In Brazilian Portuguese se-clauses (“if-clauses”) are an important part of conditional or hypothetical sentences. They classically begin with se(if) and are used to describe the conditions under which the action or situation in the main clause will be true.
Se fizer calor amanhã, vamos à praia.
If it is warm tomorrow, we will go to the beach.
Like English, Brazilian Portuguese has three types of “if-clauses”:
a condition that you really expect might be met (possible / likely)
(e.g. “If you arrive late, let yourself in”)
a condition you don’t really expect will be met, but could (unlikely)
(e.g. “If you were to arrive late, you could let yourself in.”)
a condition that cannot, or can no longer, be met (impossible)
(e.g. “If you had arrived late, you could have let yourself in.”)
But did you know that the “if-clause” can also be used to talk about a condition that is being fulfilled at the moment of speech? “If-clauses” in Brazilian Portuguese can be combined with verbs in tenses in both the subjunctive and indicative moods. Are you curious to know more? Keep reading this post!
“If-clauses” are a type of subordinate clause that express a condition that leads to a result. In Brazilian Portuguese, they classically begin with the conjunction se(if) and so they are sometimes called se clauses. As they are subordinate clauses, “if-clauses” are always accompanied by a main clause that states an outcome that takes place when the condition is met.
Se eu estudar, vou passar no exame.
If I study, I will pass the exam.
In Brazilian Portuguese, the verbs in the “if-clauses” are usually conjugated in the subjunctive moodNo definition set for subjunctive moodLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. (the form used for uncertainties) whereas the verbs in the main clause are in the indicative moodNo definition set for indicative moodLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. (the form used for facts). Take a look at this post about the difference between subjunctive and indicative in Brazilian Portuguese to know more!
As in English, there is some flexibility in the order of the main clause and “if-clause” in Brazilian Portuguese. Beginning with the “if-clause” is a bit more common, but you can also begin with the main clause.
Se pudesse escolher, em que país você moraria?
If you could choose, in which country would you live?
Eu não estaria tão cansado agora, se tivesse dormido mais.
I wouldn't be so tired now if I had slept more.
As we mentioned above, “if-clauses” are used to express three types of conditions:
a condition that you really expect might be met (possible / likely)
a condition you don’t really expect will be met, but could (unlikely)
conditions that cannot, or can no longer, be met (impossible)
Below, we will talk about each of them. Let’s start!
In an “if-clause” that refers to a possible or likely condition, you’ll generally use se(if) before a verb in the future subjunctive, while the main clause will be in the future indicative. You can use this both for a condition that is possibly being met in the present or for a condition that might possibly be met in the future.
Se você sair daqui agora, chegará a tempo no ponto de ônibus.
If you leave from here now, you will make it to the bus stop in time.
Se eu achar o endereço, eu vou enviar o convite para ela.
If I find the address, I will send her the invitation.
In very informal spoken or written language, the future indicative or future with ir is often replaced by the simple present indicative:
Se você sair daqui agora, chega a tempo no ponto de ônibus.
If you leave from here now, you’ll make (lit. you make) it to the bus stop in time.
Se eu achar o endereço, eu envio o convite para ela.
If I find the address, I’ll send (lit. I send) her the invitation.
The “if-clause” of a possible / likely conditional sentence in Brazilian Portuguese does not always use the word se(if). Instead, you can use one of the following structures:
Instead of an “if-clause,” use subject + gerund (“-ing” form):
se + subject + future subjunctive | subject + gerund |
Se você sair daqui agora, chegará a tempo no ponto de ônibus. If you leave here now, you will make it to the bus stop in time. | Você saindo daqui agora, chegará a tempo no ponto de ônibus. lit. Leaving here now, you will make it to the bus stop in time. |
Se eu achar o endereço, eu vou enviar o convite para ela. If I find the address, I will send her the invitation. | Eu achando o endereço, eu vou enviar o convite para ela. lit. (Upon) finding the address, I will send her the invitation. |
You’re most likely to see this exchange of structure in cases where the result will take place “as soon as” or “once” the condition is fulfilled.
If you’re referring to a condition that may be fulfilled in the future, you can replace se(if) with quando(when).
Quando eu achar o endereço, eu vou enviar o convite para ela.
When I find the address, I will send her the invitation.
In this example, the use of “when” also implies that “as soon the condition is fulfilled,” something will certainly happen in the future.
In Brazilian Portuguese, there are a couple more situations where you might give a condition that you think might reasonably be met. For example:
To give conditions that should lead to an order (compare: “If you are hungry, eat!)
To explain a present situation, using é porque (it’s because) (compare: “If you’re hungry, it’s because you’re hungry.”)
