A temporal clause (oração temporal) locates one action in time relative to another: "when I arrive", "while he was sleeping", "before you go", "as soon as it starts". Portuguese uses a small family of temporal conjunctions — quando, enquanto, antes que, depois (de) que, assim que / logo que, até que, mal — and each one triggers a specific mood depending on whether the action is in the past/present (real) or in the future/hypothetical (unrealized).
The mood choice is not cosmetic. Saying quando chegares versus quando chegaste means "when you arrive (in the future)" versus "when you arrived (once, in the past)". Same conjunction, different mood, entirely different time.
The deep logic: realized vs unrealized time
Before memorizing any rules, internalize this principle:
If the temporal event has already happened or happens habitually, use the indicative. If the temporal event is projected into the future (not yet realized), use the future subjunctive (or sometimes the present subjunctive).
Quando cheguei a casa, o jantar já estava pronto.
When I got home, dinner was already ready. (past — realized)
Quando chegares a casa, o jantar vai estar pronto.
When you get home, dinner will be ready. (future — unrealized)
The verb chegar appears in both sentences. In the first, it's the preterite (cheguei) — a realized past event. In the second, it's the future subjunctive (chegares) — an event not yet realized. Portuguese grammaticalizes this distinction. English speakers are used to saying "when you arrive" in both contexts (the present form arrive covers it), but Portuguese forces you to pick.
Quando — the most common temporal conjunction
Quando means "when". It is the workhorse of temporal clauses.
Past — indicative (preterite or imperfect)
When quando refers to a past event, use the appropriate past indicative tense.
Quando era pequena, passava os verões em casa dos meus avós.
When I was little, I used to spend summers at my grandparents' house.
Já estava a chover quando saímos do trabalho.
It was already raining when we left work.
Present/habitual — indicative
For habitual or general truths, quando takes the present indicative.
Quando faz sol, vou sempre à praia.
When it's sunny, I always go to the beach.
Fico nervoso quando tenho entrevistas.
I get nervous when I have interviews.
Future — future subjunctive (obligatory)
This is the case English speakers must drill into memory. For any future-looking quando, use the future subjunctive.
Quando chegares, liga-me.
When you arrive, call me.
Vou dizer-te a verdade quando estivermos sozinhos.
I'll tell you the truth when we're alone.
Quando ele souber, vai ficar furioso.
When he finds out, he's going to be furious.
Logo se vê quando for preciso.
We'll see about it when it's needed.
Important: even when the main clause is in the conditional or future, quando still takes the future subjunctive.
Indirect discourse — imperfect subjunctive
When future events are reported from a past perspective, quando takes the imperfect subjunctive (this follows the sequence-of-tenses rule).
Disse que me ligaria quando chegasse.
He said he would call me when he arrived.
Prometeram que viriam quando pudessem.
They promised they would come when they could.
Enquanto — while, as long as
Enquanto means "while" (simultaneous action) or "as long as" (duration). It takes the indicative in most cases, including future.
Simultaneous past/present — indicative
Enquanto cozinhava, ouvia rádio.
While he was cooking, he listened to the radio.
Enquanto tu lavas a louça, eu arrumo a sala.
While you do the dishes, I'll tidy the living room.
Enquanto esperamos, vamos tomando um café.
While we wait, let's have a coffee.
Future — future subjunctive
Like quando, enquanto switches to the future subjunctive for genuinely future events.
Enquanto tiveres dúvidas, pergunta.
As long as you have questions, ask.
Vou continuar a treinar enquanto puder.
I'll keep training as long as I can.
Enquanto o mundo for mundo, haverá quem resista.
As long as the world is the world, there will be those who resist. (literary)
Negative enquanto — enquanto não
Enquanto não means "until" (literally while not). Very common in everyday speech.
Não saias enquanto não acabares os trabalhos de casa.
Don't go out until you finish your homework.
Enquanto ele não chegar, não começamos a reunião.
We won't start the meeting until he arrives.
Antes que — before (different subject) / antes de — before (same subject)
Antes que always takes the present or imperfect subjunctive — never the indicative. The reason: antes que describes an event that has not yet happened at the reference time, which is inherently subjunctive territory (unrealized, projected).
Vamos sair antes que comece a chover.
Let's leave before it starts raining.
Avisa-me antes que tomes a decisão.
Let me know before you make the decision.
Saiu de casa antes que o pai acordasse.
He left the house before his father woke up.
Quero falar contigo antes que seja tarde.
I want to talk to you before it's too late.
Same subject — antes de + infinitive (often personal)
When the two clauses share a subject, Portuguese prefers the preposition antes de + infinitive.
Lavo as mãos antes de comer.
I wash my hands before eating. (same subject: I wash, I eat)
Antes de saíres, fecha a porta.
