B2 Future & Conditional 12 min read Medium

Portuguese Conditional: The 'Would' Tense (Futuro do Pretérito)

The Portuguese conditional creates hypothetical 'would' scenarios and polite requests by adding specific endings to full verbs.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

The 'Futuro do Pretérito' expresses hypothetical actions or polite requests by adding specific endings to the infinitive verb.

  • Use it for hypothetical situations: 'Eu comeria se tivesse fome' (I would eat if I were hungry).
  • Use it for polite requests: 'Você poderia me ajudar?' (Could you help me?).
  • Formation: Take the full infinitive verb and add -ia, -ias, -ia, -íamos, -íeis, -iam.
Infinitive Verb + Ending (-ia, -ias, -ia, -íamos, -íeis, -iam)

Overview

The Futuro do Pretérito, known in English as the Conditional tense, is a crucial component of Portuguese grammar at the B2 level. It primarily expresses actions or states that would occur under certain conditions, from a hypothetical perspective, or as a future event relative to a past point. This tense allows you to articulate possibilities, preferences, and polite requests, moving beyond simple statements of fact into a realm of nuance and supposition.

Mastering the Conditional enhances your ability to engage in complex discussions, express empathy, and navigate social interactions with greater linguistic precision. It reflects a shift from declarative certainty to modulated intention or outcome.

Functionally, the Conditional serves as Portuguese's primary way to convey the English modal verb 'would.' While seemingly straightforward, its applications extend across various linguistic contexts, from constructing elaborate hypothetical scenarios to softening direct inquiries. Understanding its formation and diverse uses is essential for both comprehension and expressive fluency. This tense bridges the past and the potential future, offering a sophisticated tool for advanced communication.

Conjugation Table

Person Ending Falar (to speak) Comer (to eat) Abrir (to open)
:--------------- :----- :----------------- :--------------- :----------------
Eu -ia falaria comeria abriria
Tu -ias falarias comerias abririas
Você/Ele/Ela -ia falaria comeria abriria
Nós -íamos falaríamos comeríamos abriríamos
Vós -íeis falaríeis comeríeis abriríeis
Vocês/Eles/Elas -iam falariam comeriam abririam
Infinitive Irregular Stem Eu Form Nós Form Translation
:--------- :------------- :----------- :-------------- :---------------
dizer dir- diria diríamos I would say
fazer far- faria faríamos I would do/make
trazer trar- traria traríamos I would bring

How This Grammar Works

The Futuro do Pretérito operates on a principle of conditional projection. Conceptually, it describes an action that was future relative to a past point in time, but which remains contingent, hypothetical, or unfulfilled. This tense is built upon the same stem irregularities as the Futuro do Presente because, historically, both evolved from the Latin infinitive plus forms of habere (to have).
In the Conditional, habere took on a past or hypothetical sense, thus (eu) cantar hebra evolved into cantaria, meaning 'I had to sing' or 'I would sing'.
This tense is inherently modal, expressing a speaker's attitude towards the action rather than its factual occurrence. It signals possibility, desirability, politeness, or conjecture. For instance, Eu viajaria se tivesse tempo (I would travel if I had time) clearly indicates that traveling is a possibility, but dependent on a condition (ter tempo) that is currently unrealized.
This modal nuance distinguishes it from simple past or future statements. It allows for a sophisticated expression of thought, enabling speakers to discuss scenarios that are counterfactual or merely imagined.

Formation Pattern

1
The formation of the Portuguese Conditional is remarkably consistent for regular verbs. You take the full infinitive of any verb and append the appropriate Conditional ending directly to it. This means you do not remove the -ar, -er, or -ir from the infinitive stem before adding the endings. For example, for falar, the stem is falar-, and you add -ia to get falaria.
2
This straightforward pattern makes regular Conditional conjugation relatively easy to master. The endings themselves are unique to this tense and derive from the imperfect tense of haver (to have). The consistent endings -ia, -ias, -ia, -íamos, -íeis, -iam apply universally, regardless of the verb's infinitive classification.
3
For irregular verbs, the process involves two steps: first, identify the specific irregular stem, and then, attach the standard Conditional endings to this modified stem. The irregular stems are fixed and must be memorized. For example, fazer changes its stem to far-, dizer to dir-, and trazer to trar-. Once these stems are known, the subsequent conjugation is identical to that of regular verbs.
4
Here’s a breakdown of the pattern:
5
Regular Verbs: [Infinitive] + [Conditional Ending]
6
Example: comprar (to buy) → compraria, compraríamos
7
Example: vender (to sell) → venderia, venderíamos
8
Example: partir (to leave) → partiria, partiríamos
9
Irregular Verbs: [Irregular Stem] + [Conditional Ending]
10
Example: fazer (to do/make) → far + -ia → faria
11
Example: dizer (to say) → dir + -ia → diria
12
Example: trazer (to bring) → trar + -ia → traria
13
The consistency of the endings across all verbs and the finite list of irregular stems make this tense predictable and manageable once the core rules are absorbed.

