Portuguese Conditional Tense: Saying 'Would' (Futuro do Pretérito)
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 viajaria se tivesse dinheiro' (I would travel if I had money).
- Use it for polite requests: 'Você poderia me ajudar?' (Could you help me?).
- Formation: Take the full infinitive (amar, comer, partir) and add -ia, -ias, -ia, -íamos, -íeis, -iam.
Overview
The Portuguese Conditional Tense, known formally as the Futuro do Pretérito, is your primary tool for expressing hypothetical actions, polite requests, and speculation. Its English equivalent is typically the modal verb "would" (I would go, she would say). For a B2 learner, mastering this tense is a significant step toward nuanced and sophisticated communication, allowing you to move beyond describing what is and begin discussing what could be.
While its name—literally "Future of the Past"—might seem contradictory, it perfectly captures one of its core functions: describing an action that was in the future from a past perspective. For example, Ele disse que viria means "He said he would come." The coming was future at the moment he spoke. This tense is the cornerstone of conditional sentences and a key marker of politeness and formality in both Brazilian and European Portuguese.
How This Grammar Works
Futuro do Pretérito is a direct window into the evolution of Portuguese from Latin. Unlike English, which uses an auxiliary verb ("would") plus a main verb ("do"), Portuguese employs a synthetic tense. This means the conditional meaning is built directly into the verb's ending.haver (habere in Latin).cantar habebam (I had to sing) evolved over centuries, merging into a single word: cantaria (I would sing). This historical fusion is why the modern formation rule is so consistent: you keep the entire infinitive (cantar) and append the conditional endings (-ia). This is a fundamental concept that separates it from tenses where you remove the -ar, -er, or -ir ending.Futuro do Pretérito operates in a realm of unreality or potentiality. It describes events that are not facts but possibilities contingent on certain conditions. When you say Eu compraria um carro, you are not stating a fact but proposing a potential action that depends on an unstated condition, such as ...se eu tivesse dinheiro (...if I had money).Formation Pattern
falar, vender, abrir) and add the appropriate ending for the subject. The infinitive's -ar, -er, or -ir is not removed.
cantar, aprender, partir)
-ia, -ias, -ia, -íamos, -íeis, -iam
falar + -ia = falaria (I would speak)
vender + -íamos = venderíamos (we would sell)
abrir + -iam = abririam (they would open)
i in the nós (-íamos) and vós (-íeis) forms. This is crucial for pronunciation as it marks the stressed syllable, preventing the stress from falling on the a of the infinitive.
Futuro do Pretérito: Dizer (to say), Fazer (to do/make), and Trazer (to bring). Their irregularity lies in using a shortened, modified stem instead of the full infinitive.
Futuro do Presente). This makes them easier to memorize as a pair.
Eu form) | Future Example (Eu form) |
Dizer | dir- | diria (I would say) | direi (I will say) |
Fazer | far- | faria (I would do) | farei (I will do) |
Trazer | trar- | traria (I would bring) | trarei (I will bring) |
-ia, -ias, etc.) remain exactly the same as for regular verbs. Any verb derived from these three, like refazer (to redo) or predizer (to predict), will follow the same pattern (refaria, prediria).
