Portuguese/Contents/Variation of the Portuguese Verbs

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Verbs are the most variable words in the Portuguese Language, so they are much more complex than the English verbs. Portuguese verbs vary on mood, tense, voice, number and aspect.

Mood
Any verb that expresses a desire in some form can be used to introduce the subjunctive. Doubt, denial, emotion, wish, hope, suggestion, certainty, supposition, recommendation are other examples. It is also used after indirect commands. In Portugal, the subjunctive (subjunctivo) is called the conjunctive (conjuntivo). (More details below).

The Indicative Mood is the opposite and refers to statements of fact or certainty.

The Imperative Mood is used for commands.

Tense
The present, preterite, and future tenses refer to a fact that is occurring in the moment in which one is speaking, before the moment in which one is speaking, or after the moment in which one is speaking, respectively.

Aspect
The aspect is the speaker's point of view of the action expressed by the verb. The word Imperfect comes from the Latin "imperfectum" which means not completed. This is often a source of confusion when studying Portuguese because this has no relation at all with what is considered the imperfect aspect of a verb.

Mood, Tense, and Aspect
The following table explains each of the moods, tenses and aspects of Portuguese verbs. The first four columns represents a typology often found in Portuguese grammar books. As they are best understood when they are used together, the following table displays all the variations1:

1 There are some special treatments of participles (see below). 2 The future subjunctive is formed by taking the 3rd person past tense form of any verb and dropping the "am". For the 1st person plural add "mos" and for the 3rd person plural add "em".

More on the Subjunctive Mood
WikiPedia Subjunctive Mood Article

WikiPedia Portuguese Grammar Article

GENERAL RULES:

It is first important to understand the difference between a main clause and subordinate clause in order to understand when the subjunctive is used. More on clauses can be found here. Usually the subordinate clause is used after que, other conjunctions (e.g. embora, porque, se, quando, etc.) or relative pronouns (cujo, quem, qual, onde, etc.).


 * The subjunctive is used in the main clause when the verb in the clause expresses a curse or a wish or when it begins with the word "maybe" (talvez)
 * Any wish, intention or purpose in the main clause that expresses the desire to influence the action in the subordinate clause necessitates the use of the subjunctive.
 * When the verb in the main clause expresses denial, doubt or uncertainty, presupposition, or emotion about the action in the subordinate clause, the verb in the subordinate clause must use the subjunctive.
 * Certain conjunctions introducing a subordinate clause require the indicative to be used in the subordinate clause (e.g. visto que (given that), porque (because), dado que (given that), ja que (now that), assim como (in the same way that)). Others require the use of the subjunctive.  (e.g. the following require the use of the present or imperfect subjunctive: caso (in case), antes que (before), ainda que/posto que (although or even if), unless (a nao ser que or a menos que), a que (to), in order to (a fim de que), unless or without (sem que), para que (so that, in order to), even if (mesmo que, nem que), although (embora), provided that (contanto que), as soon as (logo que/assim que)).
 * You can use the indicative or the subjunctive in sentences where the following verbs are negated (preceded by nao): achar, crer, sonhar, revelar, mencionar, alegar, aununciar, confirmar, comunicar, contar, informar.

SOME SPECIFICS BASED ON THE GENERAL RULES:


 * If the verb in the main clause is in the indirect command form or expressing desire or emotion in the present, the verb in the subordinate clause will be in the present subjunctive.


 * I hope (desejo: present indicative) that you accompany (acompanhem: present subjunctive) me.  – these are indirect commands or verbs that express a desire or emotion somewhow.  They require the use of the present subjunctive after them (e.g. I hope that…, I want that…, I need that…, I suggest that..., I recommend that..., I insist in that..., I permit that, It is important that..., It is better that..., It's a pity that..., It's sad that...It's ridiculous that..., It's strange that..., I'm upset that..., I deny that...).


 * Use with verbs such as sugerir (to suggest), permitir (to permit), recomendar (to recomend), insistir em (to insist), É preciso que... (it is nesscessary that), É importante que...(it is important that), É melhor que... (it is better that) and others.


