By Linas
I wanted to make this very short course for people who know some Portuguese already. This course is about teaching you how to say the future subjunctive in Portuguese. We will also talk about when the subjunctive is used.
So, what is the subjunctive? The subjunctive is the form of the word you use to talk about things that are uncertain. This is going to be our key word: uncertainty. If you are sure that something is happening, you do not use the subjunctive.
So, what about the future subjunctive? Well, duh. The future subjunctive talks about uncertain things in the future. So, here is the golden rule: if you are not sure if something is going to happen or not in the future and you talk about it, you use the future subjunctive!
We can start out by talking about talking.
Now, let’s talking about something that you are certain about.
Okay. You don’t use the future subjunctive here because you are certain that you will speak. Pretty obvious, isn’t it?
Now, another one just to repeat.
So, how do you say:
And now, the key one:
Okay, here is the trick. remove the ending (the last two letters). What do you get? falar.
Now, here is the thing about the future subjunctive for the "I" form - it is the same! The future subjunctive form is the same as the past form for "they" minus two last letters.
Now, let’s make the previous phrase but add doubt to it. You won’t be saying "I will speak with him", you will be saying "if I (will) speak with him". That if adds the uncertainty that you need and so you will be using the future form.
Wicked, isn’t it? Now, the subjunctive is the same for me. It’s also the same for you (o senhor, a senhora and você). So, using você, how do you say:
You know that the same form you use for you, you also use for he, she it. So, you can just replace it:
I don’t know if this can get any easier. And this is the case for all verbs. It’s not like it’s about speaking, it’s about everything.
Let’s find that out for "to have". If you remember, I had is "tive". Make the "they" form:
Remove the last two letters. You have... tiver. Here you go, here is your subjunctive.
Imagine, that you are planning to earn a million (um milhão) and you are talking about what you are going to do when you have it. Notice, that where is certainly some doubt in it (when you win).
Okay, just one more example before we move onto how to form the rest of the forms for the subjunctive (not you, him and me) - which is also extremely easy. Imagine you are working at a hostel and you are talking to your guest using vôce. Say...
Again, you are talking about a future situation but you can’t be 100% positive that your guest is indeed going to need something. So, just because of that little uncertainty, you use the future subjunctive.