C1 Subjunctive 9 min read Hard

Portuguese Sequence of Tenses: Preserving the Subjunctive

To sound truly fluent, your main clause and subordinate clause must strictly agree in their timeframes.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Match your past or present main verb to the correct subjunctive tense to keep your timeline logical.

  • Present/Future main verb triggers Present Subjunctive: 'Espero que ele venha.'
  • Past/Conditional main verb triggers Imperfect Subjunctive: 'Esperava que ele viesse.'
  • Perfect main verb triggers Pluperfect Subjunctive: 'Tinha esperado que ele tivesse vindo.'
Main Verb (Past) + que + Subjunctive (Imperfect/Pluperfect)

Overview

Mastering the Portuguese Sequence of Tenses, known formally as Concordância Temporal, is crucial for advanced learners of Portuguese. This grammatical principle dictates how the tense of a verb in a main clause governs the tense of a verb in a subordinate clause, especially when that subordinate verb is in the subjunctive mood. Failing to adhere to this sequence often results in sentences that, while comprehensible, sound unnatural and betray a lack of advanced fluency.

It is the linguistic mechanism that ensures temporal coherence across complex sentences, allowing you to articulate nuanced ideas about desires, doubts, emotions, or hypothetical situations with precision. Understanding the Concordância Temporal moves you beyond simple conjugation recall to an orchestral command of sentence structure, aligning the temporal frames of your thoughts seamlessly. This rule is particularly salient at the C1 level, where fine-grained temporal and modal distinctions become vital for authentic communication.

How This Grammar Works

At its core, Concordância Temporal reflects a fundamental linguistic reality: the mood and tense of a dependent clause are often influenced by the independent clause. In Portuguese, when the main clause expresses a subjective state—such as a wish, a doubt, a command, or an emotion—it typically triggers the subjunctive mood in the subordinate clause. The sequence of tenses then determines which specific subjunctive tense must be used.
Think of the main verb as establishing the temporal reference point. If this reference point is in the present or future, the subjunctive verb must adjust to reflect a concurrent or future action relative to that present/future. Conversely, if the main verb sets a past reference point, the subjunctive verb must shift to a past subjunctive form, indicating concurrency or anteriority relative to that past.
This ensures that the time of the subjunctive action is logically consistent with the time of the main action. For example, Eu espero que você venha (I hope that you come) uses present indicative and present subjunctive, while Eu esperava que você viesse (I hoped that you would come) uses imperfect indicative and imperfect subjunctive. The core principle is a temporal domino effect: the tense of the first verb dictates the possible tenses of the second, ensuring a harmonious and logical flow of information.