When To Use It

The Futuro do Pretérito is a versatile tense employed in various contexts, primarily revolving around conditionality, politeness, and reporting in the past. Its functions are critical for nuanced communication.
  1. 1Hypothetical Situations and Conditional Clauses: This is the most common and fundamental use. The Conditional expresses what would happen if a certain condition were met, or would have happened if a past condition had been different. It frequently appears in Type 2 and Type 3 conditional sentences.
  • Type 2 (Hypothetical Present/Future): Describes an unreal or unlikely condition in the present/future and its hypothetical result. Often uses the Pretérito Imperfeito do Conjuntivo (Imperfect Subjunctive) in the 'if' clause.
  • Se tivesse dinheiro, viajaria pelo mundo. (If I had money, I would travel the world.)
  • Ele comeria mais legumes se fossem mais saborosos. (He would eat more vegetables if they were tastier.)
  • Type 3 (Hypothetical Past): Describes an unreal condition in the past and its hypothetical result in the past. Often uses the Mais-que-Perfeito do Conjuntivo (Pluperfect Subjunctive) in the 'if' clause.
  • Se tivéssemos sabido, teríamos ido à festa. (If we had known, we would have gone to the party.) - Note: The Conditional Compound (teríamos ido) is used here for past hypothetical results. However, a simple Conditional can also indicate a result that would have happened but didn't: Se ela estivesse lá, ajudaria. (If she had been there, she would help [but she wasn't, so she didn't/couldn't].)
  1. 1Polite Requests, Suggestions, and Desires: The Conditional softens direct commands or statements, making them more courteous and less demanding. It's an indispensable tool for formal or respectful communication.
  • Gostaria de um café, por favor. (I would like a coffee, please.) - Far more polite than Quero um café.
  • Poderia me ajudar com esta tarefa? (Could you help me with this task?) - Softer than Podes ajudar-me?
  • Eu adoraria visitar o Brasil no próximo ano. (I would love to visit Brazil next year.) - Expresses a strong desire politely.
  1. 1Future in the Past (Reporting Past Intentions/Predictions): When reporting what someone said or thought would happen from a past perspective, the Conditional is used. This is common in indirect speech.
  • Ela disse que viria no dia seguinte. (She said that she would come the next day.)
  • Ele prometeu que compraria os bilhetes. (He promised that he would buy the tickets.)
  • Não sabíamos que o voo partiria tão cedo. (We didn't know that the flight would depart so early.)
  1. 1Conjecture, Doubt, or Probability about the Past: The Conditional can express supposition or uncertainty about events that occurred in the past, often conveying a sense of 'who might have' or 'what could have' been the case.
  • Quem seria o homem que te ligou ontem? (Who could the man be who called you yesterday? / Who would that have been?) - Expresses speculation.
  • Aquela não seria a melhor solução para o problema. (That wouldn't be the best solution for the problem.) - Expresses a past opinion or assessment.
  1. 1Giving Advice or Opinions Softly: Similar to polite requests, the Conditional is used to offer advice or personal opinions without sounding dogmatic or overly assertive.
  • No seu lugar, eu não aceitaria a oferta. (In your place, I wouldn't accept the offer.)
  • Eu pensaria duas vezes antes de investir. (I would think twice before investing.)
  1. 1Cultural Insight: In Brazilian Portuguese, the use of the Conditional for politeness is sometimes substituted by the Pretérito Imperfeito do Indicativo (Imperfect Indicative), e.g., Eu queria um café instead of Eu gostaria um café. While common in informal speech, for formal contexts, academic writing, or when aiming for broader Lusophone comprehension, the Futuro do Pretérito (gostaria) remains the standard and most universally accepted form for politeness.

