We cannot omit que(that) from a subordinate clause in Brazilian Portuguese. Whereas in English we could say, “I’m glad you came to the party,” in Brazilian Portuguese we must use que(that).
What is the difference between the subjunctive and indicative in Brazilian Portuguese?
By: Fabiana Dametto Oliveira Thu Dec 19 2024
Both the subjunctive and the indicative are verbal in Brazilian Portuguese, but the difference is that the subjunctive mood is used for hypotheticals, uncertainties, doubts, or possibilities, while the indicative is used for certainty and concrete facts.
- subjunctive
É provável que eles viajem amanhã.
It’s likely that they will travel tomorrow.
→ a likelihood - indicative
Eles vão viajar amanhã.
They will travel tomorrow.
→ a fact
To learn more about these moods and when to use each of them in Brazilian Portuguese, keep on reading this post!
What are the verbal moods in Brazilian Portuguese?
There are three verbal moods in Brazilian Portuguese: the indicative, the subjunctive, and the imperative. To conjugate a Brazilian Portuguese verb correctly, you must know both its and its mood, so understanding when to use each mood is very important.
The mood of a verb will reveal something about the intentions of the speaker, and why they are talking about a given action in context.
Indicative → They are discussing an event or situation that is factual.
Subjunctive → They are discussing an event or situation that is possible, likely, hypothetical, uncertain, etc.
Imperative → They are requesting (or commanding) someone to do the action.
In this post, we’ll look at the subjunctive and the indicative moods. You can learn more about the imperative from our post on giving commands in Brazilian Portuguese.
What is the indicative mood and when do we use it?
The indicative is usually the first mood you learn when studying Brazilian Portuguese. It expresses an action or state of being that is considered real, factual, certain, or accomplished. We can use this mood to talk about the present, past, or future.
indicative
Nós estudamos todos os dias.
We study every day.
→ The verb estudar(to study) is in the “present indicative” because it is in the indicative mood and it is in the present tense.
Here’s a quick illustration of what verbs in the indicative mood look like in different tenses. Click the links to read in-depth articles about each tense-mood combination!
The Indicative Mood | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Past | Present | Future | |
Simple Tenses | eu trabalhei I worked | eu trabalho I work | eu trabalharei I will work |
eu trabalhava I used to work | eu trabalharia I would work → this is the “future of the past” | ||
eu trabalhara I had worked | |||
eu tinha trabalhado I had worked | eu tenho trabalhado I have worked | eu terei trabalhado I will have worked | |
eu teria trabalhado I would have worked | |||
Now let’s briefly discuss the main uses of the indicative mood:
We use the indicative to describe… | Example |
|---|---|
Facts that occur in the present moment | Hoje o dia está lindo! Today is a beautiful day! |
Actions and permanent states, such as scientific truths | A terra é redonda. The earth is round. |
Habitual actions conjugated in different tenses | Eu corro pelas manhãs. I run in the mornings. Eu corri esta manhã. I ran this morning. |
Narratives and description of facts | As pessoas protestaram no centro da cidade. People protested in the city center. |
Future actions certain to happen | Eu viajarei para o Rio de Janeiro nas férias. I will travel to Rio de Janeiro on vacation. |
What is the subjunctive mood and when do we use it?
The subjunctive mood expresses unreal or hypothetical events, actions, or situations, and we use it to talk about imagined situations. We can use this mood for actions or situations we consider to simply be improbable or uncertain, but we also use it to discuss actions that trigger emotions, desires, or opinions.
Like the indicative, the subjunctive can be used in a range of different tenses. Here’s a quick illustration of what verbs in the subjunctive mood look like in different tenses. Click the links to read in-depth articles about each tense-mood combination!
The Subjunctive Mood | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Past | Present | Future | |
Simple Tenses | eu trabalhasse I worked | eu trabalhe I work | eu trabalhar I work |
eu tivesse trabalhado I had worked | eu tenha trabalhado I have worked | eu tiver trabalhado I have worked | |
Students may feel that there is a lot to learn about using the subjunctive, as this mood is not really used much in English, but luckily, subjunctive verbs are simpler to form in Brazilian Portuguese than the indicative ones! Since the forms are easier, we’ll focus on the uses to help you better understand when this mood is used.
The subjunctive mainly occurs in subordinate clauses (a.k.a. “dependent clauses”) that are introduced by the que(that). See it in the example below:
main clauseconjunctionsubordinate clause
Estou contente que você tenha vindo à festa!