Formation Pattern

1
The Sequence of Tenses in Portuguese primarily concerns the interplay between the indicative tenses in the main clause and the subjunctive tenses in the subordinate clause. The choice of subjunctive tense is not arbitrary; it adheres to strict temporal alignment rules based on whether the main verb's action is present/future-oriented or past-oriented. Here, we outline the fundamental patterns, including simple and compound tenses.
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1. Main Verb in Present/Future Indicative or Imperative
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If your main clause verb is in the Present Indicative, Future Indicative, Future of the Present (Futuro do Presente), or the Imperative, the subordinate clause will typically require the Present Subjunctive or the Present Perfect Subjunctive.
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| Main Clause Tense | Subordinate Clause Tense | Usage | Example (Subjunctive Concurrent/Future) | Example (Subjunctive Anterior) |
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|:----------------------------|:--------------------------|:----------------------------------------------|:------------------------------------------------------|:--------------------------------------------------|
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| Present Indicative | Present Subjunctive | Action is concurrent or future relative to main | Espero que esteja tudo bem. (I hope everything is fine.) | Espero que você tenha chegado. (I hope you have arrived.) |
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| Future Indicative | Present Subjunctive | Action is future relative to main | Esperarei que ele ligue. (I will wait for him to call.) | Não creio que ele já tenha saído. (I don't think he has already left.) |
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| Future of the Present | Present Subjunctive | Action is future relative to main | Se ele vier, direi que fique. (If he comes, I'll tell him to stay.) | Quando tiver o relatório, talvez o apresente. (When I have the report, perhaps I'll present it.) |
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| Imperative | Present Subjunctive | Command for concurrent or future action | Diga-lhe que venha aqui. (Tell him to come here.) | Mande que terminem o trabalho. (Order them to finish the work.) |
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Present Subjunctive (que eu fale): Used when the subjunctive action is simultaneous with or happens after the main verb's present/future action.
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Present Perfect Subjunctive (que eu tenha falado): Used when the subjunctive action occurred before the main verb's present/future action. This indicates an action completed in the past relative to the present moment of the main verb.
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2. Main Verb in Past Indicative or Conditional
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If your main clause verb is in a Past Indicative tense (Pretérito Perfeito Simples/Composto, Pretérito Imperfeito, Pretérito Mais-que-Perfeito) or the Conditional (Futuro do Pretérito), the subordinate clause will typically require the Imperfect Subjunctive or the Past Perfect Subjunctive.
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| Main Clause Tense | Subordinate Clause Tense | Usage | Example (Subjunctive Concurrent/Future in Past) | Example (Subjunctive Anterior to Past) |
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|:----------------------------|:----------------------------|:----------------------------------------------|:----------------------------------------------------|:-------------------------------------------------|
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| Pretérito Imperfeito | Imperfect Subjunctive | Action is concurrent or future relative to past | Eu queria que você viesse. (I wanted you to come.) | Duvidava que ele tivesse mentido. (I doubted he had lied.) |
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| Pretérito Perfeito Simples | Imperfect Subjunctive | Action is concurrent or future relative to past | Ele pediu que eu fizesse um favor. (He asked me to do a favor.) | Eles lamentaram que tivéssemos perdido. (They regretted that we had lost.) |
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| Pretérito Mais-que-Perfeito | Imperfect Subjunctive | Action is concurrent or future relative to past | Eu dissera que fosse embora. (I had said that he leave.) | Não permitira que ele tivesse fugido. (I had not allowed him to have fled.) |
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| Conditional | Imperfect Subjunctive | Hypothetical action concurrent or future | Seria bom que você estudasse mais. (It would be good if you studied more.) | Eu teria gostado que ele tivesse vindo. (I would have liked him to have come.) |
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Imperfect Subjunctive (que eu falasse): Used when the subjunctive action is simultaneous with or happens after the main verb's past or conditional action.
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Past Perfect Subjunctive (Mais-que-Perfeito Composto do Conjuntivo) (que eu tivesse falado): Used when the subjunctive action occurred before the main verb's past or conditional action. This is crucial for expressing a completed action that was already finished at the time of the main past verb, often conveying regret or impossibility.
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3. Future Subjunctive Triggered by Conjunctions
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The Future Subjunctive (quando eu falar) is unique because it is usually triggered not by a main verb expressing doubt or desire, but by specific conjunctions and expressions that introduce future-oriented conditions or timeframes. These often imply a degree of uncertainty about a future event. It expresses an action that will occur in the future, conditional on some other event.
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| Triggering Conjunction/Expression | Subordinate Clause Tense | Usage | Example |
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|:-----------------------------------|:-------------------------|:----------------------------------------------|:-----------------------------------------------|
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| quando (when) | Future Subjunctive | Action occurs when another future action happens | Quando você chegar, me avise. (When you arrive, let me know.) |
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| se (if) | Future Subjunctive | Conditional future action | Se ele vier, falaremos. (If he comes, we will talk.) |
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| assim que (as soon as) | Future Subjunctive | Immediate future action after another | Assim que ele souber, avisará. (As soon as he knows, he'll tell.) |
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| enquanto (while, as long as) | Future Subjunctive | Duration in the future | Enquanto eu estiver aqui, tudo bem. (As long as I am here, it's fine.) |
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| depois que (after) | Future Subjunctive | Action after another future action | Depois que fizerem o trabalho, podem sair. (After they do the work, they can leave.) |
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| embora (although, even if) | Future Subjunctive | Concession for a future event | Embora chover, irei. (Even if it rains, I will go.) |
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Crucially, the Future Subjunctive is rarely preceded by a main verb expressing desire or doubt in the same way the present and imperfect subjunctive are. Its function is primarily temporal or conditional, always projecting into an uncertain future. Note that in casual Brazilian Portuguese, the Present Subjunctive often replaces the Future Subjunctive, especially after quando or se, though this is considered less formal or even grammatically incorrect in prescriptive contexts and in European Portuguese.

