B1Lesson 2: Conditional & Politeness
Formation and usage of the simple conditional tense for hypothetical situations and polite requests.
infinitive + conditional endings (-ia, -ias, -ia, -íamos, -iam)
Formation: infinitive + -ia endings (falaria, comeria, abriria)
Same irregulars as future: fazer→faria, dizer→diria, trazer→traria
Expresses: hypothetical, wishes, polite requests, advice
Formal writing prefers conditional
Speech often uses imperfeito: "eu queria" vs "eu quereria"
"Ia + infinitive" common substitute
Politeness marker in services
Future from past perspective
The conditional is your politeness upgrade and hypothetical thinking tool! It transforms blunt "Quero um café" into elegant "Gostaria de um café," and lets you explore what-ifs: "Viajaria mais se tivesse dinheiro" (I would travel more if I had money). While Brazilians often substitute it with simpler forms in casual speech, knowing the conditional marks you as educated and helps in formal situations, customer service, and whenever you need that extra touch of sophistication or diplomatic distance.
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| Person | Ending | Falar | Comer | Abrir |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eu | -ia | falaria | comeria | abriria |
| tu | -ias | falarias | comerias | abririas |
| ele/ela/você | -ia | falaria | comeria | abriria |
| nós | -íamos | falaríamos | comeríamos | abriríamos |
| eles/elas/vocês | -iam | falariam | comeriam | abririam |
"Gostaria de fazer uma reserva" (I would like to make a reservation)
"Poderia me passar o sal?" (Could you pass me the salt?)
"Seria possível remarcar?" (Would it be possible to reschedule?)
"Você teria um momento?" (Would you have a moment?)
"Compraria um apartamento maior se pudesse" (I would buy a bigger apartment if I could)
"Viajaria o mundo todo com esse dinheiro" (I would travel the whole world with that money)
"Mudaria de emprego se não precisasse da estabilidade" (I would change jobs if I didn't need the stability)
"Faria diferente se tivesse outra chance" (I would do it differently if I had another chance)
"Poderia" = more formal/polite
"Podia" = equally polite in Brazil
Both acceptable for requests
Never use conditional in both clauses:
❌ "Se poderia, faria"
✅ "Se pudesse, faria"
Sometimes present tense preferred:
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