Welcome to the present subjunctive in the Portuguese language. Fasten your seatbelts because the journey is about to begin!
In Portuguese, we use the present subjunctive to describe wishes, possibilities, doubts, feelings, and concerns related to both the present and the near future. This means that the present subjunctive is used not only for the present moment but also to talk about the near future.
To teach the present subjunctive in Portuguese, it is important to choose the perfect route! The subjunctive in Portuguese is closely linked to its connectors. Connectors are the words that connect with subjunctive structures. For example, when we use the word ‘TALVEZ‘ (maybe), it is mandatory that the verb following this word appears in the subjunctive.
One of the obstacles in learning the subjunctive is the high number of words (connectors) that connect with this structure. In our opinion, it is not a good idea to try to memorize all the subjunctive connectors. Why? Because there are too many connectors, and not all of them are highly significant, as some connectors are rarely used in our daily lives. Therefore, once again, it is our choice to refer to and emphasize the most important connectors of the present subjunctive.
PRO TIP: So, in our opinion, the most important connectors of the present subjunctive are: 1- The word ‘TALVEZ‘ (maybe); 2- Negative opinions: ‘NÃO ACHO QUE‘ (I don’t think that) = ‘NÃO PENSO QUE‘ (I don’t think that); 3- Impersonal Expressions + que: ‘É BOM QUE‘ (it’s good that), ‘É IMPORTANTE QUE‘ (it’s important that),… 4- Subjunctive verbs: Examples: “QUERER QUE” – to want, “DESEJAR QUE” – to wish, “ESPERAR QUE” – to hope,.., and many other verbs.
Here is a list with examples of sentences in the present subjunctive using the connectors that, in our opinion, are the most important because they are used in the daily lives of Portuguese speakers.
