Indicative vs Conjuntivo: When to Use Which | Portuguese (Portugal) Grammar

Portuguese has two main moods for indicating how the speaker frames what they are saying. The indicative states facts, reports reality, and describes the world as the speaker presents it. The conjuntivo — never subjuntivo in PT-PT — expresses a subjective stance: a wish, a doubt, an emotion, a hypothetical, something that has not happened yet and may not, something whose truth is not being asserted. The split is not about when in time something occurs but about how the speaker relates to it.

English speakers find this difficult for a structural reason: English has almost no living subjunctive. The traces are vestigial — I demand that he leave (not leaves), if I were you (not was), a few fossilised phrases like be that as it may. Portuguese, by contrast, has a fully alive three-tense conjuntivo system that speakers use constantly and without thinking. Skipping the conjuntivo in PT-PT is not just a style issue; it changes what you are communicating or makes the sentence ungrammatical.

This page gives you the logic, the triggers, the three tenses, and the patterns where the contrast becomes meaningful.

The underlying logic

Say this out loud once: the indicative reports, the conjuntivo contemplates.

The indicative makes claims about what is, was, or will be. A Maria vem amanhã — Maria is coming tomorrow; the speaker presents this as a fact. The conjuntivo steps back from the claim and places the action in the realm of the subjective, the wished, the feared, the doubted, the hypothetical: Espero que a Maria venha amanhã — I hope Maria comes tomorrow; the coming is not asserted, it is a hoped-for possibility.

Once you internalise this distinction, you can predict the mood choice even in sentences you have never seen. The question to ask is not which tense does this verb take? but does the speaker commit to the truth of this action, or does the speaker hold it at arm's length?

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Three questions to ask yourself: (1) Is the main clause expressing a wish, doubt, emotion, or judgement about the subordinate clause? (2) Does the subordinate clause describe something not yet real, unknown, or unrealised? (3) Is there a conjunction like embora, para que, talvez, or quando (referring to the future) that always triggers the conjuntivo? If yes to any, use the conjuntivo.

The two core contrasts

Compare these pairs. The only difference is the main clause — but the mood of the subordinate clause shifts.

Acho que ela vem amanhã.

I think she's coming tomorrow. (indicative — the speaker asserts a belief)

Não acho que ela venha amanhã.

I don't think she's coming tomorrow. (conjuntivo — doubt, the coming is unrealised)

Sei que chegou ontem.

I know she arrived yesterday. (indicative — fact)

Quero que chegue cedo.

I want her to arrive early. (conjuntivo — wish, not yet realised)

Vê-se que está cansado.

You can tell he's tired. (indicative — perception, fact)

Lamento que esteja cansado.

I'm sorry that he's tired. (conjuntivo — emotion about the state)

Notice: the same verbs (vir, chegar, estar) switch between vem / venha, chegou / chegue, está / esteja based on how the main clause frames them.

The conjuntivo triggers — a complete map

The conjuntivo is triggered by categories of main-clause content (volition, emotion, doubt, judgement, purpose, concession) and by specific conjunctions. Here is the systematic map.

1. Volition / will

Verbs and expressions of wanting, wishing, requesting, demanding, preferring, permitting, forbidding trigger the conjuntivo in the subordinate clause. The subject of the main clause wants the subordinate action to happen, but it has not happened yet — it is not a fact, it is a desire.

Quero que venhas à minha festa.

I want you to come to my party.

Ela pediu que esperássemos um pouco.

She asked us to wait a little.

Os pais exigem que os filhos estudem.

The parents demand that the children study.

Prefiro que não fumes aqui dentro.

I'd rather you didn't smoke inside.

A professora proibiu que falássemos durante o teste.

The teacher forbade us from talking during the test.

Triggers: querer, desejar, pedir, exigir, preferir, mandar, permitir, proibir, sugerir, recomendar, aconselhar, insistir em, opor-se a.

2. Emotion

Verbs and expressions of happiness, sadness, regret, surprise, fear, anger, pity, relief trigger the conjuntivo. You are not asserting the truth of the subordinate clause; you are expressing your feelings about it.

Alegra-me que tenhas passado no exame.

I'm happy you passed the exam.

Lamento que não possas vir.

I'm sorry you can't come.

Tenho pena que já se vão embora.

I'm sorry you're all leaving already.

Custa-me que ele tenha reagido assim.

It hurts me that he reacted that way.

Fico contente que estejas melhor.

I'm happy you're feeling better.

Triggers: alegrar(-se), lamentar, ter pena, custar, admirar-se, estranhar, recear, temer, ter medo, aborrecer, fico contente / triste / feliz / surpreendido que.

A subtlety: even when the event in the subordinate clause is factual (you did pass the exam), the emotion about it still takes the conjuntivo, because the mood reflects your subjective response, not the event's factual status.

3. Doubt and denial

Expressions of uncertainty, denial, disbelief, improbability trigger the conjuntivo.

Duvido que ele saiba a resposta.

I doubt he knows the answer.

Não creio que isso seja verdade.

I don't believe that's true.

Talvez tenhamos de adiar a viagem.

Maybe we'll have to postpone the trip.

É possível que chova à tarde.

It's possible it'll rain this afternoon.

Pode ser que ele mude de ideias.

It may be that he'll change his mind.

Nego que alguma vez tenha dito isso.

I deny that I ever said that.

Triggers: duvidar, não crer, não achar, não pensar, negar, talvez, é possível que, é provável que, é improvável que, pode ser que, não é certo que.

Notice the contrast with their positive counterparts, which take the indicative:

Creio que é verdade.

I believe it's true. (indicative — the speaker commits to the claim)

Não creio que seja verdade.

I don't believe it's true. (conjuntivo — the speaker denies / doubts)

Acho que tens razão.

I think you're right. (indicative)

Não acho que tenhas razão.

I don't think you're right. (conjuntivo)

4. Necessity, value judgement, impersonal expressions

Impersonal expressions of necessity, importance, convenience, goodness, strangeness, rarity trigger the conjuntivo when followed by que + subject.

É preciso que ajudes em casa.

It's necessary that you help around the house.

É importante que ninguém falte à reunião.

It's important that nobody miss the meeting.

É bom que tenhas trazido o guarda-chuva.

It's good that you brought the umbrella.

Convém que saibas a verdade.

It's advisable that you know the truth.

É estranho que ele ainda não tenha ligado.

It's strange that he hasn't called yet.

Triggers: é preciso / necessário / importante / bom / mau / estranho / raro / lamentável / justo / natural / lógico / urgente / conveniente que; convém que; importa que; faz falta que.

Contrast these with impersonal expressions of truth, certainty, obviousness, which take the indicative:

É verdade que ele chegou tarde.

It's true that he arrived late. (indicative)

É óbvio que estás cansado.

It's obvious that you're tired. (indicative)

É certo que vamos ganhar.

It's certain that we'll win. (indicative)

In the negative, these same expressions usually switch to conjuntivo: não é verdade que ele chegue tarde.

5. Purpose — para que, a fim de que

Conjunctions of purpose take the conjuntivo because the purpose has not yet been achieved — it lies in the intended future.

Estudo muito para que os meus pais tenham orgulho de mim.

I study hard so that my parents are proud of me.

Deixei-te a nota para que não te esquecesses.

I left you the note so that you wouldn't forget.

Insisti para que viesse cedo.

I insisted that he come early.

Triggers: para que, a fim de que, por forma a que, de modo que (when purposive), de maneira que (when purposive).

6. Concession — embora, ainda que, mesmo que

Conjunctions of concession introduce a clause that is either genuinely hypothetical or that the speaker treats as not the main point. They take the conjuntivo.

Embora chova, vou sair.

Even though it's raining, I'm going out.

Ainda que tenhas razão, não é agradável ouvir isso.

Even if you're right, it's not pleasant to hear.

Mesmo que ele peça desculpa, não o perdoo.

Even if he apologises, I won't forgive him.

Por muito que eu tente, não consigo.

No matter how much I try, I can't manage.

Triggers: embora, ainda que, mesmo que, por mais que, por muito que, nem que, a não ser que, a menos que, sem que.

7. Hypothetical conditions — se + imperfect conjuntivo

When a conditional sentence expresses a hypothetical or counterfactual situation (what would happen if something were different), the se-clause takes the imperfect conjuntivo, and the main clause takes the conditional (or, colloquially, the imperfect indicative).

Se tivesse tempo, aprendia italiano.

If I had time, I'd learn Italian.

Se ela viesse connosco, seria mais divertido.

If she came with us, it'd be more fun.

Se eu fosse a ti, pensava duas vezes.

If I were you, I'd think twice.

For a past counterfactual (if I had had), use the pluperfect conjuntivo:

Se tivesses chegado mais cedo, terias apanhado o comboio.

If you had arrived earlier, you would have caught the train.

Note the contrast with real conditionals, where se takes the indicative or the future conjuntivo (see section below):

Se chover, fico em casa.

If it rains (and it might), I'll stay home. (future conjuntivo — real possibility)

Se chovesse, ficava em casa.

If it rained (hypothetically), I'd stay home. (imperfect conjuntivo — hypothetical)

8. Unknown or indefinite antecedents

When you describe a person or thing whose existence is hypothetical, unknown, or indeterminate, the relative clause takes the conjuntivo.

Procuro alguém que fale japonês.

I'm looking for someone who speaks Japanese. (any such person — conjuntivo)

Conheço alguém que fala japonês.

I know someone who speaks Japanese. (a specific person — indicative)

Queremos uma casa que tenha jardim.

We want a house that has a garden. (hypothetical — conjuntivo)

Comprámos uma casa que tem jardim.

We bought a house that has a garden. (specific — indicative)

Diz-me o que quiseres.

Tell me whatever you want. (anything — conjuntivo)

The referent is not a specific, known entity — it is whatever or whoever might fit.

9. Future temporal and conditional clauses — the PT-PT signature

This is where PT-PT is most distinctive. After temporal conjunctions like quando, assim que, logo que, sempre que, enquanto, depois que — when the reference is to a future, not-yet-realised event — Portuguese requires the future conjuntivo (quando chegares, se puderes, enquanto for possível). English simply uses the present indicative in this context ("when you arrive," "if you can"), which makes the PT-PT pattern one of the hardest to internalise.

Quando chegares a casa, liga-me.

When you get home, call me. (future conjuntivo — future event)

Assim que souberes, diz-me.

As soon as you find out, tell me.

Faço isso enquanto puder.

I'll do it for as long as I can.

Se puderes vir, trazes o bolo?

If you can come, will you bring the cake? (real future condition — future conjuntivo)

Logo que acabar o trabalho, vou para casa.

As soon as I finish work, I'm going home.

Contrast with a habitual or general use of the same conjunction, which can take the indicative if the action is already true or generally repeated:

Quando chegas a casa, pões-te logo a ver televisão.

Whenever you get home, you immediately start watching TV. (habitual — indicative)

Triggers for the future conjuntivo: quando, assim que, logo que, sempre que, enquanto, depois que, mal (= as soon as), se (in real conditionals), conforme, consoante, como (in the sense of "as"), onde, quem, o que (with future/indefinite reference).

The three tenses of the conjuntivo

PT-PT has three core conjuntivo tenses, all of which are fully alive and used constantly:

Tense	Form (example: ser)	Use
Presente do conjuntivo	seja, sejas, seja, sejamos, sejam	present/future reference in dependent clauses
Imperfeito do conjuntivo	fosse, fosses, fosse, fôssemos, fossem	past/hypothetical reference, politeness, counterfactuals
Futuro do conjuntivo	for, fores, for, formos, forem	future, uncertain reference in temporal/conditional/relative clauses — the PT-PT signature

And three compound forms:

Tense	Form (example: ter feito)	Use
Pretérito perfeito composto	tenha feito	past action with relevance to the present
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito	tivesse feito	past perfect hypothetical
Futuro composto	tiver feito	future perfect after quando, se, assim que, etc.

Examples of each tense

Quero que venhas.

I want you to come. (present conjuntivo)

Queria que viesses.

I wanted you to come. (imperfect conjuntivo)

Quando vieres, avisa-me.

When you come, let me know. (future conjuntivo)

Espero que tenhas gostado.

I hope you liked it. (compound present)

Se tivesse sabido, teria vindo.

If I had known, I would have come. (pluperfect)

Quando tiver acabado, ligo-te.

When I've finished, I'll call you. (future perfect)

Why the future conjuntivo matters so much

Spanish has an obsolete future subjunctive found only in legal texts. Portuguese — and especially PT-PT — uses it every day. Any time you utter a sentence like quando eu chegar or se puderes or enquanto houver tempo, you are using the future conjuntivo. Skipping it and using the indicative (quando eu chego in a future sense, se podes for a real future condition) sounds immediately and noticeably wrong. For many learners, mastering the future conjuntivo is the single biggest leap in sounding like a fluent PT-PT speaker.

Se for bom tempo, vamos à praia.

If the weather's good, we'll go to the beach.

Quando puderes, passa cá por casa.

When you can, drop by the house.

Logo que tiver tempo, escrevo-te.

As soon as I have time, I'll write to you.

Indicative — when to stay put

The indicative covers everything the conjuntivo does not: assertions of fact, reported perceptions, certainties, generally-true statements, and the main clauses of most sentences.

Sei que ele chegou ontem.

I know he arrived yesterday.

Vejo que estás cansado.

I can see you're tired.

É óbvio que ela tem razão.

It's obvious she's right.

Penso que vamos ganhar.

I think we're going to win.

Porque estou ocupado, não posso vir.

Because I'm busy, I can't come. (causal — indicative)

Visto que já terminaste, podes sair.

Since you've finished, you can leave.

Causal conjunctions (porque, visto que, já que, uma vez que, como) take the indicative because the cause is being asserted as true.

The trigger table — a master reference

Category	Triggers	Mood
Volition	querer, desejar, pedir, exigir, preferir, mandar, permitir, proibir, sugerir	conjuntivo
Emotion	alegrar-se, lamentar, ter pena, custar, recear, ter medo, estranhar	conjuntivo
Doubt / denial	duvidar, não crer, não achar, negar, talvez, é possível que, pode ser que	conjuntivo
Value judgement / necessity	é preciso / importante / bom / estranho / lamentável que; convém que	conjuntivo
Purpose	para que, a fim de que, por forma a que	conjuntivo
Concession	embora, ainda que, mesmo que, por mais que, nem que, a menos que	conjuntivo
Hypothetical condition	se (past/counterfactual): se tivesse, se fosse	imperfect conjuntivo
Real future condition	se (real future): se puderes, se for possível	future conjuntivo
Future temporal	quando, assim que, logo que, sempre que, enquanto, depois que (future)	future conjuntivo
Indefinite antecedent	quem, onde, o que, qualquer que (unknown referent)	conjuntivo
Certainty / truth	é verdade / certo / óbvio / evidente que; sei / vejo / penso / acho que	indicative
Cause (asserted)	porque, visto que, já que, uma vez que, dado que	indicative
Habitual temporal	quando, sempre que (recurring, known patterns)	indicative

Contrast pairs you should memorise

Six pairs that put the mood logic on full display:

Acho que ele vem.

I think he's coming. (indicative — asserted belief)

Não acho que ele venha.

I don't think he's coming. (conjuntivo — denied belief)

Sei que estás cansado.

I know you're tired. (indicative — known fact)

Quero que descanses.

I want you to rest. (conjuntivo — wish)

É verdade que ela fala alemão.

It's true she speaks German. (indicative)

É pena que ela não fale alemão.

It's a pity she doesn't speak German. (conjuntivo — value judgement)

Conheço uma pessoa que trabalha ali.

I know someone who works there. (indicative — specific person)

Procuro uma pessoa que trabalhe ali.

I'm looking for someone who works there. (conjuntivo — any such person)

Quando chega a casa, janta.

When he gets home, he has dinner. (indicative — habitual)

Quando chegar a casa, vou jantar.

When I get home, I'm going to have dinner. (future conjuntivo — specific future)

Porque estou cansado, não vou sair.

Because I'm tired, I'm not going out. (indicative — asserted cause)

Embora esteja cansado, vou sair.

Even though I'm tired, I'm going out. (conjuntivo — concession)

Common mistakes

❌ Quero que tu vens.

Volition takes conjuntivo, not indicative.

✅ Quero que tu venhas.

I want you to come.

❌ Talvez ela chega amanhã.

*Talvez* always triggers the conjuntivo.

✅ Talvez ela chegue amanhã.

Maybe she'll arrive tomorrow.

❌ Embora está a chover, vou sair.

*Embora* always takes the conjuntivo.

✅ Embora esteja a chover, vou sair.

Even though it's raining, I'm going out.

❌ Quando chegas a casa, liga-me.

In a specific future reference, PT-PT requires the future conjuntivo, not the present indicative.

✅ Quando chegares a casa, liga-me.

When you get home, call me.

❌ Se eu tinha tempo, aprendia italiano.

Counterfactual *se* requires the imperfect conjuntivo, not the imperfect indicative.

✅ Se eu tivesse tempo, aprendia italiano.

If I had time, I'd learn Italian.

❌ Se puderes, tu trazes o vinho?

This one is actually correct — the trap is that English speakers often say *se podes* here, slipping into the indicative.

✅ Se puderes, trazes o vinho? (correct PT-PT)

If you can, will you bring the wine?

❌ É importante que tu estudas mais.

*É importante que* triggers the conjuntivo.

✅ É importante que tu estudes mais.

It's important that you study more.

❌ Procuro alguém que sabe alemão.

An unknown/hypothetical antecedent takes the conjuntivo.

✅ Procuro alguém que saiba alemão.

I'm looking for someone who knows German.

❌ Duvido que ele tem razão.

*Duvidar que* takes the conjuntivo.

✅ Duvido que ele tenha razão.

I doubt he's right.

Key takeaways

The indicative asserts facts; the conjuntivo (never subjuntivo in PT-PT) holds actions at arm's length — wishes, doubts, emotions, hypotheticals, unrealised events.
Six main trigger categories: volition, emotion, doubt/denial, value judgements, purpose, concession. Learn the verbs and conjunctions in each.
Three conjuntivo tenses are all fully alive in PT-PT: present (venha), imperfect (viesse), future (vier) — plus their compound forms.
The future conjuntivo after quando, se (real), assim que, enquanto is the single biggest PT-PT signature — English simply does not have it, and learners consistently skip it.
Conditional sentences split by type: real future (se for
- future conjuntivo), hypothetical (se fosse
  - imperfect conjuntivo), counterfactual past (se tivesse sido
    - pluperfect conjuntivo).
When in doubt, ask: does the main clause commit to the truth of the subordinate clause? If yes, indicative. If no — if the action is wanted, feared, doubted, hypothetical, or not yet real — conjuntivo.