Conjugation Table
| Pronoun | Endings | Falar (-ar) |
Vender (-er) |
Partir (-ir) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | ||
Eu |
-ia |
falaria |
venderia |
partiria |
||
Tu |
-ias |
falarias |
venderias |
partirias |
||
Você/Ele/Ela |
-ia |
falaria |
venderia |
partiria |
||
Nós |
-íamos |
falaríamos |
venderíamos |
partiríamos |
||
Vós |
-íeis |
falaríeis |
venderíeis |
partiríeis |
||
Vocês/Eles/Elas |
-iam |
falariam |
venderiam |
partiriam |
||
| Pronoun | Dizer (dir-) |
Fazer (far-) |
Trazer (trar-) |
|||
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | |||
Eu |
diria |
faria |
traria |
|||
Tu |
dirias |
farias |
trarias |
|||
Você/Ele/Ela |
diria |
faria |
traria |
|||
Nós |
diríamos |
faríamos |
traríamos |
|||
Vós |
diríeis |
faríeis |
traríeis |
|||
Vocês/Eles/Elas |
diriam |
fariam |
trariam |
When To Use It
Futuro do Pretérito is a versatile tense used in several distinct contexts. Understanding each application is key to using it correctly.se (if) clause—were met. The se clause almost always requires the Imperfect Subjunctive (Pretérito Imperfeito do Subjuntivo).- Formula:
Se+ [Imperfect Subjunctive], [Conditional] Se eu tivesse mais tempo, eu leria mais livros.(If I had more time, I would read more books.)Nós faríamos uma viagem à Europa se pudéssemos.(We would take a trip to Europe if we could.)
gostar, poder, and querer are frequently used this way.Você poderia me ajudar, por favor?(Could you help me, please?) — More polite thanVocê pode...Eu gostaria de dois cafés.(I would like two coffees.) — The standard polite way to order something, much better thanEu quero...Nós adoraríamos ir à sua festa.(We would love to go to your party.)
dever (to have to/should) is perfect.Você deveria falar com ela sobre o problema.(You should talk to her about the problem.)Acho que ele deveria estudar mais para a prova.(I think he should study more for the test.)
Ela disse que me ligaria mais tarde.(She said she would call me later.)Eu sabia que eles não concordariam com a proposta.(I knew they would not agree with the proposal.)Eles prometeram que terminariam o projeto até sexta-feira.(They promised they would finish the project by Friday.)
Que horas seriam quando eles chegaram?(What time could it have been when they arrived? / I wonder what time it was...)Naquela época, ele teria uns vinte anos.(At that time, he must have been about twenty years old.)Quem faria uma coisa dessas?(Who would do such a thing?)
Common Mistakes
- 1Confusing Conditional with Imperfect for Politeness:
queria, podia) for polite requests instead of the Conditional (gostaria, poderia). While both are understood, they have slightly different nuances.- Mistake: Thinking
Eu queria um caféis grammatically incorrect for a request. - Correction: It's not wrong, just more informal/direct.
Queriaimplies a desire you already have.Gostariais a more hypothetical, deferential way of presenting that desire. In Portugal,gostariais more consistently preferred for politeness.
- 1Using the Wrong Tense in the
se-Clause:
se-clause.- Mistake:
Se eu tinha dinheiro, eu compraria um carro. - Correction:
Se eu tivesse dinheiro, eu compraria um carro.
- 1Forgetting the Irregular Stems:
dir-, far-, trar- stems and try to form the conditional from the full infinitive.- Mistake:
Eu ~~fazeria~~ isso por você. - Correction:
Eu faria isso por você. - Tip: Practice saying the future and conditional forms together (
farei/faria,direi/diria) to reinforce the shared stem.
- 1Using the Conditional for a Condition:
se (if) is never followed directly by a conditional verb.- Mistake:
Se eu iria para a praia, eu levaria protetor solar. - Correction:
Se eu fosse para a praia, eu levaria protetor solar.
Contrast With Similar Patterns
Futuro do Pretérito from other tenses is crucial for clarity. The choice of tense completely changes the meaning of a sentence.Eu falaria com o chefe. | Hypothetical: "I would speak with the boss." (Implies a condition: ...if I had the chance, ...if I were you). This is an unrealized potential action. |Eu falava com o chefe. | Habitual Past: "I used to speak / was speaking with the boss." This describes a repeated or ongoing action in the past. It's a statement of fact. |...se eu falasse com o chefe. | Condition: "...if I spoke with the boss." This form doesn't stand alone; it sets the condition for the conditional verb. It expresses the if part of a hypothetical. |Eu falarei com o chefe. | Certainty: "I will speak with the boss." This expresses a firm intention or a future fact. There is no doubt or condition attached. |Eu compraria aquele livro. (I would buy that book). This is a hypothetical statement. If you say Eu comprava aquele livro, it means you used to buy that book repeatedly.Eu comprarei aquele livro, it's a promise or plan. And se eu comprasse aquele livro is the condition that would lead to another action.Real Conversations
Textbook examples are useful, but seeing the conditional in authentic contexts reveals its true utility.
