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B2 (Upper Intermediate)Lesson 5: Hypothetical Structures
Brazilian Portuguese conditional sentences follow three main patterns for real possibilities (Type 1), hypothetical present/future situations (Type 2), and impossible past scenarios (Type 3), but spoken Brazilian often simplifies these structures using the imperfect indicative instead of the subjunctive, making conditionals more accessible than traditional grammar suggests.
Type 1 (real/likely): "Se chover, fico em casa" (If it rains, I'll stay home)
Type 2 (hypothetical/unlikely): "Se eu fosse rico, viajaria o mundo" (If I were rich, I'd travel the world)
Type 3 (impossible past): "Se tivesse estudado, teria passado" (If I had studied, I would have passed)
Spoken Brazilian often uses imperfect indicative instead of subjunctive
"Se eu era vocĂȘ" is common in speech instead of "Se eu fosse vocĂȘ"
Future subjunctive in Type 1 trips up even natives
Caso replaces "se" in formal contexts (always with subjunctive)
Mixed conditionals combine different time frames
Type 1: se + present/future subjunctive, present/future indicative | Type 2: se + imperfect subjunctive, conditional | Type 3: se + pluperfect subjunctive, conditional perfect
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From negotiating at the feira ("Se vocĂȘ me fizer um desconto, levo trĂȘs") to daydreaming about the lottery ("Se eu ganhasse na Mega-Sena...") to lamenting missed opportunities ("Se eu tivesse investido em Bitcoin..."), conditionals are the grammar of possibilities, dreams, and regrets! Brazilian Portuguese has evolved unique ways to express these ideas that often break textbook rules but sound perfectly natural. Master both the formal structures and the colloquial shortcuts, and you'll navigate everything from job interviews to bar conversations where friends debate what they'd do "se fossem presidente."
These express situations that could realistically happen. The result is likely or at least possible.
Se + present indicative/future subjunctive â present/future indicative
| If-clause | Main clause | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Se + present indicative | present | Se estĂĄ chovendo, fico em casa | If it's raining, I stay home |
| Se + present indicative | future (going to) | Se estĂĄ tarde, vou embora | If it's late, I'm leaving |
| Se + future subjunctive | future | Se chover, ficarei em casa | If it rains, I will stay home |
"Se der tempo, passo no mercado" (If there's time, I'll stop by the market)
"Se vocĂȘ quiser, a gente pede pizza" (If you want, we'll order pizza)
"Se sobrar dinheiro, compro aquele tĂȘnis" (If there's money left, I'll buy those sneakers)
"Se o Uber demorar, vamos de metrĂŽ" (If the Uber takes long, let's take the subway)
"Se chegar antes das 6, me avisa" (If you arrive before 6, let me know)
"Se eu fosse vocĂȘ, nĂŁo ia nessa festa" (If I were you, I wouldn't go to that party)
"Se ganhasse na loteria, largava o emprego" (If I won the lottery, I'd quit my job)
"Se morasse na praia, surfava todo dia" (If I lived at the beach, I'd surf every day)
"Se ela soubesse cozinhar, nĂŁo pediria tanto delivery" (If she knew how to cook, she wouldn't order so much delivery)
Grammar says: "Se eu fosse vocĂȘ"
People say: "Se eu era vocĂȘ" or even "Se eu fosse tu"
Reality: Both are used, context determines acceptability
Many Brazilians mix up future subjunctive with infinitive:
â "Se vocĂȘ ver ele"
â "Se vocĂȘ vir ele" (from ver)
But: "Se vocĂȘ vier" (from vir - to come)
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