Future Subjunctive: When & If (Se & Quando)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use the Future Subjunctive to describe hypothetical future events triggered by 'if' (se) or 'when' (quando).
- Use after 'se' (if) for future possibilities: Se eu for, eu aviso.
- Use after 'quando' (when) for future events: Quando você chegar, ligue-me.
- Conjugate using the infinitive stem plus personal endings (-ar: -ar, -ares, -ar, -armos, -ardes, -arem).
Overview
The Portuguese Future Subjunctive (Futuro do Subjuntivo or Conjuntivo Futuro in European Portuguese) is a vital tense for expressing actions, states, or events that are uncertain or hypothetical in the future. Unlike English, which often relies on the present tense in similar contexts (e.g., "when I arrive," "if it rains"), Portuguese employs this distinct verbal mood to precisely articulate dependence on a future condition or event that has not yet materialized. It serves as a linguistic beacon, signaling that the statement being made is contingent upon something else occurring first.
Mastering the Futuro do Subjuntivo elevates a learner's ability to engage in nuanced communication about plans, possibilities, and hypothetical scenarios, moving beyond simple indicative statements to reflect the inherent uncertainty of future occurrences. This tense is not an archaic relic; it is intensely practical and ubiquitous in both formal and informal registers across all Lusophone countries, including Brazil and Portugal. It underpins much of how native speakers discuss future eventualities, commitments, and conditions, making it indispensable for advanced proficiency.
Without it, your future-oriented conditional statements will lack the precision and natural flow of a native speaker, often sounding either too definitive or grammatically incorrect. It is a hallmark of C1-level fluency.
How This Grammar Works
Futuro do Subjuntivo is almost exclusively found in dependent clauses, meaning it is triggered by specific conjunctions or expressions that introduce conditions, time frames, or indefinite relative clauses. Linguistically, its existence in Portuguese (and other Romance languages like Spanish, though with different formation) highlights a grammatical precision regarding temporality and modality that English largely collapses into the present simple. It acknowledges that a future event, even if anticipated, remains squarely in the realm of the potential until it unfolds.Futuro do Subjuntivo primarily operates within three structural types of dependent clauses:- Temporal Clauses: These specify a future time when an action will occur, contingent upon the completion of the verb in the subjunctive. Common triggers include
quando(when),assim que(as soon as),depois que(after),enquanto(while/as long as),até que(until),logo que(as soon as),mal(as soon as), andsempre que(whenever). For example,Quando você chegar, me ligue.(When you arrive, call me.) — your call is contingent on the future act of arriving. - Conditional Clauses: These establish a condition under which the main clause's action will take place. The most prominent trigger here is
se(if). For instance,Se chover amanhã, não iremos à praia.(If it rains tomorrow, we won't go to the beach.) — the trip's cancellation is conditional on the future act of raining. - Indefinite Relative Clauses: These refer to unspecified people or things that will perform an action in the future. Triggers include
quem(whoever),o que(whatever),onde(wherever),como(however), andquanto(however much). An example isQuem vier à festa, traga uma bebida.(Whoever comes to the party, bring a drink.) — the bringing of a drink is contingent on the future act of coming, by an unspecified person.
Formation Pattern
Futuro do Subjuntivo for any verb in Portuguese, particularly invaluable for irregular verbs where the infinitive form does not provide the stem.
Pretérito Perfeito do Indicativo).
-am ending from this form.
Infinitive) | Preterite (3rd Person Plural) | Remove -am -> Stem |
falar (to speak) | falaram | falar- |
comer (to eat) | comeram | comer- |
partir (to leave) | partiram | partir- |
ser (to be) | foram | for- |
ir (to go) | foram | for- |
ter (to have) | tiveram | tiver- |
fazer (to do/make)| fizeram | fizer- |
vir (to come) | vieram | vier- |
ver (to see) | viram | vir- |
dizer (to say) | disseram | disser- |
trazer (to bring) | trouxeram | trouxer- |
poder (to be able)| puderam | puder- |
querer (to want) | quiseram | quiser- |
saber (to know) | souberam | souber- |
estar (to be) | estiveram | estiver- |
eu | - |
tu | -es |
você/ele/ela | - |
nós | -mos |
vós | -des |
vocês/eles/elas | -em |
eu and você/ele/ela forms are identical to the infinitive (for regular verbs) or just the stem. This similarity is a crucial point for learners, as it often leads to confusion with the Personal Infinitive. The context, specifically the triggering conjunction, disambiguates the tense.
