The future subjunctive in Brazilian Portuguese is used to describe an action that may potentially occur in the future. Much like other subjunctive tenses, it’s used in subordinate clauses that come after particular triggers, such as certain conjunctions like quando meaning when, and also in conditional clauses with se meaning if:
- Quando você estiver pronto, por favor me avise.Translation: When you’re ready, please let me know.
- Se você for ao mercado, por favor, compre ovos.Translation: If you go to the supermarket, please buy eggs.
Verbs in the future subjunctive are easy to conjugate, but deciding when to use this tense can take a bit more practice. Are you ready to know how to use this particular verb tense in Brazilian Portuguese? Keep on reading this post to learn more about all of this!
How to form the future subjunctive in Brazilian Portuguese?
To form the future subjunctive in Brazilian Portuguese, follow these three steps:
Start by putting the verb in its third-person plural preterite indicative form:
eles viajaram meaning they traveled
eles comeram meaning they ate
eles dormiram meaning they slept
Remove the -am:
viajaram → viajar-
comeram → comer-
dormiram → dormir-
Add the future subjunctive endings, as in the table below:
*This is a very formal “you” in the plural form and rarely used in everyday speech. Subject
pronounsEnding -ar verbs
viajar meaning to travel-er verbs
comer meaning to eat-ir verbs
dormir meaning to sleepeu meaning I
-∅
viajar
comer
dormir
tu meaning you
-es
viajares
comeres
dormires
você meaning you, sg.
ele meaning he, it
ela meaning she, it
-∅
viajar
comer
dormir
nós meaning we
-mos
viajarmos
comermos
dormirmos
vós* meaning you, formal
-des
viajardes
comerdes
dormirdes
vocês meaning you, pl.
eles, elas meaning they
-em
viajarem
comerem
dormirem
Isn’t it simple?
In irregular verbs, the stem changes completely in the preterite indicative.
ser meaning to be → eles foram
fazer meaning to do, to make → eles fizeram
saber meaning to go → eles souberam
Because the future subjunctive is based on the preterite form, this same stem change affects the future subjunctive as well. See the examples and the chart below:
| Subject pronouns | ser → for- | fazer → fizer- | saber → souber- |
|---|---|---|---|
eu meaning I | for | fizer | souber |
tu meaning you | fores | fizeres | souberes |
| for | fizer | souber |
nós meaning we | formos | fizermos | soubermos |
vós* meaning you, formal | fordes | fizerdes | souberdes |
| forem | fizerem | souberem |
Take a look at this chart to see the most useful irregular verbs in the future subjunctive.
How to use the future subjunctive in Brazilian Portuguese?
Like the other subjunctive tenses, the future subjunctive is mostly used in subordinate clauses that contain information that is uncertain or unreal. However, the future subjunctive is used to talk about possible future actions as viewed from the present.
This makes the future subjunctive different from the present subjunctive, which describes actions that are quite likely, and the imperfect subjunctive, which describes actions that were in the future at a past moment.
What tenses go with the future subjunctive?
The future subjunctive is most often used when the verb in the main clause is in the imperative, the simple present, or the future indicative.
main clause
imperative
present indicative
future indicative
subordinate clause
future subjunctive
One of the best ways to decide whether to use the future subjunctive or some other subjunctive tense is to look at the tense in the main clause. See the examples below.
- imperativefuture subjunctiveNão esqueça de fechar a janela quando sair de casa.Translation: Don’t forget to close the window when you leave the house.
- present indicativefuture subjunctiveEstou à disposição para o que você precisar.Translation: I’m available for whatever you need.
- future indicativefuture subjunctiveDevolverei o livro assim que eu terminar de lê-lo.Translation: I will return the book as soon as I finish reading it.
Now let’s see the particular situations in which the future subjunctive is required.
What constructions trigger the future subjunctive in Brazilian Portuguese?
The future subjunctive can be triggered in the following constructions:
In subordinate clauses, after certain conjunctions
In relative clauses
In other types of subordinate clauses introduced by relative pronouns and adverbs
In certain set expressions with the structure: present subjunctive + linking word + future subjunctive
In “if-clauses"
Let’s have a look at each of these cases and discuss them more in depth!
Which conjunctions trigger the future subjunctive in Brazilian Portuguese?
Certain conjunctions of time, like quando meaning when, and conformative conjunctions, like conforme meaning as, will generally be followed by a clause containing a verb in the future subjunctive. This is because they generally introduce an action or event that may happen in the future.
Here is a list of the most common conjunctions that trigger the future subjunctive in Brazilian Portuguese:
assim que meaning as soon as
logo que meaning as soon as
depois que meaning after
enquanto meaning while
quando meaning when
conforme meaning as
como meaning as
When to use the future subjunctive in relative clauses?
The future subjunctive can be used in relative clauses. A relative clause is a type of subordinate clause that, like an adjective, is used to describe a noun.
The relative pronoun que meaning that is used to introduce relative clauses in Brazilian Portuguese. When the verb in the main clause is in the simple present or future indicative, this relative pronoun que will often be followed by the future subjunctive:
When else does the future subjunctive follow relative pronouns?
We often use the future subjunctive in other kinds of clauses that follow relative pronouns: those that act like nouns or adverbs instead of adjectives. These are clauses we would usually begin with words like “whatever,” “wherever,” “whoever,” or “however,” in English. The Brazilian Portuguese equivalents to these words are relative pronouns and adverbs: o que meaning what, onde meaning where, quem meaning who, and como meaning how.
How to use the future subjunctive after linking words like ‘como’ and ‘o que’?
You can use the future subjunctive after linking words like como meaning how or o que meaning what to create a modifying phrase that conveys that the action expressed in the main clause will happen no matter what. This is most often found in fixed expressions, but here is how these phrases are structured:
present subjunctive
linking word
future subjunctive
When to use the future subjunctive in “if-clauses”?
We also use the future subjunctive in “if-clauses” that describe a future condition that will likely lead to some outcome.
Like other subordinate clauses with the future subjunctive, “if-clauses” that use the future subjunctive are usually paired with a main clause in the imperative, present indicative, or future indicative:
- future subjunctiveimperativeSe você sair, não esqueça de trancar a porta.Translation: If you go out, don’t forget to lock the door.
- future subjunctivepresent indicativeSe tiver notícias, por favor nos avise.Translation: If you have news, please let us know.
- future subjunctivepresent indicativeSe eu falar com a Maria, avisarei que você mandou um beijo a ela.Translation: If I talk to Maria, I’ll let her know you said “hi.”
To sum up
Let’s go over what we discussed about the future subjunctive:
The future subjunctive is used in subordinate clauses, to talk about a possible event at some undefined time in the future, if the main clause is in the imperative, present indicative, or future indicative.
The future subjunctive is formed by removing the -am ending of the eles meaning they form of the preterite indicative and adding the future subjunctive endings. However, it’s important to keep an eye out for irregular verbs, which will take the same endings but use a special stem.
The future subjunctive describes situations that might reasonably happen in the future. This makes it different from the imperfect subjunctive, which refers to actions that we do not really expect to happen, and the present subjunctive describes actions that we expect to happen in the future.
These are the triggers for the future subjunctive:
Conjunctions that express time and conformity
Relative pronouns like o que meaning what, onde meaning where, and quem meaning who
List item contentPresent subjunctive + linking word + future subjunctive using a repeated verb
“If-clauses” that indicate something likely to happen in the future if a condition is met.
Now you can practice what you read about the future subjunctive with this activity!
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