Conditional Tense in Portuguese Explained

Introduction

The conditional tense in Portuguese opens up a world of polite requests, hypothetical situations, and expressing what would happen under certain circumstances. Whether you’re dreaming about your future travels to Brazil, making courteous suggestions, or discussing possibilities, mastering the conditional tense elevates your Portuguese from basic communication to nuanced expression.

What Is the Conditional Tense in Portuguese?

The condicional (conditional tense) in Portuguese expresses actions that would happen under specific conditions or circumstances. Think of it as the would form in English. When you say I would travel to Rio if I had time, you’re using the conditional tense. In Portuguese, this becomes Eu viajaria para o Rio se tivesse tempo.

The condicional serves multiple purposes in everyday Portuguese conversation. It allows speakers to express politeness, make gentle suggestions, discuss hypothetical scenarios, and talk about future events from a past perspective. Understanding when and how to use this tense transforms your ability to communicate with sophistication and cultural appropriateness.

Unlike English, which uses auxiliary verbs like would, Portuguese has specific conditional conjugations that attach directly to the infinitive form of verbs. This means you’ll be adding endings to the full infinitive rather than modifying stem forms, making it one of the more straightforward tenses to learn once you understand the pattern.

Forming the Conditional Tense

Regular Verb Conjugations

The beauty of the condicional lies in its simplicity. For regular verbs, you take the complete infinitive form and add the conditional endings. These endings are the same for all three verb groups: -ar, -er, and -ir verbs. The endings are: -ia, -ias, -ia, -íamos, -íeis, -iam.

Let’s examine the verb falar (to speak) as our first example:
Eu falaria – I would speak
Você/ele/ela falaria – You/he/she would speak
Nós falaríamos – We would speak
Vocês/eles/elas falariam – You all/they would speak

Notice how the infinitive falar remains intact, and we simply attach the endings. The same pattern applies to -er verbs. Consider comer (to eat):
Eu comeria – I would eat
Você/ele/ela comeria – You/he/she would eat
Nós comeríamos – We would eat
Vocês/eles/elas comeriam – You all/they would eat

The pattern continues with -ir verbs. Using partir (to leave/depart):
Eu partiria – I would leave
Você/ele/ela partiria – You/he/she would leave
Nós partiríamos – We would leave
Vocês/eles/elas partiriam – You all/they would leave

Irregular Verbs in the Conditional

While the conditional tense is remarkably regular compared to other Portuguese tenses, three important verbs have irregular stems. Fortunately, once you know the irregular stem, you still apply the same regular endings we just learned.

The verb dizer (to say/tell) becomes dir- in the conditional:
Eu diria – I would say
Você diria – You would say
Nós diríamos – We would say
Eles diriam – They would say

The verb fazer (to do/make) transforms to far-:
Eu faria – I would do
Você faria – You would do
Nós faríamos – We would do
Eles fariam – They would do

The verb trazer (to bring) becomes trar-:
Eu traria – I would bring
Você traria – You would bring
Nós traríamos – We would bring
Eles trariam – They would bring

These three irregular verbs appear frequently in conversation, so investing time to memorize them pays significant dividends. The good news is that verbs derived from these base forms follow the same irregular pattern. For example, desfazer (to undo) follows fazer, becoming desfaria.

Primary Uses of the Conditional Tense

Expressing Politeness and Making Requests

One of the most practical applications of the condicional involves making polite requests and suggestions. Using the conditional instead of the present tense softens your language and demonstrates cultural awareness and respect.

Compare these examples:
Você pode me ajudar? – Can you help me? (direct)
Você poderia me ajudar? – Could you help me? (polite)

The conditional form poderia transforms a straightforward request into a courteous inquiry. This distinction matters greatly in Brazilian culture, where politeness and maintaining harmonious relationships hold significant value.

Consider restaurant situations:
Eu gostaria de um café, por favor. – I would like a coffee, please.
Você teria o cardápio? – Would you have the menu?
Nós gostaríamos de reservar uma mesa. – We would like to reserve a table.

Using gostaria instead of quero (I want) demonstrates sophistication and good manners. While quero isn’t necessarily rude, gostaria shows you understand subtle social dynamics.

