Why “Eu quero que ele faz” Is Wrong in Portuguese

Introduction

The sentence Eu quero que ele faz is a common mistake for English-speaking learners of Brazilian Portuguese. It looks like a direct translation from English I want him to do, but Portuguese requires a different structure. This article explains why Eu quero que ele faz is incorrect, how to say it properly, and how the subjunctive mood works in these constructions.

Why the sentence feels natural to English speakers

In English, verbs after want can take a noun phrase plus an infinitive or a clause with the base verb: I want him to do it. Because English uses the infinitive to express desire about someone else, learners often try to copy that pattern in Portuguese. That leads to the literal but ungrammatical Eu quero que ele faz.

Portuguese, however, uses different verb forms depending on the connector and the relationship between clauses. The word que introduces a subordinate clause that frequently triggers the subjunctive mood when the main clause expresses desire, doubt, emotion, or will.

Basic grammar: main clause + subordinate clause with que

When you have a main clause expressing desire, such as Eu quero, the subordinate clause introduced by que usually requires a verb in the subjunctive mood. This indicates that the action is desired, not asserted as a fact.

Compare these patterns:

Eu quero que ele vá. — correct; uses subjunctive (vá).

Eu quero que ele vai. — incorrect; uses indicative (vai).

What is the subjunctive mood?

The subjunctive mood is used in Portuguese to express wishes, uncertainty, hypothetical situations, requests, suggestions, and emotions. It contrasts with the indicative mood, which states facts or beliefs considered real. The error in Eu quero que ele faz comes from using the indicative present form faz instead of the present subjunctive faça.

How to form the present subjunctive in Brazilian Portuguese

Forming the present subjunctive is straightforward once you know the verb infinitive. For regular verbs, follow these steps:

– Start with the first person singular present indicative, or better: take the verb stem from the infinitive.
– For verbs ending in -ar, use endings e, es, e, emos, eis, em.
– For verbs ending in -er and -ir, use endings a, as, a, amos, ais, am.

Examples for the verb fazer (irregular):

fazer — faça, faças, faça, façamos, façam

So the correct subordinate clause is que ele faça, not que ele faz.

Correct alternatives to Eu quero que ele faz

There are several natural ways to express the idea behind Eu quero que ele faz. Each option has its nuances.

1. Use the subjunctive with que

This is the most direct correction. Use Eu quero que + subjunctive.

Eu quero que ele faça a lição. — I want him to do the homework.

Eu quero que ela venha amanhã. — I want her to come tomorrow.

2. Use querer + infinitive when the subject is the same

If the subject of both clauses is the same, you can use querer + infinitive instead of que + subjunctive. This does not apply to the scenario with ele as a different subject, but it’s useful to understand the contrast.

Eu quero fazer a lição. — I want to do the homework. (same subject: eu)

3. Use querer que with different subjects and commands

When the subjects differ, querer que + subjunctive remains standard in Brazilian Portuguese.

Eu quero que você me ligue. — I want you to call me.

Ela quer que nós estudemos mais. — She wants us to study more.

4. Use gostaria que for more formal or polite requests

Gostaria que + subjunctive is a polite alternative to quero que.

Eu gostaria que ele chegasse mais cedo. — I would like him to arrive earlier.

Why the indicative is wrong in want clauses

The indicative expresses a fact. Saying Eu quero que ele faz implies that his doing is a fact rather than a desired or hypothetical action. That contradiction between the verb querer (expressing desire) and the indicative verb (presenting a fact) makes the sentence ungrammatical. The subjunctive resolves this contradiction by marking the subordinate action as wished rather than asserted.

Examples contrasting indicative and subjunctive

Indicative used for a fact:
Ele faz a tarefa todos os dias. — He does the homework every day.

Subjunctive used for a wish or request:
Eu quero que ele faça a tarefa agora. — I want him to do the homework now.

Notice how the tense and mood change the meaning: the first states a habit, the second expresses desire.