When To Use It

Employing the correct sequence of tenses is essential whenever your main clause expresses a subjective attitude towards a dependent clause. This includes verbs and expressions that convey: desire, doubt, emotion, opinion (subjective), command, necessity, purpose, concession, or hypothetical conditions. Essentially, any time the main verb does not state a concrete fact but rather an opinion, feeling, or an action directed at another action, the subjunctive mood is likely triggered, and Concordância Temporal becomes paramount.
  • Expressions of Desire/Will: Eu queria que você fosse ao evento. (I wanted you to go to the event.) – Here, queria (Imperfect Indicative) demands fosse (Imperfect Subjunctive). If you desired it now, Eu quero que você vá ao evento.
  • Expressions of Doubt/Uncertainty: Eu duvidava que ele viesse. (I doubted he would come.) – Duvidava (Imperfect Indicative) leads to viesse (Imperfect Subjunctive). For present doubt: Duvido que ele venha.
  • Expressions of Emotion: Fiquei feliz que eles tivessem chegado bem. (I was happy that they had arrived safely.) – Fiquei feliz (Pretérito Perfeito) necessitates tivessem chegado (Past Perfect Subjunctive) because their arrival preceded your happiness.
  • Commands/Suggestions: O chefe mandou que os relatórios fossem entregues ontem. (The boss ordered the reports to be delivered yesterday.) – A past command (mandou) triggers a past subjunctive (fossem entregues).
  • Hypothetical Situations (Conditional): Seria bom que nevase no Natal. (It would be good if it snowed at Christmas.) – The conditional seria requires nevase (Imperfect Subjunctive) for a hypothetical event.
  • Temporal Clauses with Future Uncertainty: Quando tiveres tempo, fala comigo. (When you have time, speak with me.) – Quando plus an uncertain future event demands the Future Subjunctive (tiveres). This construction is very common in directives or future plans.
Concordância Temporal is not merely an academic rule; it is the natural pulse of Portuguese conversation when discussing anything beyond simple factual statements. It underpins politeness in requests, expresses nuanced regret, and structures future contingencies, making your communication both grammatically sound and culturally appropriate.

Common Mistakes

Advanced learners often stumble with the Portuguese sequence of tenses due to interference from their native language or overgeneralization from other Romance languages. Identifying these specific pitfalls is key to achieving C1 mastery.
  • The English Infinitive Trap: English often uses an infinitive after certain verbs (e.g.,

Subjunctive Sequence Logic

Main Clause Tense Subjunctive Tense Example
Present
Present Subjunctive
Quero que ele venha
Future
Present Subjunctive
Querei que ele venha
Preterite (Perfect)
Imperfect Subjunctive
Quis que ele viesse
Imperfect
Imperfect Subjunctive
Queria que ele viesse
Conditional
Imperfect Subjunctive
Quereria que ele viesse
Pluperfect
Pluperfect Subjunctive
Tinha querido que ele tivesse vindo

Meanings

The rule governing which tense of the subjunctive must be used based on the tense of the governing verb in the main clause.

1

Past-to-Past Shift

Using the imperfect subjunctive after a past tense main verb.

“Ele pediu que eu fizesse o relatório.”

“Eu duvidava que eles soubessem a verdade.”

2

Perfective Aspect

Using the pluperfect subjunctive to express an action completed before another past action.

“Eu não imaginava que ele tivesse chegado tão cedo.”

“Eles lamentaram que nós tivéssemos perdido o voo.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Portuguese Sequence of Tenses: Preserving the Subjunctive
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Main(Past) + que + Subj(Imperf)
Ele pediu que eu fosse.
Negative
Main(Past) + que + não + Subj(Imperf)
Ele pediu que eu não fosse.
Question
Main(Past) + que + Subj(Imperf)?
Ele pediu que eu fosse?
Perfective
Main(Past) + que + Subj(Pluperf)
Ele pediu que eu tivesse ido.
Hypothetical
Main(Cond) + que + Subj(Imperf)
Eu gostaria que ele fosse.
Regret
Main(Past) + que + Subj(Pluperf)
Eu lamentei que ele tivesse ido.

