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Portuguese grammar Part of Chapter 10

CEFR B1

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Test yourself (16 questions)

Portuguese Imperfect Subjunctive: Se Eu Fosse, Se Eu Pudesse

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 12 October 2026

The imperfect subjunctive is the if I were of Portuguese: the if of something imagined, unlikely or untrue.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Tap the mistake.

  • , . - If I were you, I'd talk to her.
  • , . - If I could, I would help.

The whole system on one screen

the part that changesWhat do the colours mean?

One set of endings, -sse, -ssemos, -ssem, for every verb:

Person,
, ,
,

The form always carries an accent: , , . Portugal's adds -s: .

Built from the eles past

the part that changesWhat do the colours mean?

Take the form of the preterite, drop -ram and add -sse:

puderam minus -ram, plus -sse: pudesse
Verbeles, pastImperfect subj.

There are no exceptions: if you know the past, you know this. It is the same stem as the future subjunctive: , .

If I were: se and the conditional

imperfect subjunctiveWhat do the colours mean?

After an if that is imagined, the half takes the imperfect subjunctive and the other half the conditional:

IfPortugueseEnglish
I were , .If I were you, I'd talk to her.
I had , .If I had money, I'd buy a car.
he knew , .If he knew, he'd be sad.

How real the if is decides the form:

How real is the if?
RealImagined
  1. Se eu tenho tempo, eu leio.a habit: indicative
  2. Se eu tiver tempo, eu vou ler.maybe, later: future subjunctive
  3. Se eu tivesse tempo, eu leria.I don’t: imperfect subjunctive

In relaxed speech, in Brazil and , the other half often takes the imperfect instead of the conditional: , . The half stays either way.

After a trigger in the past

imperfect subjunctiveWhat do the colours mean?

Put a present subjunctive trigger into the past and the subjunctive moves back with it:

NowIn the pastEnglish
.I wanted you to come.
.She asked me to wait.
.It was better that he knew.

can also be a polite present: I'd like you to come. Context decides.

Como se and quem dera

imperfect subjunctiveWhat do the colours mean?

Two phrases always take it (or its compound, plus a participle, for the past):

  • . - He talks as if he were the boss.
  • . - If only I could go.

means if only or I wish; on its own, ! is I wish!

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
.the if half is not the conditional
. never takes the present subj.
.past trigger: imperfect subj.
é : imperfect subj.
the form has an accent

What to do next

  1. Learn , and first: they cover most sentences.
  2. Say three if I were, I would sentences about yourself.
  3. Compare and on the future subjunctive page.

The imperfect subjunctive is on the Pearson Edexcel GCSE Portuguese specification at Higher tier, for recognition.

Practise: test yourself

Build the word

0/3

Build the imperfect subjunctive from the past stem and the ending.

  1. se eu + ser

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  2. se eu + ter

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  3. se nós + poder

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Tap the mistake.

Complete the story

0/3

Choose the right form for each gap.

If I were rich

Se eu rico, eu compraria uma casa na praia. Se a gente mais tempo, a gente ficaria lá o verão todo. Mas a minha mãe sempre quis que eu médico.

Gap 1 of 3

Pick the right one

0/2

Which one says the English?

  1. If I could, I would help.

  2. I wanted you to come.

Matching

0/5

Match each phrase to its English.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'if I were you' in Portuguese?
. is the imperfect subjunctive of , and the other half usually takes the conditional: , , if I were you, I'd talk to her.
How do you form the imperfect subjunctive in Portuguese?
Take the form of the preterite, drop -ram and add -sse: gives , gives , gives . takes -ssemos with an accent: , . There are no exceptions.
What is the difference between and ?
is a real possibility later: if I have time. is imagined: if I had time, which I don't. The first takes the future subjunctive, the second the imperfect subjunctive.
When else is the imperfect subjunctive used?
When a subjunctive trigger is in the past: becomes , I wanted you to come. And always after , as if: .
What does mean?
If only, or I wish. It is followed by the imperfect subjunctive: , if only I could go.