- In a WhatsApp message:
Amiga, o que vc acha? Eu deveria mandar mensagem pra ele ou seria estranho?
(Friend, what do you think? Should I text him or would it be weird?)
- In a work email:
Prezados, gostaríamos de confirmar a nossa participação no evento. Poderiam nos enviar a programação completa?
(Dear all, we would like to confirm our participation in the event. Could you send us the full schedule?)
- Casual conversation while shopping:
Nossa, essa jaqueta é linda, mas R$500? Eu não pagaria tudo isso.
(Wow, this jacket is beautiful, but R$500? I wouldn't pay all that.)
- On social media commenting on a travel photo:
Que lugar incrível! Eu moraria aí fácil!
(What an incredible place! I would easily live there!)
- Speculating with a friend:
Ele não atende o celular. O que teria acontecido?
(He's not answering his phone. What could have happened?)
Progressive Practice
Work through these exercises to solidify your understanding.
1. Conjugation Drill: Fill in the blank with the correct conditional form of the verb in parentheses.
- a. Se eu pudesse, eu ________ (viajar) pelo mundo todo.
- b. Nós ________ (fazer) um bolo se tivéssemos os ingredientes.
- c. Você ________ (dizer) a verdade no lugar dela?
- d. Eles ________ (querer) vir, mas o voo foi cancelado.
(Answers: viajaria, faríamos, diria, quereriam)
2. Sentence Transformation: Rewrite the following statements of intent as polite requests or hypothetical scenarios.
- a. Quero uma mesa para duas pessoas.
- b. Vou te ajudar com a mudança no sábado.
- c. Fale com seu professor sobre suas notas.
(Possible Answers: a. Gostaria de uma mesa para duas pessoas. / b. Eu poderia te ajudar com a mudança no sábado, se você quiser. / c. Você deveria falar com seu professor sobre suas notas.)
3. Scenario Building: Complete the sentence by creating a logical condition using the Imperfect Subjunctive.
- a. Eu compraria uma casa na praia se ________.
- b. Nós faríamos mais exercícios se ________.
- c. Ela te ligaria se ________.
(Possible Answers: a. ...se eu ganhasse na loteria. / b. ...se tivéssemos mais tempo livre. / c. ...se ela soubesse seu número.)
Quick FAQ
poderia and podia?Poderia is conditional ("could") and is used for polite requests (Você poderia me ajudar?) or hypotheticals. Podia is imperfect ("was able/used to be able") and describes a past ability or is used in very informal requests in Brazil (Você podia me ajudar?), sounding a bit more like a suggestion among friends.
Futuro do Pretérito (Future of the Past)?Because it describes something that was future from a past point of reference. In Ele disse que viria, his arrival (viria) was in the future at the time he disse (spoke). The name perfectly describes this specific function.
Yes, it's called the Conditional Perfect (Futuro do Pretérito Composto). It's formed with the conditional of ter or haver + the past participle. For example, Eu teria feito (I would have done). It's used for hypotheticals about the past: Se eu soubesse, eu teria feito diferente. (If I had known, I would have done it differently).
Not always, but it is the most common pairing in conditional sentences. The condition can sometimes be implied rather than stated: Eu adoraria ir. (I would love to go... [the implied condition is '...if you invited me.']). You also use it alone for politeness, speculation, or future-in-the-past contexts.