Discussing Hypothetical Situations

The condicional excels at expressing hypothetical scenarios and imagined possibilities. When you want to discuss what would happen if circumstances were different, you’ll rely heavily on this tense.

Consider these hypothetical statements:
Eu viajaria mais se tivesse mais dinheiro. – I would travel more if I had more money.
Ela estudaria medicina se pudesse. – She would study medicine if she could.
Nós moraríamos no Brasil se conseguíssemos trabalho lá. – We would live in Brazil if we got work there.

Notice how these sentences pair the condicional in the main clause with the imperfect subjunctive in the se (if) clause. This combination creates what grammarians call conditional sentences or hypothetical constructions.

You can also express hypothetical preferences and choices:
No seu lugar, eu aceitaria a oferta. – In your place, I would accept the offer.
Com mais tempo, nós visitaríamos todas as praias. – With more time, we would visit all the beaches.
Ele seria um ótimo professor. – He would be an excellent teacher.

Expressing Future in the Past

The condicional also serves to express a future action from a past perspective. This usage appears when narrating stories or reporting what someone said would happen.

Examine these examples:
Ela disse que chegaria às três horas. – She said she would arrive at three o’clock.
Eu pensei que você ligaria hoje. – I thought you would call today.
Eles prometeram que viriam à festa. – They promised they would come to the party.

In each case, the action expressed by the conditional was future from the perspective of the past action in the main clause. When she said it, her arrival was still in the future. This construction appears frequently in reported speech and narrative contexts.

More examples of this usage:
Nós combinamos que nos encontraríamos no shopping. – We agreed we would meet at the mall.
O professor avisou que a prova seria difícil. – The teacher warned that the test would be difficult.
Minha mãe falou que faria o jantar. – My mother said she would make dinner.

Giving Advice and Making Suggestions

When offering advice or suggestions, the condicional presents your ideas as possibilities rather than commands, making your guidance more palatable and less authoritative.

Consider these advisory statements:
Eu começaria com exercícios mais simples. – I would start with simpler exercises.
Você deveria ver um médico. – You should see a doctor.
Nós deveríamos sair mais cedo. – We should leave earlier.

The verb dever in the conditional (deveria) creates a softer should than the present tense deve (must/should). This subtlety allows you to make recommendations without seeming bossy or overbearing.

Additional examples:
No seu caso, eu procuraria outra opinião. – In your case, I would seek another opinion.
Talvez você pudesse tentar de novo. – Perhaps you could try again.
Seria melhor confirmar antes. – It would be better to confirm beforehand.

Common Verbs in the Conditional Tense

Certain verbs appear so frequently in the conditional that learning their conjugations becomes essential for natural conversation. Let’s explore some of these high-frequency verbs and their typical contexts.

Poder (Can/To Be Able To)

The verb poder in the conditional expresses possibility and polite requests. The conjugation follows the regular pattern: poderia, poderias, poderia, poderíamos, poderíeis, poderiam.

Common uses include:
Você poderia repetir, por favor? – Could you repeat, please?
Nós poderíamos ir ao cinema hoje. – We could go to the movies today.
Isso poderia ser um problema. – That could be a problem.

Gostar (To Like)

When conjugated as gostaria, this verb becomes your go-to for polite desires and preferences. The full conjugation is: gostaria, gostarias, gostaria, gostaríamos, gostaríeis, gostariam.

Practical examples:
Eu gostaria de aprender mais sobre isso. – I would like to learn more about this.
Nós gostaríamos de fazer uma reserva. – We would like to make a reservation.
Eles gostariam de visitar o museu. – They would like to visit the museum.

Dever (Should/Ought To)

The conditional of dever creates gentle obligations and recommendations: deveria, deverias, deveria, deveríamos, deveríeis, deveriam.

Usage examples:
Você deveria descansar mais. – You should rest more.
Nós deveríamos estudar juntos. – We should study together.
Ele deveria chegar logo. – He should arrive soon.

Ser (To Be)

The verb ser follows regular conditional formation: seria, serias, seria, seríamos, seríeis, seriam. This verb appears constantly when discussing hypothetical identities, characteristics, or situations.