Common verbs that require subjunctive after que

Besides querer, many verbs and expressions trigger the subjunctive in the subordinate clause introduced by que. Here are common examples:

– querer que
– desejar que
– esperar que
– pedir que
– preferir que
– sugerir que
– recomendar que
– temer que (expressing fear)

All of these typically take the subjunctive because they involve desire, emotion, doubt, or recommendation rather than stating facts.

Examples with different verbs

Eu espero que ele esteja bem. — I hope he is well.

Ela pediu que nós chegássemos cedo. — She asked that we arrive early.

Eu prefiro que você venha amanhã. — I prefer that you come tomorrow.

Irregular verbs and the subjunctive

Some verbs are irregular in the present subjunctive and must be memorized. Common irregulars include ser, estar, ter, ir, and fazer. Here are their present subjunctive forms:

ser — seja, sejas, seja, sejamos, sejam

estar — esteja, estejas, esteja, estejamos, estejam

ter — tenha, tenhas, tenha, tenhamos, tenham

ir — vá, vás, vá, vamos, vão (note: nós form is vamos in spoken use but fica vámos in old orthography; use vamos in colloquial speech)

fazer — faça, faças, faça, façamos, façam

Because these are common verbs, pay special attention to their subjunctive forms when they follow querer que and similar constructions.

Negative and past forms

Negative constructions also use the subjunctive after que. For example:

Eu não quero que ele vá. — I do not want him to go.

Past tenses can use different subjunctive forms. For wishes about the past, use the imperfect subjunctive:

Eu quis que ele fizesse a tarefa. — I wanted him to do the homework.

Imperfect subjunctive forms for fazer: fizesse, fizesses, fizesse, fizéssemos, fizessem.

How timing affects choice of tense

If the desire refers to a present or future action, use the present subjunctive: Eu quero que ele faça isso agora. If it refers to a past action or unreal past, use the imperfect subjunctive: Eu queria que ele tivesse feito isso ontem or Eu queria que ele fizesse isso ontem depending on nuance.

Practical tips to avoid Eu quero que ele faz

Here are simple strategies to avoid this mistake:

– Memorize that querer que calls for subjunctive: quero que + subjunctive.
– Learn common subjunctive forms of irregular verbs (ser, estar, ter, ir, fazer).
– When in doubt, practice paraphrasing: Eu quero que ele faça -> Eu quero que ele + [subjunctive].
– Listen to natural Brazilian Portuguese: news, podcasts, telenovelas. You will hear querer que + subjunctive frequently.

Quick reference examples

Eu quero que ele faça o trabalho. — I want him to do the work.
Eu quero que ela me diga a verdade. — I want her to tell me the truth.
Eu quero que vocês terminem até amanhã. — I want you all to finish by tomorrow.

Cultural and usage notes

In Brazilian Portuguese, directness can vary by context. Using quero que + subjunctive is natural for straightforward requests, but in polite or formal situations, speakers might soften the request with gostaria que + subjunctive or poderia + infinitive constructions.

Examples:

Eu gostaria que ele participasse da reunião. — I would like him to attend the meeting.

Você poderia pedir para ele vir? — Could you ask him to come? (uses poderia + infinitive, another polite alternative)

Common learner pitfalls beyond the subjunctive

Some learners attempt to use the infinitive with que: Eu quero que ele fazer. That is also incorrect because after que the verb must be conjugated, and when the subjects differ you need the subjunctive. Other mistakes include mixing tenses: Eu quero que ele fez — which combines present desire with past indicative; use Eu quero que ele tenha feito or Eu queria que ele tivesse feito for past nuances.

Remember the subject difference rule

If the subject of both clauses is the same, prefer querer + infinitive. If the subjects are different, use querer que + subjunctive.

Same subject: Eu quero sair agora. — different subject: Eu quero que ele saia agora.

Conclusion

The sentence Eu quero que ele faz is wrong because querer que requires the subjunctive mood when the subordinate clause has a different subject. Replace faz with the present subjunctive faça to form Eu quero que ele faça. Learn the present subjunctive patterns, memorize irregular forms, and practice hearing and using these constructions in real Brazilian Portuguese to internalize the rule. With time, quero que + subjunctive will feel natural and intuitive.