Portuguese Conditional: Would (-ir verbs)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The conditional mood expresses what 'would' happen, using the infinitive plus the -ia ending.
- Take the full infinitive verb (e.g., partir).
- Add the conditional endings: -ia, -ias, -ia, -íamos, -íeis, -iam.
- Remember that -ir verbs follow the same pattern as -er verbs.
Overview
The Portuguese Conditional tense, known as the Futuro do Pretérito, serves as a fundamental grammatical tool for expressing actions or states that would occur under specific conditions, politely phrasing requests, or narrating past intentions. For learners at the B1 CEFR level, mastering this tense is crucial for nuanced communication, allowing you to move beyond simple declarative statements to engage with hypothetical scenarios and exhibit greater politeness. While Portuguese grammar can often present irregularities, the formation of the Conditional for -ir verbs stands out for its remarkable consistency, providing a predictable structure you can confidently apply across a vast vocabulary.
This tense empowers you to articulate what you would do, would say, or would be if circumstances were different. It is indispensable for hypothetical discussions, making suggestions, or softening the directness of a statement, thereby enhancing your conversational finesse. Unlike other tenses that may require significant stem changes, the -ir Conditional builds directly upon the infinitive form, streamlining the learning process and allowing for rapid application once the core pattern is understood.
Conjugation Table
| Pronoun | Verb + Ending | Translation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| :---------------- | :--------------- | :------------------- | ||
Eu |
partiria |
I would leave | ||
Tu |
partirias |
You would leave (sg.) | ||
Você/Ele/Ela |
partiria |
You/He/She would leave | ||
Nós |
partiríamos |
We would leave | ||
Vós |
partiríeis |
You would leave (pl.) | ||
Vocês/Eles/Elas |
partiriam |
You/They would leave |
How This Grammar Works
Futuro do Pretérito) functions as a modal verb in disguise, much like would in English. It shifts an action or state from the realm of certainty or direct command into the sphere of possibility, politeness, or reported intention. Linguistically, it allows speakers to express a detachment from immediate reality, projecting an action into a hypothetical future or recalling a future event from a past perspective.Eu abro a porta (I open the door) and Eu abriria a porta (I would open the door). The former states a fact or a present action, while the latter introduces a conditionality—you would open the door, if something were to happen, or you're offering to do so politely. This transformation from indicative to conditional reflects a cognitive shift from direct assertion to consideration of alternatives or deferential communication.Formation Pattern
-ir verbs is remarkably straightforward, adhering to a consistent formula that minimizes memorization. This regularity is a significant advantage for B1 learners, as it allows for broader application once the pattern is understood. The linguistic principle at play is the direct attachment of specific tense endings to the verb's infinitive form, without any stem modifications.
-ir verb, follow these precise steps:
-ir verb (e.g., decidir - to decide, cumprir - to fulfill, existir - to exist).
-ir ending, for the Conditional, the entire infinitive verb is kept intact. Do not drop the final r.
-ir verbs:
Eu | -ia |
Tu | -ias |
Você/Ele/Ela | -ia |\
Nós | -íamos |\
Vós | -íeis |\
Vocês/Eles/Elas | -iam |
decidir (to decide):
Eu decidiria (I would decide)
Você decidiria (You would decide)
Nós decidiríamos (We would decide)
i in the Nós and Vós forms (-íamos, -íeis) is crucial. It indicates that the stress falls on this vowel, preserving the desired pronunciation and distinguishing it from other tenses like the Imperfect, which might share similar phonetic structures if the accent were omitted. For example, partiríamos (we would leave) correctly places stress on the i, while partiriamos without the accent would shift the stress, altering the word's rhythm and potentially its meaning or even making it ungrammatical.
When To Use It
Futuro do Pretérito, is a versatile tool with several key applications that extend beyond simple hypothetical statements, offering depth and nuance to your Portuguese communication.se (if) clauses or implying a condition. It describes what would happen if a certain condition were met.Se eu existisse noutro universo, seria um astronauta.(If I existed in another universe, I would be an astronaut.) - Note: This example uses the Imperfect Subjunctive with Conditional, a common pairing.Ela viria connosco se não estivesse doente.(She would come with us if she weren't sick.)Se vocês abrissem a loja mais cedo, venderiam mais.(If you opened the store earlier, you would sell more.)
Você cumpriria o prazo, por favor?(Would you meet the deadline, please?) - Much politer thanCumpra o prazo!(Meet the deadline!).Eu sugeriria que tentasse uma abordagem diferente.(I would suggest you try a different approach.)- In a restaurant:
Gostaria de um café, por favor.(I would like a coffee, please.) - Whilegostaris an -ar verb, its conditional is a prime example of politeness.