Common Mistakes

Learners frequently encounter specific pitfalls when using the Futuro do Pretérito. Awareness of these common errors can significantly accelerate mastery and reduce misunderstandings.
  1. 1Omitting the Accent in the Nós Form: The accent mark (´) over the i in the nós form (-íamos, falaríamos) is crucial. Without it, the pronunciation shifts, and it can be confused with other tenses or simply sound incorrect. This accent is not optional; it indicates the stressed syllable and is vital for correct pronunciation and grammatical accuracy.
  • Incorrect: falariamos
  • Correct: falaríamos
  1. 1Confusing with Futuro do Presente (Simple Future): The Conditional describes a hypothetical or contingent future, while the Simple Future (Futuro do Presente) indicates a definite future action. Using them interchangeably leads to semantic errors. Eu viajarei amanhã (I will travel tomorrow - certainty) is distinct from Eu viajaria se tivesse dinheiro (I would travel if I had money - conditionality).
  1. 1Incorrect Irregular Stems: Forgetting the specific irregular stems (dir-, far-, trar-, etc.) and attempting to conjugate them as regular verbs. This is a common and noticeable error.
Incorrect
✗Incorrect: fazer
✓fazeria
✗Correct: fazer
✓faria
✗Incorrect: dizer
✓dizeria
✗Correct: dizer
✓diria
  1. 1Misusing Pretérito Imperfeito for Politeness (especially in European Portuguese): While acceptable in informal Brazilian Portuguese to use Eu queria (Imperfect) instead of Eu gostaria (Conditional) for 'I would like,' this is generally considered less formal or even grammatically incorrect in European Portuguese and formal Brazilian contexts. Relying on the Conditional (gostaria, poderia) ensures universal acceptance and greater politeness.
  • Informal BP: Eu queria um café, por favor.
  • Formal/EP: Eu gostaria de um café, por favor.
  1. 1Pronunciation of the -ia Ending: The -ia ending consists of two distinct syllables, not a single dipthong. Pronouncing it as one syllable can sound unnatural to native speakers. Practice enunciating the i and a separately: fa-la-Rí-a.
  1. 1Incorrect Use in Conditional Sentences: Not aligning the tenses correctly in conditional clauses. For Type 2 conditionals, the Conditional tense must typically follow the Imperfect Subjunctive (Se eu tivesse, eu iria). Mismatching these tenses is a common source of grammatical errors.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

Distinguishing the Futuro do Pretérito from other tenses and constructions is vital for accurate expression. Its unique function can sometimes overlap superficially with other forms, particularly the Simple Future and the Imperfect Indicative, necessitating careful differentiation.
  1. 1Vs. Futuro do Presente (Simple Future):
  • The Simple Future (Futuro do Presente) expresses certainty or strong probability about future actions. It describes what will happen.
  • Eu viajarei para Portugal no próximo ano. (I will travel to Portugal next year.) - A plan, a definite intention.
  • The Conditional (Futuro do Pretérito) expresses hypothetical, contingent, or polite actions that would happen under certain conditions or from a past perspective. It deals with possibility, not certainty.
  • Eu viajaria para Portugal se tivesse dinheiro. (I would travel to Portugal if I had money.) - A condition, not a definite plan.
  1. 1Vs. Pretérito Imperfeito do Indicativo (Imperfect Indicative):
  • The Imperfect Indicative describes habitual past actions, ongoing past actions, or descriptions in the past. It translates to 'used to do' or 'was doing.'
  • Quando era criança, eu brincava muito. (When I was a child, I used to play a lot.)
  • In Brazilian Portuguese (informal), the Imperfect Indicative is frequently used as a substitute for the Conditional, particularly for polite requests or softened statements. This is a significant regional variation.
  • BP Informal: Eu queria um copo de água. (I wanted / would like a glass of water.)
  • Standard/EP: Eu gostaria de um copo de água. (I would like a glass of water.)
  • While functionally similar in some contexts for Brazilians, this substitution is less common and often less formal in European Portuguese and can be perceived as less grammatically precise in formal registers even in Brazil. Always prefer the Conditional in formal settings.
  1. 1Vs. Conditional Compound (Teria feito): For expressing hypothetical actions that would have occurred in the past (Type 3 conditionals), Portuguese uses the Conditional Compound (Conditional of ter + past participle). This is distinct from the simple Conditional.
  • Simple Conditional: Se eu fosse rico, compraria uma ilha. (If I were rich, I would buy an island.) - Hypothetical present/future.
  • Conditional Compound: Se eu tivesse sido rico, teria comprado uma ilha. (If I had been rich, I would have bought an island.) - Hypothetical past.
  1. 1**Vs. English