To discuss a condition that may have been fulfilled in the past, but we don’t know yet (e.g. “If he already ate, then he won’t be hungry now.”)
In these other uses, the verb tenses used in the conditional sentence may not always follow the future subjunctive / future indicative structure that we described above. Let’s have a look!
“If-clauses” can be used to give the conditions that lead to an order. In this case, the verb in the “if-clause” is still in the future subjunctive (as expected), but the verb in the main clause is in the imperative form.
Se você ficar cansado, relaxe um pouco.
If you get tired, relax a bit.
You can use the conjunction caso(in case) instead of se(if) in this type of sentence, but if you use caso, the verb that follows it should be in the present subjunctive instead of the future:
Caso vocês venham, tragam um cobertor.
In case you come, bring a blanket.
You can use a se clause to give a potential situation, and explain the probable reason for that situation in a clause beginning with é porque(it’s because). For example:
Se eu estou te ligando, é porque quero falar com você.
If I am calling you, it is because I want to talk to you.
This use of se uses an unusual set of tenses. Because the potential situation is something that we suppose may be taking place at the moment of speech (not in the future), we generally express it in the present progressive, while we express the outcome in the simple present.
Se Rodolfo está procurando o endereço, é porque ele quer visitar a Sofia.
If Rodolfo is looking for the address, it is because he wants to visit Sofia.
We don’t use the subjunctive at all in this use of se clauses!
“If-clauses” can also indicate that a condition may possibly have been fulfilled sometime in the past, but the speaker does not know whether the condition was fulfilled. We generally use the preterite or the imperfect tense for these possibly-completed actions, while the tense of the main clause reflects the time at which we expect the result to take place.
Se você já fez as tarefas, pode assistir tv.
If you have already done the homework, you can watch TV.
Se eles estavam tão ocupados, por que não pediram a nossa ajuda?
If they were so busy, why didn’t they ask for our help?
“If-clauses” are also often used for conditions we call “unlikely.” These conditions are situations that we do not really or immediately expect to be met, though they often technically could be met. These types of sentences are used to present hypotheses or assumptions about the results of an imaginary situation.
Se Antônio estivesse aí com você, ele te ajudaria.
If Antônio were there with you, he would help you.
Se José ganhasse na loteria, ele viajaria ao redor do mundo.
If José won the lottery, he would travel around the world.
The verb in the if-clause is conjugated in the imperfect subjunctive while the verb in the main clause in the conditional simple.
We say that this is for “unlikely” conditions, but really it is for “imaginary,” conditions. This means that there are some cases, we use this type of conditional even in some situations where it is impossible to meet the condition. For example:
Se eu fosse você, eu aceitaria aquela proposta de trabalho.
If I were you, I would accept that job offer.
We use this type of conditional here, instead of an impossible conditional (see below), because we are discussing a condition that never could have been met — there was no time in the past where I could have been you. So unlike the impossible conditions discussed below, this is not a “missed opportunity.”
Our last type of “if-clause” is used for conditions that are impossible to meet, because the opportunity to meet them has already passed. In this case, we are discussing a “missed opportunity.”
In this type of conditional, the verb in the “if-clause” is generally conjugated in the past perfect subjunctive (or “pluperfect subjunctive”). For example:
Se eu tivesse achado o endereço, eu teria enviado o convite para ela.
If I had found the address, I would have sent the invitation to her.
In the example above, the verb in the main clause is in the conditional perfect, because the result would have taken place sometime in the past. However, you can also use the conditional simple, if the result would have impacted the present instead:
Se Carlos tivesse me falado sobre os seus planos, estaríamos agora juntos.
If Carlos had told me about his plans, we would be together now.
Se eu tivesse pegado o ônibus hoje, chegaria em casa mais cedo.
If I had caught the bus today, I would have arrived home earlier.
In informal Brazilian Portuguese, it is common to conjugate the verb of the main clause in the past perfect indicative instead of in the conditional perfect.
Se eu tivesse achado o endereço, eu tinha enviado o convite para ela.
If I had found the address, I would have sent the invitation to her.
lit. If I had found the address, I had sent the invitation to her.
In this post, we talked about “if-clauses” in Brazilian Portuguese.
“If-clauses,” or se-clauses, are dependent clauses that express a condition and its results.
The condition may be something that is:
a real possibility
an imaginary situation
a “missed opportunity”
“If-clauses” are always connected to a main clause, which shows the hypothetical outcome if the condition in the “if-clause” were to be met.
The verb in “if-clauses” is often conjugated in the subjunctive mood in order to show intention and assumptions, whereas the verb of the main clause is often in the indicative mood to express facts and certainties.
Now, practice what you’ve learned about “if-clauses” with our activities!