Ele disse que partiria às sete.(He said he would leave at seven.) - Meaning, from his past perspective, leaving was a future event.Eu pensei que abririam o museu hoje.(I thought they would open the museum today.)Eles prometeram que investiriam mais recursos.(They promised they would invest more resources.)
Eu, no seu lugar, decidiria rapidamente.(I, in your place, would decide quickly.)Você deveria estudar mais.(You should study more.) - Heredeveriais the conditional ofdever(to owe/should), another common conditional usage.
would do or would like if circumstances were ideal or permitted.Eu viajaria o mundo se tivesse dinheiro.(I would travel the world if I had money.)Se eu pudesse, dormiria até meio-dia.(If I could, I would sleep until noon.)
Common Mistakes
-ir verbs. Recognizing these common errors and understanding their underlying causes can significantly improve your accuracy and fluency.-r: This is perhaps the most prevalent mistake. Learners mistakenly remove the -ir from the infinitive before adding the conditional endings, conflating it with patterns seen in other tenses, particularly the Imperfect. For example, forming partia instead of partiria for Eu partiria (I would leave).- Why it's wrong:
Eu partiais the Imperfect tense, meaning
Conditional Conjugation for -ir Verbs (e.g., Partir)
| Pronoun | Ending | Verb Form |
|---|---|---|
|
Eu
|
-ia
|
partiria
|
|
Você/Ele/Ela
|
-ia
|
partiria
|
|
Nós
|
-íamos
|
partiríamos
|
|
Vocês/Eles/Elas
|
-iam
|
partiriam
|
Meanings
The conditional mood is used to describe hypothetical situations, polite requests, or future events relative to the past.
Hypothetical
Expressing actions dependent on a condition.
“Eu dividiria o bolo se você estivesse aqui.”
“Nós partiríamos cedo.”
Politeness
Softening requests or desires.
“Eu gostaria de um café.”
“Você poderia me ajudar?”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Infinitive + -ia
|
Eu partiria
|
|
Negative
|
Não + Infinitive + -ia
|
Eu não partiria
|
|
Question
|
Infinitive + -ia + Subject?
|
Você partiria?
|
|
We form
|
Infinitive + -íamos
|
Nós partiríamos
|
|
They form
|
Infinitive + -iam
|
Eles partiriam
|
|
Polite
|
Gostar + -ia de...
|
Eu gostaria de...
|
Formality Spectrum
Eu gostaria de um café. (Ordering in a cafe)
Eu queria um café. (Ordering in a cafe)
Queria um café. (Ordering in a cafe)
Manda um café aí. (Ordering in a cafe)
Conditional Mood Uses
Social
- Gostaria I would like
Hypothetical
- Partiria I would leave
Examples by Level
Eu gostaria de água.
I would like water.
Você poderia ajudar?
Could you help?
Eu preferiria café.
I would prefer coffee.
Ele partiria cedo.
He would leave early.
Se eu tivesse tempo, eu dividiria o bolo.
If I had time, I would share the cake.
Nós partiríamos agora.
We would leave now.
Eles subiriam a escada?
Would they climb the stairs?
Eu não partiria sem você.
I wouldn't leave without you.
Eu sugeriria que você partisse logo.
I would suggest that you leave soon.
Você permitiria essa mudança?
Would you allow this change?
Eles dividiriam os custos igualmente.
They would split the costs equally.
Eu subiria ao palco se fosse convidado.
I would go on stage if I were invited.
Seria ideal se você partisse antes do amanhecer.
It would be ideal if you left before dawn.
Eu não admitiria tal comportamento.
I would not admit such behavior.
Nós dividiríamos o prêmio se ganhássemos.
We would split the prize if we won.
Você insistiria nessa ideia?
Would you insist on this idea?
Dizem que ele partiria para a Europa amanhã.
They say he would be leaving for Europe tomorrow.
Eu não interferiria em assuntos alheios.
I would not interfere in others' affairs.
Quem diria que eles dividiriam o poder?
Who would have said they would share power?
Eu subiria a qualquer custo.
I would climb at any cost.
Partir-se-ia a alma ao ver tal cena.
One's soul would break seeing such a scene.
Não haveria quem não dividiria o pão.
There wouldn't be anyone who wouldn't share bread.
Subiriam eles ao topo sem ajuda?
Would they climb to the top without help?