Conjugation of Falar (to speak)

Pronoun Ending Verb Form
Eu
-ia
falaria
Você/Ele/Ela
-ia
falaria
Nós
-íamos
falaríamos
Vocês/Eles/Elas
-iam
falariam

Meanings

The Futuro do Pretérito is used to describe actions that are dependent on a condition or to express a wish or polite request.

1

Hypothetical

Actions that would happen under certain conditions.

“Eu faria isso.”

“Ele iria à festa.”

2

Politeness

Softening requests or suggestions.

“Você poderia me ajudar?”

“Gostaria de um café?”

3

Future-in-the-past

Describing a future event from the perspective of the past.

“Ele disse que viria.”

“Eu sabia que ela não aceitaria.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Portuguese Conditional: The 'Would' Tense (Futuro do Pretérito)
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Inf + ia
Eu comeria
Negative
Não + Inf + ia
Eu não comeria
Question
Inf + ia + Subj?
Comeria você?
Polite Request
Poderia + Inf
Poderia falar?
Irregular
Stem + ia
Eu faria
Plural
Inf + iam
Eles comeriam

Formality Spectrum

Formal
Eu gostaria de um café, por favor.

Eu gostaria de um café, por favor. (Ordering in a cafe)

Neutral
Eu queria um café.

Eu queria um café. (Ordering in a cafe)

Informal
Me vê um café aí.

Me vê um café aí. (Ordering in a cafe)

Slang
Manda um café pra mim.

Manda um café pra mim. (Ordering in a cafe)

Conditional Usage Map

Futuro do Pretérito

Function

  • Hypothetical If... then...
  • Politeness Soft requests

Formation

  • Infinitive Base form
  • Endings -ia, -ias, -iam
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Examples by Level

1

Eu gostaria de água.

I would like water.

1

Você poderia me ajudar?

Could you help me?

1

Eu viajaria se tivesse tempo.

I would travel if I had time.

1

Ele disse que viria à reunião.

He said he would come to the meeting.

1

Segundo fontes, o governo aumentaria os impostos.

According to sources, the government would increase taxes.

1

Quem diria que o destino nos traria aqui?

Who would say that destiny would bring us here?

Easily Confused

Portuguese Conditional: The 'Would' Tense (Futuro do Pretérito) vs Conditional vs. Imperfect Indicative

Learners often use the imperfect (-ava/-ia) to express 'would'.

Portuguese Conditional: The 'Would' Tense (Futuro do Pretérito) vs Conditional vs. Future

Using conditional for definite future events.

Portuguese Conditional: The 'Would' Tense (Futuro do Pretérito) vs Conditional in 'If' clauses

Using conditional inside the 'se' clause.

Common Mistakes

✗

Eu quero um café.

✓

Eu gostaria de um café.

Using present tense for requests is too direct.
✗

Eu vou comer se eu tenho dinheiro.

✓

Eu comeria se tivesse dinheiro.

Mixing tenses incorrectly.
✗

Eu faria isso amanhã.

✓

Eu farei isso amanhã.

Using conditional for definite future.
✗

Ele disse que vai vir.

✓

Ele disse que viria.

Not using future-in-the-past.
✗

Se eu teria tempo, eu iria.

✓

Se eu tivesse tempo, eu iria.

Conditional in the 'if' clause.
✗

Nós falariamos.

✓

Nós falaríamos.

Missing the accent on the 'i'.
✗

Você poderia me ajuda?

✓

Você poderia me ajudar?

Using the noun instead of the infinitive.
✗

Se ele soubesse, ele falaria.

✓

Se ele soubesse, ele teria falado.

