The Portuguese Present Subjunctive: Wishes, Advice, and Possibility — Practice

Notice when the sentence expresses a wish or reaction

The present subjunctive commonly appears in a clause introduced by que after a wish, recommendation, necessity, or personal reaction. The first clause sets up the speaker’s attitude; the second names the action they hope for or recommend. Learn the cue and the complete phrase together instead of translating the word que as a grammar rule by itself.

Esperar que (to hope that), querer que (to want someone to), and ser importante que (it is important that) are useful patterns. The person in the second clause may differ from the person in the first, which is why the verb form changes: espero que você venha.

Recognize present-subjunctive endings

For many regular verbs, the present subjunctive uses a set of endings that contrasts with the present indicative. For falar, you hear fale, fale, falemos, falem; for comer, coma, coma, comamos, comam; for partir, parta, parta, partamos, partam. With você, the form is the same as ele and ela: espero que você fale.

Common irregular forms include seja (ser), esteja (estar), tenha (ter), vá (ir), and faça (fazer). You do not need to memorize every verb at once. Learn frequent forms inside sentences you can use, then notice them when you read or listen.

Use a cue phrase, then check what follows

Talvez often introduces possibility and commonly takes the subjunctive when the speaker is presenting something as uncertain: talvez ele venha. In positive statements of belief, Brazilian speakers commonly use the indicative: acho que ele vem. With negative belief, the subjunctive is common: não acho que ele venha. Usage depends on the construction and the speaker’s intended meaning.

A practical editing check is to underline the cue phrase, identify the subject of the next verb, and verify its ending. This is more reliable than changing every verb after que. Compare a recommendation, a certainty, and a possibility to hear the difference in context.

Remember: Write one hope, one recommendation, and one uncertain possibility. Highlight the cue phrase in each sentence and practice the full clause aloud.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. I hope you like the city.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Espero que você goste da cidade.

2. I want you all to take part in the conversation.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Quero que vocês participem da conversa.

3. It’s important that he arrive on time.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   É importante que ele chegue no horário.

4. Maybe the meeting will be shorter today.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Talvez a reunião seja mais curta hoje.

5. My mother wants me to make a phone call.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Minha mãe quer que eu faça uma ligação.

6. I hope you all have a good trip.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Tomara que vocês tenham uma boa viagem.

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Write one hope, one recommendation, and one uncertain possibility. Highlight the cue phrase in each sentence and practice the full clause aloud.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our The Portuguese Present Subjunctive: Wishes, Advice, and Possibility lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.