Before you leave, close the door. (personal infinitive)
Note: antes de can also take a personal infinitive when the subject is different, giving a lighter alternative to antes que:
Antes de ele chegar, já tínhamos saído.
Before he arrived, we had already left.
Quero terminar isto antes de eles voltarem.
I want to finish this before they come back.
Depois que and depois de — after
Depois que describes an event that happened before the main clause event — a reversal of antes que. Because depois que introduces something realized (at the reference time), it takes the indicative in past contexts.
Past — indicative
Depois que cheguei, tudo melhorou.
After I arrived, everything got better.
Depois que ele se mudou, a vizinhança ficou mais sossegada.
After he moved away, the neighbourhood got quieter.
Future — future subjunctive
When depois que looks forward, it switches to the future subjunctive.
Ligo-te depois que chegar a casa.
I'll call you after I get home.
Depois que terminares o curso, vamos viajar.
After you finish the course, we'll travel.
Same subject — depois de + infinitive
Depois de jantar, fui ler um livro.
After having dinner, I went to read a book.
Depois de fazermos a revisão, podemos descansar.
After we do the review, we can rest. (personal infinitive)
The compound depois de ter + past participle
For a completed prior action, Portuguese uses the compound infinitive:
Depois de termos jantado, fomos passear.
After we had had dinner, we went for a walk.
Assim que and logo que — as soon as
Assim que and logo que are near-synonyms meaning "as soon as". They follow the same mood rules as quando.
Past — indicative
Assim que ele entrou, todos se calaram.
As soon as he came in, everyone went quiet.
Logo que soube da notícia, chamei-te.
As soon as I heard the news, I called you.
Future — future subjunctive
Assim que chegares, manda-me uma mensagem.
As soon as you arrive, send me a message.
Logo que souber alguma coisa, eu aviso.
As soon as I know anything, I'll let you know.
Vou dormir assim que acabar o filme.
I'll go to sleep as soon as the film ends.
In register, logo que is slightly more formal or literary than assim que, but both are common in everyday speech.
Até que — until
Até que means "until" and behaves differently from most temporal conjunctions: in European Portuguese, it typically takes the subjunctive (present or imperfect) even for past events, because until-clauses imply a goal that is being awaited.
Present/future — present subjunctive
Vou esperar até que chegues.
I'm going to wait until you arrive.
Fica aí até que eu te chame.
Stay there until I call you.
Past — imperfect subjunctive
Esperei até que ele voltasse.
I waited until he came back.
Andámos a procurar até que encontrássemos a casa.
We kept searching until we found the house.
The bare preposition até + infinitive
Até without que, followed by an infinitive, is common and less formal:
Fica aqui até eu voltar.
Stay here until I come back. (personal infinitive)
Esperámos até eles chegarem.
We waited until they arrived.
Mal — the moment, as soon as (literary)
Mal used as a temporal conjunction means "the moment, as soon as" — a slightly literary alternative to assim que. It typically takes the indicative because it is usually retrospective.
Mal cheguei a casa, o telefone tocou.
The moment I got home, the phone rang.
Mal saiu de casa, começou a chover.
The moment he left the house, it started to rain.
Mal soube da notícia, parti para o hospital.
The moment I heard the news, I left for the hospital.
For future contexts, mal takes the future subjunctive, though this is rare in practice:
Mal chegares, diz-me.
The moment you arrive, tell me. (literary)
In everyday speech, you'll more often hear assim que in place of mal. But mal adds a particular sharpness — it stresses the immediacy, almost "no sooner had X than Y".
Sempre que — whenever, every time
Sempre que means "whenever, every time". It follows the same pattern as quando.
Sempre que o vejo, está a sorrir.
Every time I see him, he's smiling. (habitual present — indicative)
Sempre que íamos lá, ele oferecia-nos um café.
Every time we went there, he'd offer us coffee. (habitual past — imperfect)
Sempre que quiseres falar, estou cá.
Whenever you want to talk, I'm here. (future — future subjunctive)
Cada vez que / todas as vezes que — each time that
Synonyms of sempre que, slightly more emphatic. Same mood rules.
Cada vez que me lembro, começo a rir.
Every time I remember, I start laughing.
Todas as vezes que tentei, falhei.
Every time I tried, I failed.
Full summary table
| Conjunction | Meaning | Past / habitual | Future | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| quando | when | indicative | future subjunctive | most common |
| enquanto | while, as long as | indicative | future subjunctive | simultaneous action |
| enquanto não | until | indicative | future subjunctive | colloquial |
| antes que | before (diff subj) | pres/imp subjunctive | pres subjunctive | always subjunctive |
| antes de + inf | before (same subj) | — | — | infinitive, often personal |
| depois que | after | indicative | future subjunctive | often replaced by depois de + inf |
| depois de + inf | after (same subj) | — | — | also personal inf for diff subj |
| assim que / logo que | as soon as | indicative | future subjunctive | logo que slightly formal |
| até que | until | imperfect subjunctive | present subjunctive | EP prefers subj even in past |
| até + inf | until (same subj) | — | — | often personal inf |
| mal | the moment, as soon as | indicative | future subjunctive (rare) | literary, emphatic |
| sempre que | whenever | indicative (habitual) | future subjunctive | — |
| cada vez que | each time that | indicative | future subjunctive | emphatic synonym |
The key insight: Portuguese separates realized from unrealized time
English has one form for both: "when you arrive". Portuguese splits this into two:
- quando chegaste — when you arrived (past, realized)
- quando chegares — when you arrive (future, unrealized)
No other major European language (except Spanish, where the future subjunctive is archaic) preserves this distinction so actively. It is the single most reliable hallmark of good Portuguese: a speaker who masters quando chegares, assim que puder, enquanto for possível instantly sounds educated.
Register and stylistic notes
- (informal/neutral): quando, assim que, enquanto, antes de
- inf, depois de
- inf.
- inf, depois de
- (slightly formal): logo que, depois que, antes que, até que.
- (literary): mal, fronted enquanto clauses (Enquanto foi vivo...), elaborate sequences of past subjunctive + conditional.
- (journalistic): compound participle phrases (depois de ter chegado) and chains of assim que / logo que for breaking-news immediacy.
Common Mistakes
❌ Quando chegas a casa, liga-me.
Incorrect — future time after quando requires the future subjunctive, not the present indicative.
✅ Quando chegares a casa, liga-me.
When you get home, call me.
❌ Antes que sais, fecha a porta.
Incorrect — antes que always takes the subjunctive, never the indicative.
✅ Antes que saias, fecha a porta.
Before you leave, close the door.
✅ Antes de saíres, fecha a porta.
Before you leave, close the door. (personal infinitive, same subject)
❌ Vou esperar até tu chegas.
Incorrect — até without que still doesn't take a finite form; use personal infinitive.
✅ Vou esperar até tu chegares.
I'll wait until you arrive. (personal infinitive)
✅ Vou esperar até que chegues.
I'll wait until you arrive. (subjunctive)
❌ Assim que ele chega, falamos.
Incorrect if the arrival is in the future — use the future subjunctive.
✅ Assim que ele chegar, falamos.
As soon as he arrives, we'll talk.
❌ Enquanto estás em Lisboa, visita o castelo.
Incorrect for a future/hypothetical trip — use future subjunctive (estiveres).
✅ Enquanto estiveres em Lisboa, visita o castelo.
While you're in Lisbon, visit the castle.
❌ Depois que eu chegar, vou ligar-lhe.
Mostly correct but unnatural — same-subject after preposition prefers the infinitive.
✅ Depois de chegar, vou ligar-lhe.
After I arrive, I'll call him.
Key Takeaways
- Portuguese splits temporal reference into realized (indicative) and unrealized/future (future subjunctive). English doesn't.
- Quando, enquanto, assim que, logo que, depois que, sempre que, cada vez que — all take the future subjunctive for future events, the indicative for past and habitual.
- Antes que is the exception: always subjunctive, never indicative.
- Até que in European Portuguese prefers the subjunctive even for past events (esperei até que chegasse).
- Mal is a literary assim que — emphasizes immediacy, typically with the indicative.
- Same-subject constructions often prefer preposition + (personal) infinitive: antes de saíres, depois de chegares, até eles voltarem.
- Mastering the future subjunctive after temporal conjunctions is one of the fastest ways to sound educated in European Portuguese.
Related Topics
- Future Subjunctive with Quando and Temporal ConjunctionsB1 — How European Portuguese uses the future subjunctive (futuro do conjuntivo) after quando, assim que, logo que, enquanto, sempre que, mal, depois que, and até — the tense that anchors unrealised future events in time clauses.
- Future Subjunctive OverviewB1 — The futuro do conjuntivo — a living, everyday tense in European Portuguese that marks uncertain future events after temporal, conditional, and relative triggers. Almost extinct in Spanish; thriving in Portuguese.
- Conjunctions That Trigger the Subjunctive (Para que, Embora, Sem que)B1 — The conjunctions that always, sometimes, or never trigger the present subjunctive in European Portuguese — organized by meaning.
- Purpose Clauses (Para Que, A Fim De Que)B1 — Saying 'in order to / so that' in Portuguese — the split between finite (subjunctive) and non-finite (infinitive) purpose clauses.
- Causal Clauses (Porque, Como, Já Que, Visto Que)A2 — How Portuguese expresses cause and reason — porque, como, já que, visto que, uma vez que, dado que — and the crucial distinction between porque, por que, and porquê.
- Result Clauses (Tão...Que, Tanto...Que, De Modo Que)B1 — How Portuguese expresses consequence — so tired that I fell asleep, so much rain that the river flooded — and how result clauses differ from purpose clauses.