, trar)
2

Você me **diria** qual é a senha do Wi-Fi?

Est-ce que tu me dirais quel est le mot de passe du Wi-Fi ?

Radicaux du Futur et Conditionnel : je ferai/ferais (dir, far, trar)
3

Eu gostaria de um café, por favor.

Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît.

Le conditionnel en portugais : Dire « Je ferais » (Futuro do Pretérito)
4

Se eu tivesse dinheiro, viajaria pelo mundo.

Si j'avais de l'argent, je voyagerais à travers le monde.

Le conditionnel en portugais : Dire « Je ferais » (Futuro do Pretérito)
5

Eu gostaria de um café, por favor.

Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît.

Le conditionnel en portugais : Le temps 'serait' (Futuro do Pretérito)
6

Se eu fosse você, eu não faria isso.

Si j'étais toi, je ne ferais pas ça.

Le conditionnel en portugais : Le temps 'serait' (Futuro do Pretérito)
7

Onde ela estaria àquela hora da noite?

Où pouvait-elle bien être à cette heure de la nuit ?

Deviner le passé : Le conditionnel de probabilité (Futuro do Pretérito)
8

Seriam umas três da tarde quando a chuva começou.

Il devait être environ trois heures de l'après-midi quand la pluie a commencé.

Deviner le passé : Le conditionnel de probabilité (Futuro do Pretérito)

Conseils et astuces (4)

🎯

Le 'R' est ton meilleur ami

C'est simple : si tu n'entends pas de 'r' avant la terminaison, ce n'est ni du futur, ni du conditionnel. Pense à bien faire vibrer ce 'r' comme dans :
Eu faria isso agora.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Radicaux du Futur et Conditionnel : je ferai/ferais (dir, far, trar)
⚠️

Le piège de l'espagnol !

Attention, ne dis pas 'poderia' comme le 'podría' espagnol. En portugais, le verbe 'Poder' est tout à fait régulier :
Eu poderia te ajudar amanhã.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Courts et Doux : Racines Irrégulières du Conditionnel
🎯

La règle de l'infinitif

Ne coupe pas la fin du verbe ! On garde tout le mot (-ar/-er/-ir) et on colle -ia au bout. C'est le seul temps où le verbe reste entier, comme dans falaria.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Le conditionnel en portugais : Dire « Je ferais » (Futuro do Pretérito)
🎯

Le raccourci brésilien

Dans la vie de tous les jours au Brésil, on utilise souvent l'imparfait pour être poli au lieu du conditionnel pur :
Eu queria um café, por favor.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Le conditionnel en portugais : Exprimer le souhait (Eu faria)

Vocabulaire clé (6)

Faria Would do/make Diria Would say Traria Would bring Gostaria Would like Poderia Could (would be able to) Seria Would be

Real-World Preview

coffee

Fine Dining Request

Review Summary

  • Stem + -ia, -ias, -ia, -íamos, -íeis, -iam
  • Infinitive + -ia endings

Erreurs courantes

Using 'quero' is too direct. 'Gostaria' is the polite way to express desire.

Wrong: Eu quero um café.
Correct: Eu gostaria de um café.

Students often treat irregulars as regulars. Remember the stem 'far-'.

Wrong: Eu fazeria isso.
Correct: Eu faria isso.

When speculating about location, use 'estar' in the conditional, not 'ser'.

Wrong: Ele teria sido lá.
Correct: Ele estaria lá.

Règles dans ce chapitre (6)

1

Radicaux du Futur et Conditionnel : je ferai/ferais (dir, far, trar)

B2
Maîtrise le trio magique dir, far et trar pour débloquer un niveau de portugais vraiment fluide et pro.
Eu **farei** o upload do vídeo amanhã cedo.
10 exemples
2

Courts et Doux : Racines Irrégulières du Conditionnel

B2
Pour les verbes Dizer, Fazer et Trazer, on raccourcit la racine en dir-, far- et trar- avant d'ajouter les terminaisons habituelles du conditionnel.
Eu faria tudo diferente se tivesse outra chance.
10 exemples
3

Le conditionnel en portugais : Dire « Je ferais » (Futuro do Pretérito)

B2
Utilise l'infinitif complet plus la terminaison -ia pour exprimer le conditionnel, comme pour les demandes de politesse gostaria ou les scénarios imaginaires faria.
Eu gostaria de um café, por favor.
10 exemples
4

Le conditionnel en portugais : Exprimer le souhait (Eu faria)

B2
Le conditionnel exprime des désirs hypothétiques et des demandes polies en ajoutant des terminaisons spécifiques à l'infinitif, comme seria, faria ou poderia.
Eu comeria uma pizza inteira agora.
10 exemples
5

Le conditionnel en portugais : Le temps 'serait' (Futuro do Pretérito)

B2
Le conditionnel, c'est ton outil magique pour l'imaginaire et la politesse. Utilise les terminaisons en -ia pour transformer tes rêves en phrases avec seria, faria ou gostaria.
Eu gostaria de um café, por favor.
10 exemples
6

Deviner le passé : Le conditionnel de probabilité (Futuro do Pretérito)

B2
Utilise le conditionnel (Futuro do Pretérito) pour exprimer une probabilité ou un doute sur le passé, comme avec seria, estaria ou teria feito.
Onde ela estaria àquela hora da noite?
10 exemples

Next Steps

You have navigated the conditional tense like a pro! Keep practicing these forms in your daily life to make them second nature.