I’m glad that you came to the party!
Tip
HOWEVER, the indicative can also be used in subordinate clauses. So how do we choose which mood to use?
The subjunctive is used for uncertain actions while the indicative is used for certain ones. You can tell whether the subordinate clause is certain or not can be determined by looking at the role that the subordinate clause plays in a sentence. For example:
- subjunctive
Ele quer uma casa que tenha dois andares.
He wants a house that has two floors.
→ The verb querer(to want) introduces something that is desired but is not concrete or factual, so we use the subjunctive. - indicative
Ele comprou uma casa que tem dois andares.
He bought a house that has two floors.
→ The verb comprar(to buy) introduces something concrete or factual, so we use the indicative. Important
When we use the same subject in both main and subordinate clauses, we tend to use the infinitive instead of the subjunctive:
With SubjunctiveWith InfinitiveEu espero que eu não chegue atrasada na reunião.
I hope I don’t arrive late in the meeting.
Eu espero não chegar atrasada na reunião.
I hope to not arrive late to the meeting.
Ele espera que ele ganhe o jogo.
He hopes that he will win the game.
Ele espera ganhar o jogo.
He hopes to win the game.
You will often hear that certain words or phrases “trigger” the subjunctive in the subordinate clause, because they introduce situations that are unreal or uncertain. In the sections below we’ll go through some of the most common constructions that trigger the subjunctive in Brazilian Portuguese, including:
“W.E.I.R.D” expressions (wish, emotion, impersonal, request, doubt/denial)
“If-clauses"
certain conjunctions
some relative clauses
There are also some cases where you can use the subjunctive in the main clause.
Let’s look at these different uses of the subjunctive one-by-one.
What are “W.E.I.R.D.” expressions in Brazilian Portuguese?
We can use the acronym “W.E.I.R.D” in Brazilian Portuguese to help us to remember the types of expressions that are usually followed by the subjunctive mood:
W | Wishes |
E | Emotions or feelings |
I | Impersonal expressions |
R | Requests |
D | Doubt or denial |
Let’s go through each group of expressions:
W → wishes
The subjunctive verb is introduced by the idea of something that you want, wish for, or desire something.
subjunctiveNós queremos que as crianças brinquem hoje.
We want the children to play today.
Eu espero que eu não chegue atrasada na reunião.
I hope I don’t arrive late in the meeting.
E → emotions or feelings
We often use the subjunctive for an action that triggers emotions, reactions, or feelings:
subjunctiveEstou contente que o bebê esteja comendo bem.
I am glad that the baby is eating well.
Eu não esperava que você viesse hoje.
I didn’t expect that you would come today.
I → impersonal expressions
created using the formula: é + adjective + que (it’s [adjective] that…), are used to give a general judgment of an action in the subjunctive:
subjunctiveÉ bom que você arrume o quarto.
It’s good that you tidy the room.
É necessário que criemos políticas para o meio ambiente.
It’s necessary that we create policies for the environment.
Important
When using impersonal expressions, it is very common to use the personal infinitive instead of the subjunctive:
personal infinitiveÉ bom você arrumar o quarto.
It’s good (for) you to tidy the room.
É necessário criarmos políticas para o meio ambiente.
It’s necessary (for us) to create policies for the environment.
R → requests
Expressions of requests and indirect commands can be followed by the subjunctive mood:
subjunctiveEu insisto que você não compre o carro.
I insist you don't buy the car.
Quero que você me envie um e-mail, por favor.
I want you to send me an email, please.
D → doubt or denial
Doubt and negative expressions are also used with a verb in the subjunctive mood:
subjunctiveDuvido que ela volte cedo.
I doubt she will be back soon.
Não acho que ele saiba cantar.
I want you to send me an email, please.
Check out this list of the most common W.E.I.R.D. expressions that trigger the subjunctive, check out this very useful list with examples!
When to use the subjunctive in “if-clauses”
The subjunctive is also used in the “if-clauses” of if-then sentences after the conjunction se(if) to indicate a condition that may or may not be met.
subjunctive
Se eles tivessem comprado morangos, poderíamos ter feito o bolo.
If they had bought strawberries, we could have made the cake.
Subjunctive after certain conjunctions
Several other conjunctions in Brazilian Portuguese can trigger the use of the subjunctive, as in the examples below:
subjunctive
Podemos nos encontrar amanhã, desde que seja de manhã.