Using simple conditional instead of conditional perfect for past.
✗

Eu gostaria que você faz isso.

✓

Eu gostaria que você fizesse isso.

Subjunctive mismatch.
✗

Eles diriam a verdade se pudessem.

✓

Eles diriam a verdade se pudessem.

Actually correct, but often confused with 'diriam' vs 'disseram'.
✗

O presidente diria que não sabia.

✓

O presidente teria dito que não sabia.

Conditional for past speculation.
✗

Se eu fosse você, eu faria.

✓

Se eu fosse você, faria.

Redundancy.
✗

Eu viria se você me convidava.

✓

Eu viria se você me convidasse.

Tense mismatch in conditional.

Sentence Patterns

Eu ___ (verb) se eu pudesse.

Você ___ (verb) me ajudar?

Se eu ___ (verb) tempo, eu viajaria.

Ele disse que ___ (verb) amanhã.

Real World Usage

Ordering food constant

Eu gostaria de um hambúrguer.

Job interviews very common

Eu faria um excelente trabalho.

Social media common

Quem gostaria de ir comigo?

Travel common

Poderia me indicar um hotel?

Texting very common

Viria hoje?

Professional email very common

Poderíamos marcar uma reunião?

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💡

The Infinitive Rule

Always start with the full infinitive verb. It makes conjugation 90% easier.
⚠️

The 'If' Trap

Never use the conditional tense inside the 'se' clause. It's the most common mistake for learners.
🎯

Politeness

Use 'Gostaria' and 'Poderia' in every interaction with strangers to sound like a local.
💬

Regional Variation

In Brazil, don't be surprised if people use 'ia' instead of the conditional in casual speech.

Smart Tips

Always use 'Gostaria' instead of 'Quero'.

Eu quero um café. → Eu gostaria de um café.

Remember the 'If' rule: Se + Imperfeito do Subjuntivo, Conditional.

Se eu teria dinheiro, eu compraria. → Se eu tivesse dinheiro, eu compraria.

Only memorize three: faria, diria, traria.

Eu fazeria. → Eu faria.

Use the conditional to soften requests.

Você precisa me enviar o arquivo. → Você poderia me enviar o arquivo?

Pronunciation

fa-la-RIA vs fa-la-RI-a-mos

The 'ia' ending

The 'i' and 'a' are pronounced as a diphthong, but the accent in 'íamos' forces a break.

Polite Request

Você poderia me ajudar? ↗

Rising intonation at the end signals a polite, open-ended request.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'IA' as 'I Am' dreaming. If you are dreaming, you are using the conditional.

Visual Association

Imagine a waiter holding a tray. He asks 'Gostaria de algo?' (Would you like something?). The 'ia' ending is the sound of the tray clinking.

Rhyme

Para o 'would' você vai usar, o final -ia no verbo colocar.

Story

Maria wanted to travel. She said: 'Eu viajaria (I would travel) se tivesse dinheiro (if I had money). Ela perguntou ao banco: 'Poderia me emprestar?' (Could you lend me?). O banco disse: 'Nós faríamos (We would do it) se você tivesse um emprego.'

Word Web

fariadiriatrariagostariapoderiaseriateria

Challenge

Write 3 things you would do if you won the lottery using the -ia ending.

Cultural Notes

In very informal Brazilian speech, people often use the imperfect indicative ('eu ia') instead of the conditional ('eu iria') to sound more casual.

European Portuguese speakers are more likely to stick to the formal conditional forms in daily conversation.

Using the conditional is mandatory in business emails to show respect and professional distance.

The conditional tense in Portuguese evolved from the Latin infinitive plus the imperfect of 'habere' (to have).

Conversation Starters

“

O que você faria se ganhasse na loteria?

“

Você poderia me dizer onde fica o banco?

“

Se você pudesse viajar para qualquer lugar, para onde iria?

“

Você gostaria de jantar comigo hoje?

Journal Prompts

Write about your dream house. What would it look like?
If you were the president, what changes would you make?
Describe a perfect day. What would you do?
Reflect on a past mistake. What would you do differently now?

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

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Test Yourself

Conjugate the verb in parentheses.