Conditional Conjugation (Infinitive + Ending)
| Pronoun | Falar (to speak) | Comer (to eat) | Partir (to leave) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Eu
|
Falaria
|
Comeria
|
Partiria
|
|
Você/Ele/Ela
|
Falaria
|
Comeria
|
Partiria
|
|
Nós
|
Falaríamos
|
Comeríamos
|
Partiríamos
|
|
Vocês/Eles/Elas
|
Falariam
|
Comeriam
|
Partiriam
|
Meanings
The conditional tense is used to describe actions that are dependent on a condition or to make requests more polite.
Hypothetical
Actions that would happen under certain conditions.
“Eu compraria aquela casa.”
“Nós sairíamos mais cedo.”
Politeness
Softening requests or suggestions.
“Poderia me passar o sal?”
“Você gostaria de jantar?”
Future-in-the-past
Describing a future event from the perspective of the past.
“Ele disse que viria.”
“Eu sabia que daria certo.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Infinitive + -ia
|
Eu falaria
|
|
Negative
|
Não + Infinitive + -ia
|
Eu não falaria
|
|
Question
|
Infinitive + -ia + ?
|
Você falaria?
|
|
Irregular
|
Stem change + -ia
|
Eu faria
|
|
Plural
|
Infinitive + -iam
|
Eles falariam
|
|
Polite
|
Infinitive + -ia
|
Você poderia?
|
Formality Spectrum
Eu gostaria de um café. (Ordering in a cafe)
Eu queria um café. (Ordering in a cafe)
Me vê um café, por favor. (Ordering in a cafe)
Manda um café aí. (Ordering in a cafe)
Conditional Usage Map
Hypothetical
- Se eu pudesse If I could
Politeness
- Poderia? Could you?
Reported Speech
- Disse que iria Said I would go
Examples by Level
Eu gostaria de água.
I would like water.
Você poderia ajudar?
Could you help?
Eu comeria pizza.
I would eat pizza.
Nós iríamos ao cinema.
We would go to the cinema.
Eu viajaria se tivesse dinheiro.
I would travel if I had money.
Você gostaria de sair?
Would you like to go out?
Ele disse que viria hoje.
He said he would come today.
Eu não faria isso.
I wouldn't do that.
Se eu fosse você, eu estudaria.
If I were you, I would study.
Eles prometeram que trariam o bolo.
They promised they would bring the cake.
Eu adoraria visitar Portugal.
I would love to visit Portugal.
Nós não saberíamos a resposta.
We wouldn't know the answer.
Poderia me informar o horário?
Could you inform me of the schedule?
Eu teria feito o trabalho se pudesse.
I would have done the work if I could.
Seria interessante analisar os dados.
It would be interesting to analyze the data.
Você aceitaria um convite formal?
Would you accept a formal invitation?
Caso houvesse tempo, nós o faríamos.
In case there were time, we would do it.
Daria para acreditar em tal história?
Would it be possible to believe such a story?
Eu jamais diria algo tão ofensivo.
I would never say something so offensive.
A situação exigiria medidas drásticas.
The situation would require drastic measures.
Quem diria que o resultado seria este?
Who would have thought the result would be this?
Se me tivessem avisado, eu teria vindo.
If they had warned me, I would have come.
Talvez fosse melhor que não o fizéssemos.
Perhaps it would be better if we didn't do it.
Nada justificaria tal comportamento.
Nothing would justify such behavior.
Easily Confused
Learners often use the future ('farei') for hypothetical situations.
Learners use the imperfect ('fazia') for hypothetical situations.
Learners put the conditional inside the 'if' clause.