Formality Spectrum

Formal
Eu desejava que você estivesse presente.

Eu desejava que você estivesse presente. (Expressing a past wish.)

Neutral
Eu queria que você estivesse lá.

Eu queria que você estivesse lá. (Expressing a past wish.)

Informal
Queria que você tivesse ido.

Queria que você tivesse ido. (Expressing a past wish.)

Slang
Queria que tu tivesse colado lá.

Queria que tu tivesse colado lá. (Expressing a past wish.)

The Subjunctive Timeline

Main Verb

Present/Future

  • Present Subjunctive Present Subjunctive

Past/Conditional

  • Imperfect Subjunctive Imperfect Subjunctive

Past Perfect

  • Pluperfect Subjunctive Pluperfect Subjunctive
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Examples by Level

1

Eu quero que você venha.

I want you to come.

2

Espero que ele goste.

I hope he likes it.

3

É bom que você estude.

It's good that you study.

4

Duvido que ele saiba.

I doubt he knows.

1

Eu queria que você viesse.

I wanted you to come.

2

Ele pediu que eu fizesse isso.

He asked that I do this.

3

Era necessário que eles fossem.

It was necessary that they go.

4

Eu não achava que fosse verdade.

I didn't think it was true.

1

Eu duvidava que ele tivesse chegado.

I doubted he had arrived.

2

Ela sugeriu que nós tivéssemos ido.

She suggested that we had gone.

3

Foi uma pena que você não tivesse visto.

It was a pity you hadn't seen it.

4

Eles esperavam que eu tivesse terminado.

They hoped I had finished.

1

Teria sido melhor que ele tivesse falado a verdade.

It would have been better if he had told the truth.

2

Embora ele tivesse tentado, não conseguiu.

Although he had tried, he didn't succeed.

3

Era impossível que eles tivessem esquecido.

It was impossible that they had forgotten.

4

Eu não imaginava que ela tivesse chegado tão longe.

I didn't imagine she had come so far.

1

Caso ele tivesse vindo, teríamos conversado.

Had he come, we would have talked.

2

Não fosse o fato de que ele tivesse mentido, eu acreditaria.

Were it not for the fact that he had lied, I would believe.

3

Por mais que ele tivesse se esforçado, o resultado foi o mesmo.

No matter how much he had tried, the result was the same.

4

Era como se ele tivesse previsto o futuro.

It was as if he had foreseen the future.

1

Não se esperava que, àquela altura, ele tivesse ainda tal convicção.

It was not expected that, at that point, he still had such conviction.

2

Fosse ele quem fosse, não teria tido sucesso se não tivesse se preparado.

Whoever he was, he wouldn't have succeeded if he hadn't prepared.

3

Duvidava-se que, mesmo que tivesse chovido, o evento tivesse sido cancelado.

It was doubted that, even if it had rained, the event would have been cancelled.

4

Era imperativo que, antes que o sol se pusesse, ele tivesse terminado a tarefa.

It was imperative that, before the sun set, he had finished the task.

Easily Confused

Portuguese Sequence of Tenses: Preserving the Subjunctive vs Indicative vs Subjunctive

Learners mix up whether to use indicative or subjunctive after certain verbs.

Common Mistakes

✗

Eu queria que ele vem.

✓

Eu queria que ele viesse.

Present tense used after past main verb.
✗

Eu duvidei que ele sabe.

✓

Eu duvidei que ele soubesse.

Mixing tenses.
✗

Eu esperava que ele tem chegado.

✓

Eu esperava que ele tivesse chegado.

Incorrect auxiliary verb.
✗

Eu não sabia que ele teria vindo.

✓

Eu não sabia que ele tivesse vindo.

Using conditional instead of pluperfect subjunctive.

Sentence Patterns

Eu queria que ele ___.

