In this lesson, we cover the future subjunctive tense in Portuguese. We have discussed some of the uses of the subjunctive mood in Level IV, Lesson 6, mainly expressing opinions, possibilities, desires, wishes, feelings, requests, and recommendations using the present subjunctive. Here, we cover cases in which the future tense in the subjunctive mood ought to be used. In Portuguese, the future subjunctive tense is used mainly in time clauses that indicate a likely scenario in the future.
Conjugation
Before we dive into use cases, let us first learn how to conjugate verbs in the future subjunctive.
The stem used to form the future subjunctive conjugation comes from the third-person plural form of the preterite rather than the infinitive, that is, the preterite that follows “eles” or “elas” minus the final “-am,” for example:
| Infinitive | Third-person plural preterite | Future subjunctive stem |
| falar | eles/elas falaram | falar- |
| comer | eles/elas comeram | comer- |
| partir | eles/elas partiram | partir- |
Next, the ending “-mos” is attached to the stem in the “nós” form, and the ending “-em” is attached to the stem in the third-person plural forms. Notice that al single forms do not have any endings. All verbs follow these conjugation rules, and there are no irregular verbs in the future subjunctive.
| -ar ending e.g., falar | -er ending e.g., comer | -ir ending e.g., partir | |
| eu | falar | comer | partir |
| ele/ela/você | falar | comer | partir |
| nós | falarmos | comermos | partirmos |
| eles/elas/vocês | falarem | comerem | partirem |
You may notice that the conjugation of all the single forms in the examples above are equivalent to the infinitive. This is true as long as the verb is regular in the preterite tense. If the verb is irregular in the preterite, the conjugation of the single forms is different from the infinitive. Here are some examples:
| ir, ser “eles foram” | estar “eles estiveram” | fazer “eles fizeram” | |
| eu | for | estiver | fizer |
| ele/ela/você | for | estiver | fizer |
| nós | formos | estivermos | fizermos |
| eles/elas/vocês | forem | estiverem | fizerem |
Time Expressions in the Future
Let us examine the following time expressions:
| se | if |
| quando | when |
| assim que, logo que, tão logo | as soon as |
| até que | until |
| antes de que | before |
| depois de que | after |
When one of the above expressions is used in the present or the past, we use the indicative, for example:
| Vi meu irmão quando cheguei em casa. | I saw my brother when I arrived home. |
| Eu leio o e-mail assim que o recebo. | I read the email as soon as I receive it. |
| Enviei o pacote depois que eles me pagaram. | I sent the parcel after they paid me. |
However, if used to describe an action in the future, especially one that is plausible and likely to happen, the sentence after the above time expressions shall be in the future subjunctive:
| Verei meu irmão quando chegar em casa. | I will see my brother when I arrive home. |
| Lerei o e-mail assim que o receber. | I will read the email as soon as I receive it. |
| Enviarei o pacote depois que eles me pagarem. | I will send the parcel after they pay me. |
Notice that clauses after the conditional “if” can fall under this category if the meaning implies likely action in the future. For example:
| Ficarei em casa se chover hoje. | I will stay home if it rains today. |
| Se tivermos tempo, iremos à praia. | If we have time, we will go to the beach. |
Relative Pronouns used Hinting at Possibility in the Future
Some conjunctions such as “whatever,” “whenever,” “wherever,” “whoever,” etc., hint at the possibility of an event in the future. In Portuguese, relative pronouns are often used in this context. The clause following the relative pronoun in such sentences is often in the future subjunctive. Examples of these relative pronouns and conjunctions that can be used to convey meaning include:
| que | whatever |
| qualquer que | whatever, whichever |
| quem | whoever |
| onde | wherever |
| como | no matter how |
Examples
Here are some examples in context:
| Qualquer que eles preferirem, eles podem pegar. | Whichever they prefer, they can take. |
| Eu poderia convidar quem você quiser para a reunião. | I could invite whoever you want to the meeting. |
| Eu te encontrarei onde você estiver agora. | I will meet you wherever you are right now. |
| Faça o que fizermos, não será suficiente. | Whatever we do, it won’t be enough. |
Next: Perfect Subjunctive Tense
Other lessons in Level V:
