C1 · Avancé Chapitre 18

The Future Subjunctive: Planning for Possibilities

2 Règles totales
20 exemples
4 min

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of planning for uncertain future events with the Portuguese Future Subjunctive.

  • Form the tense using the third-person plural past tense stem.
  • Apply the tense after temporal conjunctions like 'quando'.
  • Express conditional future scenarios using 'se' effectively.
Unlock the future: plan with confidence and nuance.

Ce que tu vas apprendre

Hey there, language explorer! Ready to take a significant leap and elevate your Portuguese to a truly advanced level? In this chapter, we're diving deep into the Futuro do Subjuntivo (Future Subjunctive), a crucial C1 milestone that will unlock sophisticated communication. You're going to learn how to discuss and plan for future scenarios that aren't yet certain, making your conversations natural, precise, and genuinely advanced. **What will you learn?** You'll master six golden rules. First, you'll discover how to form this tense using the they form of the past, a key shortcut to perfect future conditions and plans. Then, you'll understand precisely when to use it after words like se (if) and quando (when) to establish a clear condition for a future event. This is where you'll grasp the subtle nuances that distinguish good Portuguese from great Portuguese, allowing you to sound truly native. **Why does it matter?** Imagine planning with friends and saying, "If it rains tomorrow, we'll go to the museum,

or discussing work projects,
When this report is finished, we can start on the next one." In these situations, using the Future Subjunctive correctly is essential to convey your meaning accurately and avoid ambiguity. This lesson empowers you to be precise and sophisticated in real-life conversations, whether you're navigating daily chats or professional discussions. It allows you to perfectly link a future event to a future condition. **How do the rules connect?** The rules in this chapter fit together like pieces of a puzzle, building a complete picture. You'll start with the foundational verb forms, then learn how to seamlessly integrate them with temporal and conditional conjunctions like se and quando. You'll see how this structure elegantly bridges the gap between a future condition and its eventual fulfillment, allowing for sophisticated cause-and-effect statements. **What will you be able to do?** By the end of this chapter, you'll confidently discuss future plans, hypothetical situations, and conditions with a level of nuance that sets advanced speakers apart. You'll move beyond simple statements, expressing the complexities of time and contingency with grace and accuracy. Your conversations will flow more smoothly, and you'll navigate all future ifs and whens with absolute mastery!

Learning Objectives

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

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Construct accurate conditional sentences for future events.

Guide du chapitre

Overview

Overview

Welcome to the fascinating world of the Portuguese Future Subjunctive! This tense is your key to unlocking nuanced expression when discussing hypothetical situations, future conditions, and possibilities. Unlike the more straightforward future indicative, which deals with certainties, the future subjunctive dives into the realm of what if and when this happens. It's an essential tool for C1 learners aiming for fluency and a deeper understanding of Portuguese grammar.
Mastering this tense will allow you to engage in more sophisticated conversations, express complex plans, and navigate uncertain futures with confidence. Think of it as your personal planning and possibility engine in Portuguese.
This chapter will demystify the formation and usage of the future subjunctive. We'll explore how it elegantly combines with conditional clauses, particularly those introduced by se (if) and quando (when). By understanding its role in expressing future events that are contingent on other actions or circumstances, you'll be able to construct more accurate and natural-sounding sentences.
Get ready to elevate your Portuguese by embracing the power of planning for possibilities!