We can meet tomorrow, as long as it's in the morning.
Embora tenha estudado para a prova, ele não foi aprovado.
Although he studied for the test, he did not pass.
Notice that the subordinate clause with the subjunctive can sometimes start the sentence, as in the second example above, with the conjunction embora.
Here is a list of several conjunctions that often trigger the subjunctive mood:
ainda que(even though)
a fim de que(in order to)
a não ser que(unless)
antes que(before)
até que(until)
assim que(as soon as)
caso(in case)
como se(as if)
desde que(as long as)
embora
enquanto
mesmo que
o que quer que(whatever)
por mais que(no matter how)
para que(in order to)
sem que(without)
Check out these example sentences with conjunctions that trigger the subjunctive!
ImportantSubjunctive vs. indicative mood after conjunctions
Although these conjunctions usually require the subjunctive, some of them can introduce indicative verbs as well, as long as the subordinate clause refers to something that actually happens or happened.
- indicative
Eles gastaram tanto no último ano até que o dinheiro acabou.
They spent so much in the last year that they ran out of money.
→ The indicative verb acabou(to run out) indicates a real fact. - subjunctive
Eles não vão parar de gastar até que o dinheiro acabe.
They won't stop spending until the money runs out.
→ Here até que(until) is followed by the subjunctive because it refers to something that may or may not happen.
When to use the subjunctive in a relative clause?
The subjunctive can be used in relative clauses (a.k.a. “adjective clauses”) that describe a noun that doesn’t exist, or isn’t known yet to the speaker. Compare:
- subjunctive
Precisamos de uma secretária que fale alemão.
We need a secretary that speaks German.
→ We are imagining a secretary who speaks German. - indicative
Nós conhecemos uma secretária que fala alemão.
We know a secretary that speaks German.
→ We are certain that there is such a secretary.
When to use the subjunctive in the main clause in Brazilian Portuguese?
Although it’s usually not very common, sometimes we can also use the subjunctive mood in the main clause, without a trigger. See when below:
expressions that exclaim about desires:
Use the subjunctive to form about what you want to have happen, in order to make the sentence more vivid and emotive.
Que venham os soldados!
Let the soldiers come!
Que seja eterno enquanto dure.
May it be eternal while it lasts.
Deus te abençõe!
God bless you!
Referring to doubt, usually after the adverb talvez(maybe):
Talvez eles viajem esse ano.
Maybe they will travel this year.
Tip
The adverb talvez(maybe) is very common in everyday Brazilian Portuguese. It’s often used with verbs in the subjunctive mood since it also expresses doubt or uncertainty.
Subjunctive vs. indicative in informal speech
In informal Brazilian Portuguese, there is a tendency to avoid the subjunctive and use the indicative mood instead, especially in sentences referring to doubt, denial, and emotions. The subjunctive in such cases sounds more formal than the indicative.
Subjunctive:
Não tem quem não goste da comida da Rosa.
There’s no one who doesn't like Rosa’s food.
Duvido que ela volte amanhã.
I doubt she’ll come back tomorrow.
Que pena que eles estejam longe.
It’s a shame they are far away.
Indicative:
Não tem quem não gosta da comida da Rosa.
There’s no one who doesn't like Rosa’s food.
Duvido que ela volta amanhã.
I doubt she’ll come back tomorrow.
Que pena que eles estão longe.
It’s a shame they are far away.
In summary
In this post, we saw that the indicative mood is used to express certainty, whereas the subjunctive talks about hypothetical ideas. We went over some of the main elements and uses of the subjunctive:
The subjunctive is used in the subordinate or dependent clause, and is quite often introduced by the conjunction que(that).
We can remember the main uses of the subjunctive using the W.E.I.R.D. method, in which:
W = Wishes and desires
E = Emotions or feelings
I = Impersonal expressions
R = Requests
D = Doubt or denial
Review the list of common W.E.I.R.D. expressions!
The subjunctive is used in “if-clauses,” and after other conjunctions too. Review the list of conjunctions that trigger the subjunctive!
The subjunctive can be used in a relative clause in order to indicate the thing being described may or may not exist.
There are a few cases in which the subjunctive is the main clause.
In informal language, it’s possible to use the indicative instead of the subjunctive in certain cases.
Why not practice the subjunctive with this activity and check what you know about this topic!