Eu não permitiria que tal erro ocorresse.
I would not allow such an error to occur.
Easily Confused
Both use -ia endings for -er/-ir verbs.
Both express future-oriented thoughts.
Used in the same 'if' sentences.
Common Mistakes
Eu partir
Eu partiria
Eu partia
Eu partiria
Eu partiri
Eu partiria
Eu partiriaa
Eu partiria
Nós partiríamos
Nós partiríamos
Eles partiam
Eles partiriam
Eu partiria de ir
Eu partiria
Se eu partiria
Se eu partisse
Eu partiria que...
Eu sugeriria que...
Eu partiria amanhã (future context)
Eu partirei amanhã
Partir-ia eu
Partiria eu
Eu partiria ter feito
Eu teria partido
Se ele partiria
Se ele partisse
Sentence Patterns
Eu ___ de ___.
Se eu pudesse, eu ___.
Você ___ me ajudar?
Nós ___ o custo.
Real World Usage
Eu gostaria de um sanduíche.
Eu apreciaria a oportunidade.
Você poderia vir aqui?
Eu partiria amanhã se pudesse.
Quem diria que isso aconteceria?
Eu sugeriria uma reunião.
The -r Rule
If-Clauses
Politeness
Dialect
Smart Tips
Use 'gostaria' instead of 'quero'.
Use 'poderia' to soften your request.
Use the conditional for the result.
Use the conditional to express doubt.
Pronunciation
Stress
The stress in -íamos and -íeis falls on the 'i'.
Rising for questions
Você partiria? ↗
Polite inquiry
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember 'IA' as 'Imagine Action'. If you imagine an action, add -ia.
Visual Association
Imagine a 'Would-be' bridge. The bridge is made of the full infinitive verb, and the support beams are the -ia endings.
Rhyme
For the verb to be 'would', add -ia to the root as it should.
Story
Imagine you are at a train station. You look at the train (the infinitive). You want to board it, but you need a ticket (the -ia ending). You buy the ticket and now you can say 'Eu partiria' (I would leave).
Word Web
Challenge
Write 3 sentences about what you would do if you won the lottery using -ir verbs.
Cultural Notes
The conditional is often replaced by the imperfect indicative in very informal speech.
The conditional is used more strictly in formal contexts.
Using the conditional is a sign of respect and professional distance.
The Portuguese conditional evolved from the Latin infinitive plus the imperfect of 'habere' (to have).
Conversation Starters
O que você faria se ganhasse na loteria?
Você gostaria de viajar para onde?
Você poderia me explicar essa regra?
Se você pudesse mudar algo, o que mudaria?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
Eu ___ cedo.
Nós ___ o bolo.
Find and fix the mistake:
Se eu teria tempo, eu partiria.
Eu quero um café. -> Eu ___ um café.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Qual é o condicional?
Eles ___ a conta.
você / partiria / cedo / ?
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesEu ___ cedo.
Nós ___ o bolo.
Find and fix the mistake:
Se eu teria tempo, eu partiria.
Eu quero um café. -> Eu ___ um café.
Nós -> ?
Qual é o condicional?
Eles ___ a conta.
você / partiria / cedo / ?
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercisesVocê ___ dez horas se não tivesse trabalho?
Nós assistirimos à série no Netflix.
abriria / presente / Eu / o
How do you say 'They would leave at noon'?
Which one is a polite request to open a window?
Match these pairs:
Ela ___ falta de casa se viajasse sozinha.
Eu abri-ia a porta.
a conta / dividiriam / Vocês / ?
Choose the correct form of 'permitir':
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
No, use the future tense for definite future events. The conditional is for hypothetical 'would'.
Because it expresses a future action relative to a past point in time.
It is standard, but using it for requests is more polite than the present tense.
In Brazil, 'queria' is a common, slightly less formal way to express a wish.
No, all three groups use the same -ia endings added to the full infinitive.
Just add 'não' before the verb: 'Eu não partiria'.
You can use it in the result clause, but never in the 'se' clause itself.
Very few, like 'fazer' (faria) or 'dizer' (diria), but -ir verbs are almost always regular.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Condicional
The accentuation on the 'i' is consistent in both.
Conditionnel
French uses the future stem rather than the full infinitive.
Konjunktiv II
German uses an auxiliary verb instead of a suffix.
Conditional (-tara)
Japanese relies on particles rather than inflection.
Conditional particles
Arabic uses particles, not verb conjugation.
Conditional markers
Chinese has no verb conjugation at all.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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