Futuro do Pretérito Composto (Conditional Perfect)

• Formed with ter in conditional + past participle

• Conditional of ter: teria, teríamos, teriam

• Regular participles: -AR → -ado, -ER/-IR → -ido

• Irregular participles stay irregular (feito, dito, visto)

• Expresses hypothetical past actions that didn't happen

• Essential for "if" clauses about the past

• Perfect for regrets, polite criticism, and speculation

• Common in reported speech about the past

The conditional perfect is your regret machine and politeness cushion rolled into one! It's how Brazilians express all those "coulda, woulda, shoulda" moments – "Eu teria ido, mas..." (I would have gone, but...). You'll hear it in every post-game analysis ("o time teria ganhado se..."), every polite criticism ("eu teria feito diferente"), and every story about missed opportunities. It's absolutely essential for navigating Brazilian social situations where direct criticism is too harsh – saying "eu teria escolhido outro" (I would have chosen another) is so much softer than "você escolheu errado" (you chose wrong).

The Conditional Perfect Formula

The conditional perfect combines the conditional of "ter" with a past participle, creating the Portuguese equivalent of "would have done" in English.

Step 1: Master the conditional of TER

Regrets & Missed Opportunities

• "Eu teria aceitado aquele emprego em Lisboa" (I would have accepted that job in Lisbon)

• "Teríamos comprado Bitcoin em 2010!" (We would have bought Bitcoin in 2010!)

• "Ela teria sido uma ótima médica" (She would have been a great doctor)

• "Deveríamos ter viajado mais quando jovens" (We should have traveled more when young)

Hypothetical Situations

• "Se o Brasil tivesse ganhado, teríamos feito uma festa" (If Brazil had won, we would have thrown a party)

• "Teria dado tudo certo se você tivesse me avisado" (Everything would have worked out if you had told me)

• "Se chovesse, o show teria sido cancelado" (If it had rained, the show would have been canceled)

Polite Criticism/Suggestions

The Ia + Infinitive Invasion

Brazilians often replace conditional perfect with "ia" + infinitive:

• Formal: "Eu teria comprado"

• Informal: "Eu ia ter comprado"

• Super informal: "Eu ia comprar" (technically wrong but super common)

The Tinha + Participle Swap

In casual speech, many use imperfect instead:

• Correct: "Se eu soubesse, teria ido"

• Common: "Se eu soubesse, tinha ido"

• Both are understood, but only first is "proper"