falar) and a few key irregular verbs (ser, ter, fazer, vir, ver):
FALAR (to speak)
falar- (from falaram - am)
quando eu falar
quando tu falares
quando você/ele/ela falar
quando nós falarmos
quando vós falardes
quando vocês/eles/elas falarem
SER (to be) / IR (to go) - identical conjugation
for- (from foram - am)
se eu for
se tu fores
se você/ele/ela for
se nós formos
se vós fordes
se vocês/eles/elas forem
Se eu for ao Brasil, vou aprender a dançar samba. (If I go to Brazil, I'll learn to dance samba.)
TER (to have)
tiver- (from tiveram - am)
quando eu tiver
quando tu tiveres
quando você/ele/ela tiver
quando nós tivermos
quando vós tiverdes
quando vocês/eles/elas tiverem
Assim que ele tiver tempo, ele me ajuda. (As soon as he has time, he helps me.)
FAZER (to do/make)
fizer- (from fizeram - am)
se eu fizer
se tu fizeres
se você/ele/ela fizer
se nós fizermos
se vós fizerdes
se vocês/eles/elas fizerem
Se você fizer o trabalho, receberá um bônus. (If you do the work, you'll receive a bonus.)
VIR (to come)
vier- (from vieram - am)
se eu vier
se tu vieres
se você/ele/ela vier
se nós viermos
se vós vierdes
se vocês/eles/elas vierem
Quando eles vierem à cidade, vamos jantar juntos. (When they come to town, let's have dinner together.)
VER (to see)
vir- (from viram - am)
se eu vir
se tu vires
se você/ele/ela vir
se nós virmos
se vós virdes
se vocês/eles/elas virem
Se você vir a Maria, diga-lhe para me ligar. (If you see Maria, tell her to call me.)
quando, se, assim que, etc.) is absolutely essential for correct interpretation and usage. Without these triggers, an infinitive form is assumed unless other subjunctive triggers are present.
When To Use It
Futuro do Subjuntivo is systematically employed in dependent clauses that express a future action or state contingent on a condition, a future point in time, or an indeterminate agent. Its usage is rigidly governed by specific conjunctions and relative pronouns.quando(when): Introduces a future time.Quando você chegar em casa, me mande uma mensagem.(When you arrive home, send me a message.)Quando tivermos mais informações, avisaremos.(When we have more information, we will inform you.)assim que / logo que(as soon as): Emphasize immediate succession in the future.Assim que o chefe aprovar o projeto, começaremos.(As soon as the boss approves the project, we'll start.)Logo que ele terminar o almoço, virá nos encontrar.(As soon as he finishes lunch, he'll come meet us.)depois que(after): Indicates an action that follows another in the future.Depois que você ler o livro, me diga o que achou.(After you read the book, tell me what you thought.)enquanto(while / as long as): Describes a simultaneous action or a duration in the future.Enquanto eu estiver estudando, por favor, não me interrompa.(While I am studying, please don't interrupt me.)Enquanto eles não fizerem a prova, não saberão o resultado.(As long as they don't take the exam, they won't know the result.)até que(until): Expresses a future limit.- `Vou esperar aqui até que ele chegue.' (I will wait here until he arrives.)
sempre que(whenever): Refers to recurrent future conditions.Sempre que ele precisar de ajuda, eu estarei lá.(Whenever he needs help, I'll be there.)mal(as soon as) (more common in European Portuguese): Similar toassim que.Mal ele saia, telefono-lhe.(As soon as he leaves, I'll call him.)