Listen to a Portuguese podcast and note every time you hear a verb ending in -ia.

Continue to: Advanced Timelines and Completed Actions

Pratique rapide (10)

Quelle phrase est grammaticalement correcte ?

Choisis la forme correcte du conditionnel pour 'trazer'.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nós traríamos bebidas.
La racine est 'trar-' et la forme 'nós' prend un accent sur la terminaison : 'traríamos'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Courts et Doux : Racines Irrégulières du Conditionnel

Laquelle de ces phrases est polie et grammaticalement correcte ?

Choisis la phrase correcte au conditionnel :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Você me traria um copo de água?
'Trazer' devient 'trar-' au conditionnel. En ajoutant '-ia' pour 'você', on obtient 'traria'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Radicaux du Futur et Conditionnel : je ferai/ferais (dir, far, trar)

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase.

Nós dizemos que nós fazeriamos o bolo amanhã.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nós dissemos que nós faríamos o bolo amanhã.
Le conditionnel de 'fazer' est 'faríamos', pas 'fazeriamos'. De plus, 'dissemos' (passé) convient mieux au contexte.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Radicaux du Futur et Conditionnel : je ferai/ferais (dir, far, trar)

Trouve et corrige l'erreur.

Find and fix the mistake:

Ela dizeria a verdade.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ela diria a verdade.
'Dizer' est irrégulier. La racine est 'dir-', ce qui donne 'diria'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Courts et Doux : Racines Irrégulières du Conditionnel

Quelle phrase est grammaticalement correcte ?

Choisis la bonne forme irrégulière :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu faria a tarefa se pudesse.
'Fazer' est irrégulier au conditionnel ; la forme correcte est 'faria'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Le conditionnel en portugais : Le temps 'serait' (Futuro do Pretérito)

Quelle phrase utilise correctement le verbe irrégulier 'fazer' au conditionnel ?

Choisis la bonne phrase :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu faria o trabalho amanhã.
'Fazer' est irrégulier au conditionnel ; le radical devient 'far-'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Le conditionnel en portugais : Dire « Je ferais » (Futuro do Pretérito)

Complète la phrase avec la forme correcte du futur de 'fazer'.

Amanhã, eu ___ (fazer) as compras no supermercado.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: farei
Le verbe 'fazer' est irrégulier au futur. Le radical est 'far-', et pour 'eu', la terminaison est '-ei'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Radicaux du Futur et Conditionnel : je ferai/ferais (dir, far, trar)

Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans cette phrase.

Find and fix the mistake:

Nós falariamos com ele se tivéssemos tempo.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nós falaríamos com ele se tivéssemos tempo.
La forme 'nós' du conditionnel nécessite toujours un accent sur le 'í' (falaríamos).

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Le conditionnel en portugais : Le temps 'serait' (Futuro do Pretérito)

Complète avec la forme correcte du conditionnel pour 'gostar'.

Eu ___ de pedir uma pizza. (gostar)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: gostaria
Pour dire 'je voudrais' (politesse), on utilise le conditionnel gostaria.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Le conditionnel en portugais : Dire « Je ferais » (Futuro do Pretérito)

Complète la phrase avec la forme correcte.

Eu ___ (fazer) um bolo se tivesse tempo.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: faria
La racine irrégulière de 'fazer' est 'far-', donc on obtient 'eu faria'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Courts et Doux : Racines Irrégulières du Conditionnel

Score: /10

Questions fréquentes (6)

Oui, c'est la bonne nouvelle ! Dizer (dir-), Fazer (far-) et Trazer (trar-) sont les seuls verbes de toute la langue qui changent de radical pour ces temps. Par exemple :
Eu trarei o livro.
Dans le langage très familier au Brésil, on utilise souvent 'ia fazer' pour remplacer le conditionnel. Mais 'faria' reste bien plus élégant et correct :
Eu faria isso ontem.
L'évolution des langues est parfois surprenante ! La plupart des verbes se sont régularisés, mais ces trois-là sont si fréquents que leurs formes courtes anciennes sont restées, comme dans :
O que você faria?
.
Eh bien non ! Même si 'pôr' est un verbe étrange, son conditionnel est régulier sur sa base :
Eu poria o livro na mesa.
. C'est pareil pour 'ver' (veria) et 'vir' (viria).
On l'appelle le 'Futuro do Pretérito'. Il sert à exprimer des actions qui 'arriveraient' sous certaines conditions, comme dans
Eu iria se pudesse.
C'est super simple : tu ajoutes -ia, -ia, -íamos, -iam à l'infinitif. Par exemple, 'falar' devient falaria.
Chapitre précédent
Expressing Purpose, Contrast, and Tense Harmony
Chapitre suivant
Advanced Timelines and Completed Actions
Retour à la feuille de route