 * If the verb in the main clause is in the present or imperative, the verb in the subordinate clause will be in the present subjunctive or the imperfect subjunctive depending on whether the verb in the main clause refers to a present event or a past one respectively.


 * I doubt (duvido: present indicative) that they speak (falem: present subjunctive) very well. – This refers to a present situation so the present subjunctive is used.


 * They doubt (duvidam: present indicative) that my mother was (estivesse: imperfect subjunctive) at the house. – This refers to a past situation so the imperfect subjunctive is used.


 * Study (estude: imperative) now so that you can learn (aprenda: present subjunctive) more Portuguese.


 * The imperfect subjunctive or pluperfect subjunctive is used after "como se" (as if).


 * My friend was speaking (falava: imperfect indicative) as if he was (fosse: imperfect subjunctive) an important person.


 * They speak (falam: present indicative) as if they are (fossem: imperfect subjunctive) lawyers.


 * My sister ate (comeu: preterite indicative) as if she hadn't eaten (tivesse comido: pluperfect subjunctive) in three years.


 * If the verb in the main clause is in the future, the verb in the subordinate clause will be in the present subjunctive or the future subjunctive.


 * Before I see (veja: present subjunctive) him, I will tell (direi: future indicative) my husband everything.


 * When she comes (vier: future subjunctive), I will be (estarei: future indicative) in California.


 * When the if-clause refers to a future occurrence, the future subjunctive is used in the if-clause:


 * If I have (tiver: future subjunctive) a boyfriend, I will take (farei: future indicative) him to brazil.
 * If you can (puder: future subjunctive), arrive (chegue: present subjunctive) as late as possible to the party.


 * "While" followed by a reference to a future situation requires future subjunctive in the while-clause.


 * While you are (estiver: future subjunctive) not feeling well, stay (fique: present subjunctive) with me.


 * Doubt about a present reality sometimes necessitates the future subjunctive:


 * I'm not sure if you want to or not (...se voce quiser...)
 * I'm not sure if you can or not. (...se voce puder...)
 * If she prefers... (Se ela preferir...)
 * As you wish...(Como voce quiser...)
 * Wherever you wish....(Onde voce quiser)


 * "When" followed by a reference to a future situation requires future subjunctive in the when-clause:


 * When you know (souber: future subjunctive) the day of the test, tell (diga: present subjunctive) me.


 * The translation of wherever, whenever, whoever, and whatever require the use of the Future Subjunctive:


 * You can love whoever you wish (quiseres: future subjunctive).


 * The future subjunctive is also used with "as soon as you wish" (assim que quiseres/logo que) and "as you wish" (como quiseres).


 * If the verb in the main clause is in the past (e.g. preterite indicative, imperfect indicative) or the simple conditional, the verb in the subordinate clause will be in the imperfect or the past perfect.


 * I would like you (queria: conditional) to have dinner (viesses jantar: imperfect subjunctive) with me tomorrow or next week.


 * I wanted (quis: preterite indicative) you to have dinner (viesses jantar: imperfect subjunctive) with me last week.


 * I didn’t believe (acreditei: preterite indicative) that he had sold (tivesse vendido: past perfect subjunctive) everything.


 * I wanted (desejava: imperfect indicative) him to be (estivesse: imperfect subjunctive) with me everywhere.


 * If the "if" condition can't be met (i.e. doesn't imply a real fact) and the sentence refers to a present situation, the imperfect subjunctive is used in the if clause and the conditional or imperfect indicative is used in the main clause:


 * If I had (tivesse: imperfect subjunctive), I would take (faria or fazia: conditional or imperfect indicative) a vacation in Rio de Janeiro.


 * If the "if" condition can't be met (i.e. doesn't imply a real fact) and the sentence refers to a past situation (what could have been), the past perfect subjunctive is used in the if-clause and the conditional perfect (or simple pluperfect indicative) in the main clause:


 * If I had had (tivesse tido: past perfect subjunctive) a girlfriend, I would have taken (teria feito or tinha feito: conditional perfect or pluperfect indicative) her to Brazil.