se.se(if): Introduces a hypothetical future condition. This is a critical point of divergence from English, which uses the simple present after "if" for future conditions.Se você estudar bastante, passará no exame.(If you study a lot, you will pass the exam.)Se eu tiver dinheiro, comprarei uma casa na praia.(If I have money, I will buy a beach house.)Se ele não vier, teremos que começar sem ele.(If he doesn't come, we'll have to start without him.)- Crucial Note: After
semeaning "if," the Future Indicative is never used. Usingse eu terei dinheirois a common and significant error that immediately marks a non-native speaker.
quem(whoever / anyone who):Quem quiser participar, por favor, inscreva-se.(Whoever wants to participate, please sign up.)Daremos o prêmio a quem resolver o enigma primeiro.(We'll give the prize to whoever solves the riddle first.)o que(whatever / anything that):Faça o que você achar melhor.(Do whatever you think is best.)Ele comerá o que puder encontrar na geladeira.(He will eat whatever he can find in the fridge.)onde(wherever):Vou para onde você for.(I'll go wherever you go.)como(however / in whatever way):Pode fazer como você preferir.(You can do it however you prefer.)quanto(however much / as much as):Gastarei quanto eu precisar para terminar o projeto.(I will spend as much as I need to finish the project.)
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect:
Quando eu chego lá, te ligo.(Literally: When I arrive habitually, I call you. Implies a routine, not a single future event.) - Correct:
Quando eu chegar lá, te ligo.(When I arrive [in the future], I'll call you.) - Incorrect:
Se eu tenho tempo, eu ajudo.(Literally: If I habitually have time, I help.) - Correct:
Se eu tiver tempo, eu ajudo.(If I [in the future] have time, I'll help.)
quando or se implies regularity, habit, or a definite, known fact, not a future contingency.se (meaning 'if')Futuro do Presente do Indicativo) after se for future conditions, perhaps reasoning that if it's a future event, the future tense should be used. This is a strict grammatical taboo in Portuguese.- Incorrect:
Se ele irá à festa, eu também irei. - Correct:
Se ele for à festa, eu também irei.(If he goes to the party, I will also go.) - Incorrect:
Se você terá sucesso, dependerá do seu esforço. - Correct:
Se você tiver sucesso, dependerá do seu esforço.(If you have success, it will depend on your effort.)
se + Futuro do Subjuntivo for future conditions. Se + Presente do Indicativo for present/general conditions (Se ele estuda, ele aprende. - If he studies, he learns.). Never se + Futuro do Indicativo.VER vs. VIR Conundrum (and other irregular homonyms)ver (to see) and vir (to come) are notoriously tricky because they share similar spellings with different meanings. This requires careful memorization of their preterite stems and vigilance in context.ver(to see): Stemvir-(fromviram) ->se você virvir(to come): Stemvier-(fromvieram) ->se você vier
- Incorrect (colloquial, but grammatically non-standard):
Se você ver o João, avise-me.(Using the infinitiveverinstead of the Future Subjunctivevir.) - Correct:
Se você vir o João, avise-me.(If you see João, let me know.) - Incorrect:
Quando ele vir aqui, conversamos.(Usingvir(to see) instead ofvier(to come).) - Correct:
Quando ele vier aqui, conversamos.(When he comes here, we talk.)
quando, se, assim que, para que (less common for future), etc. | para (in order to), por (for), ao (upon), sem (without), de (of) |Quando eles chegarem... (When they arrive...)Se ele falar... (If he speaks...) | É bom para eles chegarem... (It's good for them to arrive...)Obrigado por falarem. (Thanks for speaking.) |quando, se, assim que, depois que, it is almost certainly Futuro do Subjuntivo. If it's para, por, ao, sem, de, it will be the Personal Infinitive, even if the forms are the same.Futuro do Subjuntivo applies only to uncertain or hypothetical future events. For habitual actions or general truths in the future, even if introduced by quando, the Indicative mood is appropriate.- Correct (Habitual):
Quando eu tenho férias, sempre viajo para a praia.(Whenever I have vacation, I always travel to the beach.) - This describes a recurring habit, not a single future event. - Correct (Single Future Event):
Quando eu tiver férias no próximo ano, vou viajar para a praia.(When I have vacation next year, I will travel to the beach.) - This describes a specific, contingent future event.
Real Conversations
The Future Subjunctive is deeply embedded in everyday Portuguese, spanning casual chats to formal correspondence. It's not a formal, literary tense but a practical tool for expressing contingent future events, which are ubiquitous in planning and discussion. Observing its use in authentic contexts highlights its natural flow.
1. Planning and Scheduling:
This is perhaps its most common application, as future plans are inherently uncertain.
- WhatsApp Chat (BP):
- "A: Quando você puder me ligar, avisa. Preciso conversar sobre o projeto."
- "B: Beleza! Assim que eu sair da reunião, te ligo."
- Translation: A: When you can call me, let me know. I need to talk about the project. B: Okay! As soon as I leave the meeting, I'll call you.
- Email (EP):
- "Estimada colega, enviarei a minuta assim que a tiver revista. Caso surjam dúvidas, por favor, contacte-me."
- Translation: Dear colleague, I will send the draft as soon as I have reviewed it. Should any questions arise, please contact me.
2. Expressing Conditions and Hypotheses:
- Casual Conversation (BP):
- "Se chover, a gente faz o churrasco dentro de casa."
- Translation: If it rains, we'll do the barbecue inside the house.
- Online Forum Comment (EP):
- "Quem tiver a oportunidade de visitar esta cidade, não se vai arrepender."
- Translation: Whoever has the opportunity to visit this city will not regret it.
3. Making Promises or Commitments (often with enquanto or enquanto não):
- Parent to child (BP):
- "Enquanto você não terminar o dever de casa, não vai poder jogar."
- Translation: As long as you don't finish your homework, you won't be able to play.
4. Giving Instructions or Warnings:
- Travel Advisory (EP):
- "Aconselha-se aos viajantes que, sempre que sentirem qualquer sintoma, procurem assistência médica."
- Translation: Travelers are advised that, whenever they feel any symptoms, they should seek medical assistance.
These examples demonstrate that the Future Subjunctive is an active and indispensable part of daily communication. Its absence would create awkward, less precise, or simply incorrect sentences. Its usage feels completely natural to native speakers because it precisely maps to the contingent nature of future actions.
Quick FAQ
The core linguistic principle is modality and aspect. English often treats future conditions (e.g., "when I arrive") as a given or factual event for the purpose of the conditional clause, even if it hasn't happened yet. Portuguese, conversely, maintains the hypothetical/uncertain modality of that future event in the dependent clause. By using the subjunctive, Portuguese explicitly marks the action as non-factual and contingent. The "future" aspect clarifies its temporal domain. This precision allows for clearer differentiation between general truths or habits (Indicative) and specific future contingencies (Subjunctive).
Almost always, yes. The Future Subjunctive is fundamentally a dependent mood, meaning it relies on a main clause and a triggering conjunction or relative pronoun. It cannot stand alone as an independent clause in modern Portuguese. Its existence is tied to expressing contingency relative to another event.
The grammatical structure and core usage rules are the same in both variants. Both use the Future Subjunctive extensively and correctly. Minor differences might appear in the frequency of certain conjunctions (e.g., mal for "as soon as" is perhaps more common in EP, while logo que or assim que are very common in BP), but the conjugation and trigger conditions remain consistent across the Lusophone world. The forms of verbs like ver and vir (e.g. se você vir vs se você vier) are identical in both.
In highly informal contexts, particularly in Brazilian Portuguese, you might sometimes hear native speakers use the present indicative where the Future Subjunctive would be grammatically expected (e.g., Quando eu chego lá, te aviso). However, this is generally considered colloquial or a simplification and not grammatically standard. It can sound awkward, imprecise, or even alter the meaning to a habitual action rather than a future contingency. For C1-level proficiency and clarity, consistently using the Future Subjunctive is essential. In European Portuguese, this error is less tolerated and more likely to sound markedly non-native.