Common Mistakes
Eu vai comer
Eu comeria
Eu gostaria de comeria
Eu gostaria de comer
Eu comeria-ia
Eu comeria
Eu comia
Eu comeria
Eu faria se eu tenho dinheiro
Eu faria se eu tivesse dinheiro
Eu iria se eu poderia
Eu iria se eu pudesse
Ele disse que vai vir
Ele disse que viria
Se eu teria dinheiro, eu compraria
Se eu tivesse dinheiro, eu compraria
Eu diria que ele faria isso
Eu diria que ele faria isso
Nós faríamos o trabalho
Nós faríamos o trabalho
Eu teria ido se eu saberia
Eu teria ido se eu soubesse
Se ele viria, eu estaria feliz
Se ele viesse, eu estaria feliz
Eu faria isso se puderia
Eu faria isso se pudesse
Ele disse que faria o que ele quer
Ele disse que faria o que ele quisesse
Sentence Patterns
Eu ___ (verb) se pudesse.
Você ___ (verb) me ajudar?
Se eu tivesse dinheiro, eu ___ (verb).
Ele disse que ___ (verb) hoje.
Real World Usage
Eu gostaria de uma mesa para dois.
Eu faria um bom trabalho nesta função.
Você iria à festa?
Poderia me indicar o caminho?
Quem diria que isso aconteceria!
Eu gostaria de adicionar um extra.
The Infinitive Base
No Conditional after 'Se'
Politeness
Informal Usage
Smart Tips
Use 'gostaria' instead of 'quero'.
Use the conditional to express uncertainty.
Use the conditional for future-in-the-past.
Use 'deveria' to sound less bossy.
Pronunciation
The -ia ending
The 'ia' is pronounced as two syllables: i-a.
Rising for questions
Você faria? ↗
Indicates a polite question.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember 'IA' — the sound of 'I-A' (like 'I am' but softer) is the key to the conditional.
Visual Association
Imagine a 'Conditional Cloud' floating above your head. Inside the cloud are all the things you 'would' do if you were on a beach.
Rhyme
For the conditional, don't be shy, just add -ia to the infinitive, my!
Story
Yesterday, I dreamt I lived in Paris. I would eat croissants every day. I would walk by the Seine. I would speak French perfectly.
Word Web
Challenge
Write 5 sentences about what you would do if you were a millionaire.
Cultural Notes
Brazilians often use the imperfect indicative ('ia') instead of the conditional in very informal speech.
European Portuguese speakers are more likely to use the formal conditional in daily life.
Using the conditional is mandatory for good service.
The conditional tense in Romance languages evolved from the infinitive + the imperfect of 'habere' (to have).
Conversation Starters
O que você faria se ganhasse na loteria?
Você gostaria de viajar para onde?
Poderia me dizer que horas são?
Se você pudesse mudar algo, o que mudaria?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
Eu ___ (falar) com ele.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Eu faria isso se eu posso.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Nós ___ (comer) pizza.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Build a polite request.
The conditional is used for past habits.
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesEu ___ (falar) com ele.
Which sentence is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Eu faria isso se eu posso.
gostaria / eu / café / um / de
Nós ___ (comer) pizza.
Match: Falar, Comer, Partir
Build a polite request.
The conditional is used for past habits.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercisesNós ___ para o Japão se pudéssemos.
I would tell you.
praia / Eu / à / iria
Eles trazeriam os presentes.
Match the following:
Choose the polite option:
Você ___ me ajudar com o dever?
We would do it.
Ele ___ um ótimo professor.
Choose the correct sentence:
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
No, use the future indicative for facts. The conditional is for hypothetical events.
Because it describes a future action from the perspective of the past.
No, only three: dizer, fazer, and trazer.
Only in the result clause, never in the 'if' clause itself.
Yes, it is very common in formal reports and academic writing.
Just add 'não' before the verb.
The conjugation is the same, but usage in speech varies.
No, it is one of the most regular tenses in Portuguese.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Condicional
The endings are slightly different (e.g., -íamos vs -íamos).
Conditionnel
French uses different endings (-ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient).
Konjunktiv II
German is analytical (two words), while Portuguese is synthetic (one word).
Conditional form (-tara)
Japanese does not conjugate for person/number.
Conditional particles
Arabic relies on particles rather than verb conjugation.
Conditional markers
Chinese has no verb conjugation at all.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Related Grammar Rules
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