The European Portuguese subjunctive mood explained with examples — this guide covers everything you need to know about one of the most frequently used and most feared grammar structures in Portuguese. The subjunctive (called conjuntivo in European Portuguese, subjuntivo in Brazilian Portuguese) is a verbal mood — not a tense — that expresses doubt, desire, emotion, necessity, or unreality. Unlike English, where the subjunctive is rare and often ignored in speech, Portuguese uses it constantly in everyday conversation. Mastering it is essential for moving from A2 to B1 and beyond.
What Triggers the Subjunctive?
The subjunctive almost always appears in a subordinate clause introduced by que (that), after a main clause that expresses one of the following categories. The pattern is: [main clause with trigger expression] + que + [subjunctive clause].
| Category | Trigger expressions | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Desire / hope | querer que, esperar que, desejar que | "Espero que venhas." (I hope you come.) |
| Emotion | estar contente que, ter pena que, lamentar que, ficar feliz que | "Lamento que ele não possa vir." |
| Doubt / uncertainty | duvidar que, não crer que, talvez | "Talvez esteja em casa." (Maybe he's home.) |
| Necessity / obligation | é necessário que, é preciso que, importa que | "É preciso que estudes mais." |
| Prohibition / permission | proibir que, permitir que, impedir que | "O médico proibiu que fumasse." |
| Impersonal expressions | é possível que, é provável que, é importante que | "É possível que chova amanhã." |
| Time clauses (future reference) | quando, logo que, assim que, antes que | "Quando chegar, telefona-me." |
| Concession / purpose | embora, para que, ainda que, mesmo que | "Embora chova, vamos sair." |
Present Subjunctive Conjugation
Formation: take the first person singular of the present indicative (eu form), remove the -o, then add the subjunctive endings. For -ar verbs: -e, -es, -e, -emos, -em. For -er and -ir verbs: -a, -as, -a, -amos, -am.
| Verb | eu | tu | ele/ela | nós | eles/elas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| falar | fale | fales | fale | falemos | falem |
| comer | coma | comas | coma | comamos | comam |
| partir | parta | partas | parta | partamos | partam |
| ser | seja | sejas | seja | sejamos | sejam |
| estar | esteja | estejas | esteja | estejamos | estejam |
| ter | tenha | tenhas | tenha | tenhamos | tenham |
| fazer | faça | faças | faça | façamos | façam |
| ir | vá | vás | vá | vamos | vão |
| poder | possa | possas | possa | possamos | possam |
10 Example Sentences: Indicative vs Subjunctive
- Indicative: "Ele vem amanhã." (He is coming tomorrow — stated as fact.) / Subjunctive: "Espero que ele venha amanhã." (I hope he comes tomorrow — desire.)
- Indicative: "A Maria está em casa." (Maria is at home — fact.) / Subjunctive: "Talvez a Maria esteja em casa." (Maybe Maria is at home — doubt.)
- "Quando chegares a Lisboa, liga-me." — When you arrive in Lisbon, call me. (Future subjunctive in time clause.)
- "É necessário que todos os alunos façam o teste." — It is necessary for all students to take the test.
- "Antes que partas, preciso de falar contigo." — Before you leave, I need to talk to you.
- "Embora chova, vamos sair." — Even though it is raining, we are going out. (Embora always requires subjunctive.)
- "Proíbo que saias esta noite." — I forbid you to go out tonight.
- "Duvido que ele saiba a verdade." — I doubt that he knows the truth.
- "Fico contente que estejas bem." — I am glad you are well.
- "Para que possas estudar melhor, compra um dicionário." — So that you can study better, buy a dictionary.
The Personal Infinitive: A Portuguese-Only Alternative
European Portuguese has a unique alternative to some subjunctive constructions: the personal infinitive. This is an inflected infinitive that agrees with the subject in person. Its endings are: tu: -es, nós: -mos, eles: -em (1st and 3rd singular are unchanged).
When the subjects of the main clause and the subordinate clause are the same, or when clarity about the subject is needed, the personal infinitive is often used instead of the subjunctive, particularly after impersonal expressions with para: