Check out this study resource about past participles or our post on using past participles in Brazilian Portuguese to learn more!
Brazilian Portuguese Articles
How to use the future perfect tense in Brazilian Portuguese?
By: Ana Amélia Rodrigues dos Santos Thu Dec 12 2024
The future perfect is a verb tenseNo definition set for tenseLorem 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. used to talk about an action or event that will be finished before a specific moment in the future. The formal future perfect is formed by combining the simple future of the auxiliary verbNo definition set for auxiliary verbLorem 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. ter(to have) with the past participleNo definition set for past participleLorem 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. of the main verb. For example:
auxiliary (simple future)main verb (past participle)
Eu terei terminado o trabalho antes de me encontrar com você.
I will have finished the work before meeting you.
In this post, we’ll review both this formal version of the future perfect and some more informal ways to form this tense, then we’ll discuss how to use this tense in a sentence and the contexts in which we use this tense. Curious to know more? Keep reading this post!
Table of Contents
How to form the future perfect tense in Brazilian Portuguese?
The future perfect in Brazilian Portuguese is a compound tenseNo definition set for compound tenseLorem 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. that is formed by combining an auxiliary verb (ter) in the simple future with the main verb in its past participle form, as we saw above. However, there are two ways to form the future perfect in Brazilian Portuguese: a formal and an informal way.
In both forms, the main verb is in the form of the past participle form. In Brazilian Portuguese, this is a form of the verb that generally ends in -ado (for -ar verbs) or -ido (for -er and -ir verbs), as in estudado(studied) or vivido(lived), though there are some irregular forms.
Tip
The difference between the formal and informal versions of the future perfect comes from the auxiliary verb, which is slightly different in each case. Let’s talk about each pattern below!
The formal structure of the future perfect tense
The formal structure of the future perfect is the pattern we’ve seen above:
ter(to have)
simple future
past participle
Teremos chegado à reunião a tempo de te encontrar.
We will have made it to the meeting in time to see you.
The auxiliary ter can also be replaced by the verb haver(to have). However, Brazilians prefer to use ter instead.
auxiliary (simple future)past participle
Haverei chegado à reunião a tempo de te encontrar.
We will have made it to the meeting in time to see you.
Here are the full conjugations of each of these auxiliary verbs in the simple future:
Subject Pronouns | ter(to have) | haver(to have) |
|---|---|---|
eu(I) | terei | haverei |
tu(you) | terás | haverás |
você(you, sg.)ele(he, it)ela(she, it) | terá | haverá |
nós(we) | teremos | haveremos |
vós*(you, formal) | tereis | havereis |
vocês(you, pl.)eles, elas(they) | terão | haverão |
The informal structure of the future perfect tense
While the form of the future perfect we’ve seen thus far is acceptable, native speakers often prefer to use the more informal structure, which forms the future of ter using the future with ir rather than using the simple future, like this:
ir(to go)
simple present
ter(to have)
infinitive
past participle
Eu vou ter terminado o trabalho assim que você me ligar.
I will have finished the work as soon as you call me.
This more informal way of making the future perfect is used in everyday written and spoken language. Now, let’s take a look at some of the particularities of the formal and informal structures for the future perfect.
How to use the future perfect in a sentence?
Because the future perfect is a compound tense, there are some particular grammar considerations to remember when we use it in a sentence. These same considerations also apply to most other compound tenses. Let’s take a look!
Negative sentences
In negative sentences, não(no, not) should be placed before ter, as in:
Amanhã, quando você sair para o trabalho, eu não terei acordado ainda.
Amanhã, quando você sair para o trabalho, eu não vou ter acordado ainda.
Tomorrow, when you leave for work, I will not have woken up yet.
Interrogative sentences
Unlike in English questions, there is no change to the position of the auxiliary verb in Brazilian Portuguese interrogative sentences. The word order is the same as a statement.
Você já terá partido quando eu chegar amanhã?
Você já vai ter partido quando eu chegar amanhã?
Will you be gone by the time I arrive tomorrow?
The only changes that occur are the question mark at the end of the sentence in writing, and a change in intonation in speech.
Placement of object pronouns
Object pronounsNo definition set for Object pronounsLorem 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. can be placed in different positions in the future perfect tense. Let’s take a look at the formal and informal structures:
In the formal structure of the future perfect:
When the auxiliary ter is conjugated in the simple future tense, the object pronouns can be placed before ter (which is most common), or it can be used in the middle of the auxiliary verb.
Before ter:
Eu o terei terminado daqui a cinco dias.
I will have finished it in five days.
In the middle of the auxiliary verb (uncommon in modern Brazilian Portuguese):
Eu tê-lo-ei terminado daqui a cinco dias.
I will have finished it in five days.
The steps below show how to attach the pronoun:
Separate the verb: terei → ter (stem) + ei (simple future tense ending)
Remove the -r from the stem and add an accent ^ above the vowel: te → tê-
Add l- before the object pronoun: o → -lo
Place lo between the stem and ending of the verb using hyphens: tê-lo-ei
In the informal structure of the future perfect:
The most common placement of the object pronoun is to attach it to the end of ter.
Eu vou tê-lo terminado daqui cinco dias.
I will have finished it in five days.
Follow these steps:
Remove the -r from the verb ter and add an accent ^ above the vowel: ter → te- → tê-
Add l- before the object pronoun: l + o → -lo
Place lo after tê- using hyphens: tê-lo
This is the most common way to place the object pronoun in sentences with the future perfect. However, in everyday written or spoken language, native speakers may omit the object pronoun altogether, especially if it is implied in the context:
Speaker A:Quando você vai ter terminado o trabalho?
When will you have finished the work?
Speaker B:Eu vou ter terminado daqui cinco dias.
I will have finished (it) in five days.
If you want to know more about the placement of object pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese, take a look at our post on the topic!
Tip
Although the placement of object pronouns in Brazilian Portuguese is very flexible, object pronouns should not be placed after verbs in the past participle.
❌ E terei terminado-o daqui cinco dias.
❌ Eu vou ter terminado-o daqui cinco dias.
I will have finished it in five days.
When to use the future perfect tense in Brazilian Portuguese?
The future perfect is used to describe an action or event that you expect to happen before another future event, action, or moment. Take a look at the example below:
Eu terei assistido a todas as temporadas dessa série antes das férias acabarem.
Eu vou ter assistindo a todas as temporadas dessa série antes das férias acabarem.
I will have watched all the seasons of this show before the holidays are over.
Important
When the time reference used with the future perfect is expressed with another clauseNo definition set for clauseLorem 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., as in antes das férias acabarem(before the holidays are over) above, the verb tense used for this second action is the future subjunctive.
The future perfect is commonly used to refer to completed actions in the future, in the way we’ve examined above, but there are also a few additional uses for the tense. Keep reading!
Other uses of the future perfect
The future perfect can also be used to indicate…
Certainty, especially when paired with various expressions that emphasize the inevitability of the action. One such expression of certainty is tenho certeza (de) que…(I am sure that…). For example:
Tenho certeza (de) que teremos terminado o trabalho antes do fim de semana.
Tenho certeza (de) que vamos ter terminado o trabalho antes do fim de semana.I am sure that we will have finished the work before this weekend.
Doubt, when the future perfect is used in a question.
Teremos terminado o trabalho antes do fim de semana?
Vamos ter terminado o trabalho antes do fim de semana?Will we have finished the work before this weekend?
One can also use the expression será que…(will we) at the beginning of the question to further highlight this idea of doubt, as in:
Será que teremos terminado o trabalho antes do fim de semana?
Será que vamos ter terminado o trabalho antes do fim de semana?Will we have finished the work before this weekend?
What are some time expressions that go with the future perfect?
Regardless of the use of the tense, you’ve likely noticed that time expressions are often used with the future perfect to further clarify the timeline the action or event will happen on. For example:
Eles terão terminado o curso em um mês.
Eles vão ter terminado o curso em um mês.
They will have finished the course in a month.
Here are some other time expressions to use with the future perfect:
já(already)
ainda(yet)
ainda não(not yet)
em uma semana(in a week)
em um ano(in a year)
antes de(before)
depois de(after)
Summary
In this post, we talked about the form and use of the future perfect tense in Brazilian Portuguese.
Structure → future tense of ter(to have) + past participle
Formal
ter(to have)simple future
past participle
Informal
ir(to go)simple present
ter(to have)infinitive
past participle
Use → to describe an action or event that is expected or planned to happen before another action or event or before a specific moment in the future
Now that you read this post, why not practice the future perfect in Brazilian Portuguese with some activities?