Focus on two main strategies:
- 1Conjugation Drills: Regularly practice conjugating the irregular verbs in the Future Subjunctive. The
ser,ir,ter,fazer,vir,ver,dizer,poder,querer,saber,estarare the absolute must-knows. Use the preterite stem rule consistently. - 2Contextual Immersion: Pay close attention to its usage in native materials (books, podcasts, movies, news articles). Actively identify the trigger words (
quando,se,assim que,quem, etc.) and the Future Subjunctive verb that follows. Try to rephrase sentences you hear or read, changing the conditions to actively produce the tense. Engage in conversations focusing on future plans and conditions.
The "future" label refers to the temporal domain of the uncertainty. The event described by the Future Subjunctive verb has not yet occurred and is projected into the future. It's future relative to the moment of speaking. The subjunctive mood then qualifies this future projection as hypothetical, conditional, or merely possible, rather than a certainty. It defines a future window of possibility rather than a definite future event.
Future Subjunctive Conjugation
| Person | -ar (Falar) | -er (Comer) | -ir (Partir) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Eu
|
falar
|
comer
|
partir
|
|
Tu
|
falares
|
comeres
|
partires
|
|
Ele/Ela
|
falar
|
comer
|
partir
|
|
Nós
|
falarmos
|
comermos
|
partirmos
|
|
Vós
|
falardes
|
comerdes
|
partirdes
|
|
Eles/Elas
|
falarem
|
comerem
|
partirem
|
Meanings
The Future Subjunctive expresses a future action that is contingent upon another event or condition being fulfilled.
Conditional Future
Actions that will happen only if a condition is met.
“Se ele vier, ficaremos felizes.”
“Se você quiser, podemos sair.”
Temporal Future
Actions that will happen at an unspecified time in the future.
“Quando eu for ao Brasil, visitarei o Rio.”
“Quando você vir o resultado, entenderá.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Se + Verb (Fut. Subj.)
|
Se eu puder, vou.
|
|
Negative
|
Se + não + Verb (Fut. Subj.)
|
Se não chover, sairemos.
|
|
Question
|
Quando + Verb (Fut. Subj.) + ...?
|
Quando você vier, traz o livro?
|
|
Temporal
|
Assim que + Verb (Fut. Subj.)
|
Assim que ele chegar, avise.
|
|
Conditional
|
Caso + Verb (Fut. Subj.)
|
Caso você precise, ligue.
|
|
Irregular
|
Se + tiver/fizer/puser
|
Se eu tiver tempo, farei.
|
Formality Spectrum
Caso Vossa Senhoria tenha tempo, por favor, contate-nos. (Professional vs. Casual)
Se você tiver tempo, ligue-me. (Professional vs. Casual)
Se tiver tempo, me liga. (Professional vs. Casual)
Se der, me dá um toque. (Professional vs. Casual)
Future Subjunctive Triggers
Conjunctions
- Se If
- Quando When
- Assim que As soon as
Examples by Level
Se eu for, eu aviso.
If I go, I will let you know.
Quando você chegar, me liga.
When you arrive, call me.
Se ele não fizer o dever, não sairá.
If he doesn't do the homework, he won't go out.
Assim que eles tiverem tempo, nos responderão.
As soon as they have time, they will answer us.
Se houver qualquer problema, por favor, informe-nos.
If there is any problem, please inform us.
Caso o réu não comparecer, o juiz decidirá.
In case the defendant does not appear, the judge will decide.
Easily Confused
They look identical for regular verbs.
Learners use present for future.
Both are subjunctive.
Common Mistakes
Se eu vou
Se eu for
Quando eu chego
Quando eu chegar
Se ele faz
Se ele fizer
Quando nós temos
Quando nós tivermos
Se você tem tempo
Se você tiver tempo
Quando eles vêm
Quando eles vierem
Se eu posso
Se eu puder
Se ele diria
Se ele disser
Quando eu saberei
Quando eu souber
Se eles querem
Se eles quiserem
Se o contrato estipulará
Se o contrato estipular
Quando a lei entrará
Quando a lei entrar
Se houveram problemas
Se houver problemas
Quando eles porem
Quando eles puserem
Sentence Patterns
Se você ___ (verbo), eu ___ (verbo).