Real World Usage

Texting very common

Queria que você tivesse vindo!

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💡

The 'SSE' Rule

If the main verb ends in 'ia' or 'ou', the next verb almost always ends in 'sse'.

Smart Tips

Use the pluperfect subjunctive.

Eu queria que ele veio. → Eu queria que ele tivesse vindo.

Pronunciation

/ˈvi.e.si/

Imperfect Subjunctive ending

The 'sse' sound is soft and should be clearly articulated.

Falling

Eu queria que ele viesse ↘

Finality and regret.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Past main verb? Use the 'sse' ending to impress!

Visual Association

Imagine a seesaw. On one side is the main verb, on the other the subjunctive. If the main verb is heavy (past), the subjunctive must also be heavy (past).

Rhyme

Main verb in the past, subjunctive must be cast, with an 'sse' at the end, that's how you make a friend.

Story

Yesterday, I wanted (queria) that my friend came (viesse). I was worried he hadn't arrived (tivesse chegado). It was a long day.

Word Web

QueriaViesseDuvidavaSoubesseTivessePedidoEsperava

Challenge

Write three sentences about what you wanted to happen yesterday using the imperfect subjunctive.

Cultural Notes

In spoken Brazilian Portuguese, people often use the indicative instead of the subjunctive in informal speech, though it is technically incorrect.

Derived from Latin subjunctive forms which evolved to maintain temporal alignment.

Conversation Starters

“

O que você queria que tivesse acontecido ontem?

Journal Prompts

Write about a regret from last year.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank

Eu queria que ele ___ (vir).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: viesse
Past main verb requires imperfect subjunctive.

Score: /1

Practice Exercises

1 exercises
Fill in the blank

Eu queria que ele ___ (vir).

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: viesse
Past main verb requires imperfect subjunctive.

Score: /1

Practice Bank

12 exercises
Fill in the correct subjunctive form. Fill in the Blank

Duvido que eles ___ (ter) tempo para ler aquele documento enorme.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: tenham
Rearrange the words to form a correct sentence. Sentence Reorder

[você, que, queria, eu, viesse]

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: eu queria que você viesse
Translate into Portuguese using the correct subjunctive tense. Translation

If I had money, I would travel.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Se eu tivesse dinheiro, viajaria.
Select the correct hypothetical combination. Multiple Choice

Se eu ___ a verdade, não teria vindo.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: soubesse
Correct the colloquial mistake for a C1 standard. Error Correction

Se eu fazer isso amanhã, te aviso por mensagem.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Se eu fizer isso amanhã, te aviso por mensagem.
Match the main clause to the correct subjunctive sequence. Match Pairs

Match the halves perfectly.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Quero que -> ele vá, Queria que -> ele fosse
Choose the perfect tense subjunctive. Fill in the Blank

Espero que ele ___ (ir) bem na entrevista de ontem.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: tenha ido
Translate to Portuguese. Translation

It is possible that it rains tomorrow.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: É possível que chova amanhã.
Build the sentence in the correct order. Sentence Reorder

[caso, chova, em, ficaremos, casa]

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: caso chova ficaremos em casa
Which sequence correctly expresses a past demand? Multiple Choice

Choose the right sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ele mandou que nós saíssemos.
Fix the mixed timeframes. Error Correction

Seria ótimo se você pode me ajudar.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Seria ótimo se você pudesse me ajudar.
Match the triggering expressions. Match Pairs

Connect the trigger to the proper tense.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Acredito que -> ele vai (Indicative), Duvido que -> ele vá (Subjunctive)

Score: /12

FAQ (1)

It is the auxiliary for the pluperfect subjunctive.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

Spanish high

Imperfecto de subjuntivo

Minor differences in verb endings.

French moderate

Imparfait du subjonctif

Rarely used in spoken French.

German partial

Konjunktiv II

German uses it for politeness too.

Japanese low

Conditional/Hypothetical

No tense conjugation for mood.

Arabic low

Jussive mood

Different grammatical logic.

Chinese none

Contextual markers

Entirely different system.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Next
The 'Deep Past': Had Done (Mais-que-Perfeito)

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