Eu ___ (falar) com ele se pudesse.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: falaria
Conditional is required for the result clause.
Select the correct sentence. Multiple Choice

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Se eu tivesse tempo, iria.
Subjunctive + Conditional is the correct structure.
Fix the error in the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Eu gostaria que você faz isso.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu gostaria que você fizesse isso.
Gostaria que + subjunctive.
Change to conditional. Sentence Transformation

Eu quero um café. (Polite)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu gostaria de um café.
Gostaria is the polite conditional form.
Conjugate 'fazer' for 'nós'. Conjugation Drill

Nós ___ o trabalho.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: faríamos
Conditional ending for nós is -íamos.
Match the verb to its conditional form. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: diria
Irregular stem for dizer is dir-.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Você ___ me ajudar? B: Sim, claro.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: poderia
Polite request requires conditional.
Is this rule true? True False Rule

The conditional tense is formed by adding -ia to the infinitive.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: True
Yes, it applies to all regular verbs.

Score: /8

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
Conjugate the verb in parentheses.

Eu ___ (falar) com ele se pudesse.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: falaria
Conditional is required for the result clause.
Select the correct sentence. Multiple Choice

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Se eu tivesse tempo, iria.
Subjunctive + Conditional is the correct structure.
Fix the error in the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Eu gostaria que você faz isso.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu gostaria que você fizesse isso.
Gostaria que + subjunctive.
Change to conditional. Sentence Transformation

Eu quero um café. (Polite)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu gostaria de um café.
Gostaria is the polite conditional form.
Conjugate 'fazer' for 'nós'. Conjugation Drill

Nós ___ o trabalho.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: faríamos
Conditional ending for nós is -íamos.
Match the verb to its conditional form. Match Pairs

Dizer -> ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: diria
Irregular stem for dizer is dir-.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Você ___ me ajudar? B: Sim, claro.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: poderia
Polite request requires conditional.
Is this rule true? True False Rule

The conditional tense is formed by adding -ia to the infinitive.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: True
Yes, it applies to all regular verbs.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

10 exercises
Fill in the blank Fill in the Blank

Se eu tivesse dinheiro, eu ___ (comprar) um carro novo.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: compraria
Choose the most polite option. Multiple Choice

How do you ask for water politely?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Você poderia me dar uma água?
Reorder the words to form a sentence. Sentence Reorder

agora / Eu / um / tomaria / sorvete

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu tomaria um sorvete agora.
Translate 'I would speak' to Portuguese. Translation

How do you say 'I would speak'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu falaria
Match the verb to its irregular conditional form. Match Pairs

Match the pairs:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: fazer:faria, dizer:diria, trazer:traria
Correct the verb. Error Correction

Vocês diriam a verdade?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Vocês diriam a verdade?
Fill in the blank for 'nós'. Fill in the Blank

Nós ___ (trazer) as bebidas, mas esquecemos.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: traríamos
Which is a hypothetical situation? Multiple Choice

Identify the conditional usage:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eu iria ao cinema se não estivesse chovendo.
Translate 'They would write'. Translation

They would write (escrever):

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Eles escreveriam
Fill in the blank with 'poder'. Fill in the Blank

Você ___ (poder) me ajudar?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: poderia

Score: /10

FAQ (8)

Because it expresses a future action from the perspective of the past.

No, only three: fazer, dizer, and trazer.

No, use the Future Indicative for definite future events.

It is a common informal substitution in spoken Brazilian Portuguese.

Yes, it is required for correct pronunciation and to distinguish it from the imperfect.

Just put 'não' before the verb.

Yes, it is standard in all formal and academic writing.

'Gostaria' is more polite and formal than 'queria'.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

Spanish high

Condicional

The endings are very similar, but Portuguese uses the infinitive as the base for all verbs.

French moderate

Conditionnel

French conditional often involves stem changes that Portuguese avoids.

German low

Konjunktiv II

German is analytical (two words), while Portuguese is synthetic (one word).

Japanese low

Conditional form (-tara)

Japanese does not distinguish between 'would' and 'if' in the same way as Portuguese.

Arabic low

Law + Past Tense

Arabic relies on particles rather than verb conjugation for this mood.

Chinese low

Would (会)

Chinese verbs do not conjugate; the conditional is marked by context and particles.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Portuguese Conditional: Expressing 'Would' (Eu faria)
Next
Guessing the Past: Using the Conditional for Probability

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