Examples in context:
Seria ótimo se você pudesse vir. – It would be great if you could come.
Eu seria mais feliz morando perto da praia. – I would be happier living near the beach.
Isso seria impossível sem sua ajuda. – That would be impossible without your help.

Conditional Tense Versus Other Tenses

Conditional Versus Future Tense

Students often confuse the conditional with the future tense since both discuss actions that haven’t happened yet. However, the distinction is crucial. The future tense expresses what will happen, while the conditional expresses what would happen under certain conditions.

Compare these pairs:
Eu viajarei amanhã. – I will travel tomorrow. (future)
Eu viajaria amanhã se pudesse. – I would travel tomorrow if I could. (conditional)

The future tense indicates a definite plan or prediction, while the conditional introduces uncertainty, dependence on circumstances, or hypothetical scenarios. This distinction affects meaning significantly.

Another comparison:
Eles chegarão às cinco. – They will arrive at five. (certain)
Eles chegariam às cinco se saíssem agora. – They would arrive at five if they left now. (conditional)

Conditional Versus Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense also discusses past habitual actions or ongoing past states, which can sometimes create confusion with conditional usage. However, the imperfect describes what actually happened repeatedly or continuously in the past, while the conditional describes what would have happened or what might happen.

Examine these differences:
Quando era criança, eu brincava no parque. – When I was a child, I used to play in the park. (imperfect – this actually happened)
Eu brincaria no parque se tivesse tempo. – I would play in the park if I had time. (conditional – hypothetical)

The imperfect tells us about real past experiences, while the conditional discusses imaginary or dependent scenarios regardless of time frame.

Special Considerations and Advanced Usage

Conditional with Different Clause Types

While we’ve seen the conditional paired with se clauses, it also works with other conjunctions and clause types. Understanding these combinations expands your expressive range.

With quando (when) for reported speech:
Ele perguntou quando eu chegaria. – He asked when I would arrive.

With onde (where):
Eu não sabia onde eles estariam. – I didn’t know where they would be.

With como (how):
Nós discutimos como resolveríamos o problema. – We discussed how we would solve the problem.

Conditional in Formal Writing

In formal writing, news reports, and academic texts, the conditional appears frequently to express attributed statements, uncertain claims, or hypothetical analyses. This usage maintains professional distance and acknowledges uncertainty.

Examples from formal contexts:
Segundo especialistas, isso poderia afetar milhões de pessoas. – According to experts, this could affect millions of people.
O projeto seria concluído até dezembro. – The project would be completed by December.
Tal medida teria impactos significativos na economia. – Such a measure would have significant impacts on the economy.

Cultural Notes on Conditional Usage

Brazilian Portuguese speakers use the conditional liberally to maintain social harmony and demonstrate respect. In Brazilian culture, directness can sometimes be perceived as aggressive or rude, so the conditional provides a linguistic tool for softening requests and suggestions.

When shopping:
Eu gostaria de ver aquele vestido. – I would like to see that dress. (much better than Quero ver aquele vestido – I want to see that dress)

When asking for help:
Você poderia me explicar isso? – Could you explain this to me? (more polite than Você pode me explicar isso? – Can you explain this to me?)

Understanding this cultural preference helps you communicate not just grammatically correctly, but also culturally appropriately. Native speakers will notice and appreciate your use of conditional forms in social interactions.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using Conditional When Simple Future Is Needed

Learners sometimes overuse the conditional, applying it when the simple future tense would be more appropriate. Remember that the conditional requires some element of uncertainty, hypothesis, or condition.

Incorrect: Amanhã eu compraria pão. (Unless there’s an implied condition)
Correct: Amanhã eu comprarei pão. – Tomorrow I will buy bread.

However, if a condition exists, the conditional becomes appropriate:
Amanhã eu compraria pão se a padaria estivesse aberta. – Tomorrow I would buy bread if the bakery were open.

Forgetting the Accent Marks

The written conditional requires accent marks on the first-person plural form (-íamos) to distinguish it from the imperfect tense. This distinction matters for clarity in written communication.

