Portuguese grammar · Intermediate (B1)
If-clauses: se
The types of se sentence: real possibilities (se chover), unreal situations (se eu tivesse), the unreal past (se eu tivesse sabido) and mixed forms.
The types at a glance
Which tense follows depends on how real the situation is. One rule helps: the present subjunctive and the conditional never follow . English “if you would help” is .
| Situation | After | Other half | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| real, future | future subjunctive | present, future, imperative | (If it rains, we'll stay at home.) |
| general truth | present | present | (If I'm tired, I don't go out.) |
| unreal, now | imperfect subjunctive | conditional or imperfect | (If I had a car, I'd go by car.) |
| unreal, past | pluperfect subjunctive | conditional perfect | (If I'd known, I would have come.) |
| mixed: past cause, present result | pluperfect subjunctive | conditional | (If I'd studied, I'd speak English now.) |
Real possibilities: se + future subjunctive
For something that may happen in the future, use + future subjunctive. The other half is in the present, the future with , or the imperative. For things that are generally true, + present is also used, much like “whenever”: (If I'm tired, I don't go out).
- Se você quiser, te levo para casa.If you like, I'll take you home.
- Se não funcionar, a gente troca.If it doesn't work, we'll change it.
- Se tiver algum problema, me liga.If there's any problem, call me.
Unreal now: se + imperfect subjunctive
For imaginary or unlikely situations, use + imperfect subjunctive and the conditional: . In speech the imperfect often replaces the conditional: → .
- Se eu fosse você, não aceitaria.If I were you, I wouldn't accept.
- Se a gente tivesse mais tempo, ficava mais um dia.If we had more time, we'd stay another day.
- O que você faria se pudesse morar em qualquer lugar?What would you do if you could live anywhere?
Unreal past: se + pluperfect subjunctive
For a past that didn't happen, use + + participle and the conditional perfect, + participle: (If I'd known, I would have come). In speech is very often replaced by : .
The two halves can refer to different times. A past cause can have a present result: (If they had arrived earlier, we wouldn't be like this today). A present fact can explain a past result: (If I spoke English, I would have got the job).
- Se eu tivesse sabido, teria vindo mais cedo.If I'd known, I would have come earlier.
- Se você tivesse me avisado, eu tinha te buscado.If you'd told me, I'd have picked you up. · spoken
- Se tivessem chegado antes, hoje não estaríamos assim.If they had arrived earlier, we wouldn't be in this situation today.
- Se eu falasse inglês, teria conseguido o emprego.If I spoke English, I would have got the job.
Other ways to say “if”
(in case, if) takes the present subjunctive: . (as long as, provided that) and or (unless) also take the subjunctive. means “otherwise”: .
- Caso precise de alguma coisa, é só me chamar.If you need anything, just call me.
- Pode ir, desde que volte antes das dez.You can go, as long as you're back before ten.
- Vamos à praia, a não ser que chova.We'll go to the beach, unless it rains.