How This Grammar Works

The Portuguese Future Subjunctive (Futuro do Subjuntivo) is primarily used in subordinate clauses that express conditions or time-related events that are uncertain or hypothetical in the future. It's most commonly found after conjunctions like se (if) and quando (when). The formation typically involves taking the third-person plural of the preterite perfect indicative (e.g., eles falaram, eles comeram, eles partiram), removing the -am ending, and adding the appropriate future subjunctive endings: «-r» for eu, -res for tu, «-r» for ele/ela/você, -rmos for «nós,» -rem for
eles/elas/vocês.
For example, from falaram, we get eu falar, tu falares, ele falar, nós falarmos, eles falarem.
The key function of the future subjunctive is to express a future event whose occurrence depends on another condition being met. For instance,
Se eu tiver tempo, irei à festa
(If I have time, I will go to the party). Here, tiver (from ter - to have) is in the future subjunctive, indicating that going to the party is conditional on having time.
Similarly,
Quando ele chegar, avisaremos você
(When he arrives, we will let you know). Chegar (to arrive) is in the future subjunctive because the act of notifying someone is dependent on his arrival, which is a future, uncertain event. This tense is crucial for expressing cause and effect, plans, and predictions that are not yet guaranteed.

Common Mistakes

  1. 1Wrong:
    Se eu vou amanhã, você vem?
Correct:
Se eu for amanhã, você vem?
*Explanation:* The conjunction se (if) introduces a hypothetical or conditional future event, which requires the future subjunctive (for from ir - to go). The future indicative (vou) implies a certainty of going, which contradicts the conditional nature introduced by se.
  1. 1Wrong:
    Quando você vai terminar o trabalho, me diga.
Correct:
Quando você terminar o trabalho, me diga.
*Explanation:* The conjunction quando (when), when referring to a future event that hasn't happened yet, triggers the future subjunctive. Vai terminar is the future indicative. Terminar is the correct future subjunctive form, indicating that the action of telling will happen *after* the work is finished, a future, contingent event.

Real Conversations

A

A

Se chover amanhã, o piquenique será cancelado. (If it rains tomorrow, the picnic will be cancelled.)
B

B

Entendido. E se o tempo melhorar, nós ainda podemos ir? (Understood. And if the weather improves, can we still go?)
A

A

Quando você terminar o relatório, me envie por e-mail, por favor. (When you finish the report, send it to me by email, please.)
B

B

Claro, assim que eu conseguir revisar tudo. (Of course, as soon as I manage to review everything.)

Quick FAQ

Q

Can the future subjunctive be used with depois que (after)?

Yes, depois que often triggers the future subjunctive when referring to a future event that will happen after another future event. For example,

Depois que eu comer, vou estudar.
(After I eat, I will study.)

Q

Is the future subjunctive always used with se and quando?

Not always. Se can also be followed by the imperfect subjunctive for past hypothetical situations (e.g.,

Se eu fosse rico...
). Quando can be followed by the present indicative when referring to habitual or certain future events (e.g.,
Quando ele vem, sempre traz flores
). The future subjunctive is specifically for uncertain or conditional future events.

Cultural Context

Native speakers frequently use the future subjunctive to express cautious planning and to convey a sense of preparedness for various future scenarios. It adds a layer of politeness and consideration when making requests or discussing potential outcomes, demonstrating a thoughtful approach to future interactions and events.

Exemples clés (2)

1

Se você quiser, podemos pedir pizza.

Si tu veux, on peut commander une pizza.

Le Subjonctif Futur : Exprimer la condition et l'incertitude (Se & Quando)
2

Quando eu tiver meu diploma, vou mudar de país.

Quand j'aurai mon diplôme, je vais changer de pays.

Le Subjonctif Futur : Exprimer la condition et l'incertitude (Se & Quando)

Conseils et astuces (2)

🎯

L'astuce des verbes réguliers

Si le verbe est régulier, ne te prends pas la tête ! Le futur du subjonctif est identique à l'infinitif. Tu n'as qu'à ajouter les terminaisons pour 'nós' et 'eles' :
Se eu falar com ela, aviso-te.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Le Subjonctif Futur : Exprimer la condition et l'incertitude (Se & Quando)
🎯

L'astuce du passé

Pense toujours à la forme 'ils' du passé composé (Prétérit) en premier. Retire le -am, et tu as ta base magique pour le futur du subjonctif : Eles fizeram donne Se você fizer.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Possibilités Futures : Utiliser « Si » (Futuro do Subjuntivo)

Vocabulaire clé (5)

conforme as/according to enquanto while hipótese hypothesis decisão decision imprevisto unforeseen event

Real-World Preview

briefcase

Project Planning

Review Summary

  • Conjunction (se/quando) + Future Subjunctive
  • Se + Futuro Subjuntivo + Futuro do Indicativo

Erreurs courantes

In conditional clauses for the future, the present indicative is incorrect. Use the future subjunctive.