Quando eles ___ (verbo), nós ___ (verbo).
Assim que eu ___ (verbo), te ligo.
Caso você não ___ (verbo), avise-me.
Real World Usage
Quando você puder, me avisa.
Se houver dúvidas, contate-nos.
Se o contratante descumprir...
Quando chegarmos, vamos ao hotel.
Se o pedido não chegar, reclame.
Quando eu postar, vejam!
Check the Pretérito Perfeito
No Indicative
The 'Nós' Form
Formality Matters
Smart Tips
Stop and ask: is this future? If yes, use the future subjunctive.
Remember the Pretérito Perfeito stem.
Always use the future subjunctive for conditions.
Use 'quando' + future subjunctive.
Pronunciation
Stress
The stress usually falls on the penultimate syllable, except for the 'nós' form which is proparoxytone.
Conditional rise
Se você vier, ↗ subiremos.
The rise indicates the condition is pending.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of the Future Subjunctive as the 'Future Possibility' tense.
Visual Association
Imagine a fork in the road. One path is 'If', the other is 'When'. Both lead to the future.
Rhyme
If it's future and a condition, use the subjunctive with intuition.
Story
Maria is planning a trip. She says: 'Se eu tiver dinheiro (If I have money), viajarei. Quando eu chegar lá (When I arrive there), serei feliz.'
Word Web
Challenge
Write 5 sentences about your plans for next weekend using 'Se' and 'Quando'.
Cultural Notes
In Brazil, the future subjunctive is used naturally in speech, often with 'a gente' for 'nós'.
In Portugal, the 'vós' form is still used in formal contexts, though rare in speech.
Used extensively in contracts to define future obligations.
Derived from the Latin future perfect subjunctive.
Conversation Starters
O que você fará quando tiver férias?
Se você pudesse viajar hoje, para onde iria?
O que você fará se chover no fim de semana?
Quando você se formar, qual será seu primeiro passo?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
Se você ___ (ter) tempo, ligue.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Se ele faz o trabalho, será pago.
Quando você chega, avise.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Nós ___.
Se / eu / poder / vou.
The future subjunctive is used for past events.
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesSe você ___ (ter) tempo, ligue.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Se ele faz o trabalho, será pago.
Quando você chega, avise.
Pôr -> ?
Nós ___.
Se / eu / poder / vou.
The future subjunctive is used for past events.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesSe você ___ o jantar, eu lavo a louça.
Quando vocês ___ ao mercado, comprem leite.
Choose the correct phrase:
Enquanto eu estou aqui, vou aproveitar.
Match the conjunctions:
Me avise quando você ___ falar.
Se nós ___ juntos, terminaremos mais rápido.
Se eles virem amanhã, será ótimo.
tiver / Se / tempo / eu / vou.
Translate the phrase using Future Subjunctive (Você form).
O que você ___ para a festa será bem-vindo.
Which word is in the Future Subjunctive?
Score: /12
FAQ (8)
No, it is strictly for future-oriented conditions.
Check the 3rd person plural of the Pretérito Perfeito.
Yes, it is very common in daily conversation.
'Se' is for conditions, 'quando' is for time.
Regular verbs share the same form as the personal infinitive.
It is used in all registers, but required in formal writing.
No, 'talvez' uses the present subjunctive.
The usage is consistent, but 'vós' is rare in Brazil.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Present Subjunctive
Portuguese maintains a distinct future form.
Future Indicative
Portuguese uses subjunctive.
Present Indicative
Portuguese uses a specialized subjunctive form.
Conditional 'tara'
Portuguese uses verb conjugation.
Future particle
Portuguese conjugates the verb stem.
Time markers
Portuguese relies on complex verb inflection.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Related Grammar Rules
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