Compare:
Nós falaríamos – We would speak (conditional)
Nós falávamos – We used to speak (imperfect)

Without proper accents, readers might misunderstand your intended meaning, especially in contexts where both tenses could make sense.

Mixing Up Irregular Stems

Remember that only dizer, fazer, and trazer (and their derivatives) have irregular stems in the conditional. Don’t create irregular forms for other verbs.

Incorrect: terir from ter
Correct: teria – following regular pattern

When in doubt, assume the verb follows the regular pattern unless it’s one of these three exceptions.

Practice Strategies for Mastering the Conditional

Daily Conversation Practice

Incorporate the conditional into your daily thoughts and speech practice. When you think about possibilities, consciously form them using the condicional.

Mental practice examples:
Eu gostaria de tomar um café agora. – I would like to have a coffee now.
Seria legal visitar aquele lugar. – It would be nice to visit that place.
Eu deveria estudar mais português. – I should study more Portuguese.

Writing Exercises

Write short paragraphs about hypothetical situations. Describe what you would do if you won the lottery, where you would travel if you had unlimited time, or how you would spend a perfect day.

Example paragraph structure:
Se eu ganhasse na loteria, eu viajaria pelo mundo inteiro. Primeiro, eu visitaria todos os países da América do Sul. Depois, eu compraria uma casa na praia. Eu também ajudaria minha família e doaria para instituições de caridade. Seria uma vida muito diferente!

Listening for Conditional Forms

When watching Brazilian shows, movies, or listening to podcasts, pay special attention to conditional forms. Notice when native speakers use the conditional for politeness, hypothetical situations, or reported speech. This real-world exposure reinforces your learning and helps you develop native-like intuition.

Connecting Conditional with Other Grammar Concepts

Conditional and Subjunctive Mood

The conditional often pairs with the imperfect subjunctive in complex sentences expressing contrary-to-fact conditions. While the subjunctive appears in the se clause, the conditional appears in the main clause.

Pattern: Se + imperfect subjunctive, conditional
Se eu fosse rico, eu viajaria muito. – If I were rich, I would travel a lot.
Se você estudasse mais, você passaria no exame. – If you studied more, you would pass the exam.

This combination creates powerful expressions of hypothetical scenarios that differ from current reality. Mastering this pairing significantly elevates your Portuguese fluency.

Conditional in Indirect Speech

When converting direct speech to indirect speech, future tense often becomes conditional because you’re reporting from a past perspective what was future at the time of speaking.

Direct speech: Ela disse: Eu farei isso amanhã. – She said: I will do this tomorrow.
Indirect speech: Ela disse que faria isso no dia seguinte. – She said she would do it the next day.

Notice how farei (future) becomes faria (conditional) when reporting what she said. This transformation occurs automatically as you shift the temporal perspective.

Regional Variations and Spoken Portuguese

Informal Alternatives

In casual spoken Brazilian Portuguese, speakers sometimes substitute the conditional with the imperfect indicative, especially in São Paulo and southern regions. While learners should understand this variation, it’s advisable to master the standard conditional form first.

Standard: Eu gostaria de ir. – I would like to go.
Informal spoken: Eu ia gostar de ir. (literally: I was going to like to go)

This informal construction uses the imperfect of ir (to go) plus infinitive, functioning similarly to the conditional. However, the standard conditional remains appropriate and understood everywhere.

Formal Versus Colloquial Usage

While the conditional appears in both formal and informal contexts, its frequency increases in polite conversation, business settings, and formal writing. In very casual speech among close friends, Portuguese speakers might use more direct constructions.

Understanding when to employ the conditional demonstrates linguistic flexibility and social awareness. Generally, err on the side of using the conditional when you want to sound polite or when the situation calls for formality.

Conclusion

Mastering the conditional tense transforms your Portuguese from functional to sophisticated. This versatile tense enables you to make polite requests, discuss possibilities, express wishes, and navigate social situations with grace. By understanding its formation, uses, and cultural implications, you’ve gained a powerful tool for communication. Practice regularly, pay attention to native speakers, and soon the condicional will flow naturally in your conversations, marking you as a truly advanced learner of Brazilian Portuguese.