How to use the future perfect tense in Brazilian Portuguese?

The formal structure of the future perfect is the pattern we’ve seen above:

The auxiliary ter can also be replaced by the verb haver (meaning to have). However, Brazilians prefer to use ter instead.

Here are the full conjugations of each of these auxiliary verbs in the simple future:

While the form of the future perfect we’ve seen thus far is acceptable, native speakers often prefer to use the more informal structure, which forms the future of ter using the future with ir rather than using the simple future, like this:

This more informal way of making the future perfect is used in everyday written and spoken language. Now, let’s take a look at some of the particularities of the formal and informal structures for the future perfect.

In negative sentences, não (meaning no, not) should be placed before ter, as in:

Unlike in English questions, there is no change to the position of the auxiliary verb in Brazilian Portuguese interrogative sentences. The word order is the same as a statement.

The only changes that occur are the question mark at the end of the sentence in writing, and a change in intonation in speech.

Object pronouns can be placed in different positions in the future perfect tense. Let’s take a look at the formal and informal structures:

• In the formal structure of the future perfect:

  When the auxiliary ter is conjugated in the simple future tense, the object pronouns can be placed before ter (which is most common), or it can be used in the middle of the auxiliary verb.

  • Before ter:

    Eu o terei terminado daqui a cinco dias.

    Translation: I will have finished it in five days.

  • In the middle of the auxiliary verb (uncommon in modern Brazilian Portuguese):

    Eu tê-lo-ei terminado daqui a cinco dias.

    Translation: I will have finished it in five days.

    The steps below show how to attach the pronoun:

    1. Separate the verb: terei → ter (stem) + ei (simple future tense ending)

    2. Remove the -r from the stem and add an accent ^ above the vowel: te → tê-

    3. Add l- before the object pronoun: o → -lo

    4. Place lo between the stem and ending of the verb using hyphens: tê-lo-ei

• In the informal structure of the future perfect:

  The most common placement of the object pronoun is to attach it to the end of ter.

  Eu vou tê-lo terminado daqui cinco dias.

  Translation: I will have finished it in five days.

  Follow these steps:

  1. Remove the -r from the verb ter and add an accent ^ above the vowel: ter → te- → tê-

  2. Add l- before the object pronoun: l + o → -lo

  3. Place lo after tê- using hyphens: tê-lo

  This is the most common way to place the object pronoun in sentences with the future perfect. However, in everyday written or spoken language, native speakers may omit the object pronoun altogether, especially if it is implied in the context:

  Speaker A:

  Quando você vai ter terminado o trabalho?

  Translation: When will you have finished the work?

  Speaker B:

  Eu vou ter terminado daqui cinco dias.

  Translation: I will have finished (it) in five days.

If you want to know more about the placement of object pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese, take a look at our post on the topic!

The future perfect can also be used to indicate…

• Certainty, especially when paired with various expressions that emphasize the inevitability of the action. One such expression of certainty is tenho certeza (de) que… (meaning I am sure that…). For example:

  Tenho certeza (de) que teremos terminado o trabalho antes do fim de semana.
  Tenho certeza (de) que vamos ter terminado o trabalho antes do fim de semana.

  Translation: I am sure that we will have finished the work before this weekend.

• Doubt, when the future perfect is used in a question.

  Teremos terminado o trabalho antes do fim de semana?
  Vamos ter terminado o trabalho antes do fim de semana?

  Translation: Will we have finished the work before this weekend?

  One can also use the expression será que… (meaning will we) at the beginning of the question to further highlight this idea of doubt, as in:

  Será que teremos terminado o trabalho antes do fim de semana?
  Será que vamos ter terminado o trabalho antes do fim de semana?

  Translation: Will we have finished the work before this weekend?

Regardless of the use of the tense, you’ve likely noticed that time expressions are often used with the future perfect to further clarify the timeline the action or event will happen on. For example:

Here are some other time expressions to use with the future perfect:

• já (meaning already)

• ainda (meaning yet)

• ainda não (meaning not yet)

• em uma semana (meaning in a week)

• em um ano (meaning in a year)

• antes de (meaning before)

• depois de (meaning after)