Wrong: Se você faz isso, eu vou ajudar.
Correct: Se você fizer isso, eu ajudarei.

Temporal clauses referring to the future require the subjunctive.

Wrong: Quando eu chego em casa, vou dormir.
Correct: Quando eu chegar em casa, dormirei.

Confusing the past tense form with the future subjunctive form.

Wrong: Se eles viram, eu aviso.
Correct: Se eles vierem, eu avisarei.

Next Steps

You've tackled a major milestone! Keep practicing these structures in your daily life to make them second nature.

Write 5 sentences about your next vacation plans using 'se' and 'quando'.

Pratique rapide (6)

Complète la phrase avec la forme correcte de 'ter'

Se eu ___ dinheiro no mês que vem, vou comprar um celular novo.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: tiver
On utilise le futur du subjonctif 'tiver' pour une condition future possible après 'se'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Possibilités Futures : Utiliser « Si » (Futuro do Subjuntivo)

Choisis la phrase grammaticalement correcte.

Quelle phrase utilise correctement le verbe 'ver' (voir) ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Se você vir o Pedro, avise-me.
Le futur du subjonctif de 'ver' est 'vir', basé sur le passé 'viram'. C'est une erreur très fréquente, même chez les natifs !

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Le Subjonctif Futur : Exprimer la condition et l'incertitude (Se & Quando)

Trouve l'erreur dans la phrase.

Find and fix the mistake:

Assim que nós chegamos em casa, vamos jantar.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Assim que nós chegarmos em casa, vamos jantar.
Après 'Assim que' pour le futur, il faut le subjonctif. Pour 'nós', on ajoute '-mos' à l'infinitif : 'chegarmos'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Le Subjonctif Futur : Exprimer la condition et l'incertitude (Se & Quando)

Trouve et corrige l'erreur

Find and fix the mistake:

Se o Uber vem agora, nós chegamos a tempo.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Se o Uber vier agora, nós chegamos a tempo.
Le verbe 'vir' (venir) devient 'vier' au futur du subjonctif.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Possibilités Futures : Utiliser « Si » (Futuro do Subjuntivo)

Quelle phrase est correcte ?

Choisis la phrase grammaticalement correcte pour une possibilité future :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Se você quiser vir, me avise.
'Quiser' est la forme irrégulière correcte du futur du subjonctif pour 'querer'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Possibilités Futures : Utiliser « Si » (Futuro do Subjuntivo)

Complète avec la forme correcte de 'ter' (avoir).

Quando eu ___ dinheiro, vou comprar um carro.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: tiver
On utilise le futur du subjonctif car c'est une condition future introduite par 'quando'. La forme vient de 'tiveram' -> 'tiver'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Le Subjonctif Futur : Exprimer la condition et l'incertitude (Se & Quando)

Score: /6

Questions fréquentes (4)

Il sert à exprimer des actions futures possibles mais pas encore certaines. Il lie une condition à un résultat, comme dans :
Se eu puder, eu vou.
Le portugais est plus rigoureux sur la chronologie. Si l'action n'a pas encore eu lieu, on utilise un temps futur : Quando eu chegar (Quand j'arriverai).
Le portugais distingue les faits actuels des possibilités futures. Dire se eu tenho sonne comme une habitude permanente, pas une condition spécifique.
Pour les verbes réguliers, oui, c'est identique. Mais pour les irréguliers comme tiver, c'est différent. Le mot déclencheur comme se t'indique lequel choisir.