More on Participles
The verb forms with participles are those with "estudado" listed above. Here are two important topics regarding participles:


 * The participle stays the same in the active voice (like #1) but agrees with the subject in the passive voice (#2 and #4) except when using the passive voice with ter or haver (#3, #5, #6).


 * 1) A professora ja tinha ido.
 * 2) Algumas pessoas foram atingidas pelo meu carro.
 * 3) Os cavalos nos quais eu tinha andado estavam vividos.
 * 4) A rua foi feita um ano atras.
 * 5) Os problemas tinham partido da minha alma.
 * 6) A carta que eu havia escrito foi longa.


 * Some verbs have two participle forms. Examples of verbs with two participles are:

aceitar - aceitado - aceito acender - acendido - aceso contundir - contundido - contuso eleger - elegido - eleito entregar - entregado - entregue enxugar - enxugado - enxuto expulsar - expulsado - expulso imprimir - imprimido - impresso limpar - limpado - limpo murchar - murchado - murcho suspender - suspendido - suspenso tingir - tingido - tinto findar - findado - findo isentar - isentado - isento matar - matado - morto salvar - salvado - salvo segurar - segurado - seguro soltar - soltado - solto benzer - benzido - bento morrer - morrido - morto prender - prendido - preso suspender - suspendido - suspenso emergir - emergido - emerso expelir - expelido - expulso exprimir - exprimido - expresso inserir - inserido - inserto omitir - omitido - omisso submergir - submergido - submerso juntar - juntado - junto trazer - trazido - trago


 * ter/haver in front of the verb to form the perfect tenses use the first form (e.g. juntado).
 * ser/estar in front of the verb (more adjectivial in nature) use the second form (e.g. junto).

Nominal Forms
These are forms of a verb that are characterized by not having an indication of time or of mood depending always on the context in which they're found. In these nominal forms, the verbs can themselves function as nouns, adjectives, and adverbs.

More on the Infinitive:
The infinitive has many uses. The impersonal infinitive has one form: the one you see in the dictionary that ends in –ar, -er, or –ir. Here are some uses of the impersonal infinitive:


 * Driving (Dirigir) is fun. – when it is the subject of clauses
 * I need to drive (dirigir). I am going to drive (vou dirigir) – coupled with other verbs.
 * I am learning now. (estou a aprender).  This is another form of the present continuous and is the same as “estou aprendendo”.
 * I am happy being (ficar) with you. – Complementing nouns and adjectives.
 * They were forced to stop. (Eles foram forcados a parar).  – verb in the passive voice with preposition is followed by the impersonal infinitive.
 * I stated that I was prepared (disse estar preparadas) for the examination.-- When the main and subordinating clauses have the same subject.
 * And he yelled, “Stop” (Parar) – substituting for the imperative

There are also Personal Infinitives which are less used in spoken language than in writing. They are used when there are infinitive verb constructions but the subject of this verb is not very clear. Therefore the infinfitive is "personalized" to make clear who the subject is. It is formed by: INFINITIVO PESSOAL


 * Adding a subject in front of the singular infinitive forms:
 * Eu sair -- Before I leave, I want to talk to her.
 * Voce sair -- Before you leave, I want to talk to her.


 * Adding endings to the plural infinitive forms:
 * infinitive + mos for first person plural
 * infinitive + em for third person plural

Here are some uses for the personal infinitive:


 * They regret that we are (estarmos) not here. When the main and subordinating clauses have different subjects.
 * It’s necessary for me to buy (eu comprar) another car. It’s easy for them to arrive (elas chegarem) early. It’s impossible for you to leave now (voce entrar) – Used after impersonal expressions.  In these sentences “for” is not translated.
 * When they opened (Ao abrirem eles) the card, they saw the picture. Used after ate, antes de, depois de, ao (translated as when or upon), a fim de, sem, para