Subordination (subordinação) is the syntactic operation that embeds one clause inside another as a grammatical dependent. Unlike coordination, where two clauses sit side by side as equals, subordination makes one clause do grammatical work inside another: functioning as the subject or object of a verb, modifying a noun, or adverbially framing the main event. The subordinate clause cannot stand alone as a sentence — strip the main clause away, and what is left is a fragment.
Subordination is what gives Portuguese its syntactic depth. A simple compound sentence like Cheguei e liguei-te reports two parallel facts; a complex sentence like Logo que cheguei, liguei-te makes the timing of one event the frame for the other. The hierarchical relationship between the two clauses is encoded grammatically, not inferred from context. This page maps the entire territory: the three functional types of subordinate clauses, the distinction between finite and non-finite forms, and the logic behind mood selection. The details live on dedicated pages — this is the orientation.
Subordination vs coordination: the structural divide
Before anything else, it is worth getting the contrast crisp. Coordination joins grammatical equals; subordination embeds one clause inside another.
Cheguei e liguei-te imediatamente.
I arrived and called you right away. (coordination — two independent clauses)
Logo que cheguei, liguei-te imediatamente.
As soon as I arrived, I called you right away. (subordination — the 'logo que' clause is dependent)
Test: take each half of the sentence and ask whether it works as a standalone sentence.
- Cheguei. Works.
- Liguei-te imediatamente. Works.
- Logo que cheguei. Does not work — it is a fragment waiting for a main clause.
The logo que clause is subordinate. Its grammatical role is adverbial: it tells us when the main-clause event happened. The main clause liguei-te imediatamente is grammatically complete; the subordinate clause is an embellishment attached to it via the subordinator logo que.
The three functional types of subordinate clauses
Portuguese grammatical tradition classifies subordinate clauses by the function they play inside the main clause — the slot they fill. This gives three major families:
| Type | Function | Does the work of a... | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substantive (completive) | Subject or object | Noun | Quero que venhas. |
| Adjective (relative) | Modifier of a noun | Adjective | O rapaz que chegou. |
| Adverbial | Modifier of the main verb / clause | Adverb | Ligo-te quando chegar. |
Each type has its own internal variety, its own subordinators, and its own mood-selection logic. Learners who understand this tripartite split have a durable framework for every complex sentence they encounter.
Type 1: Substantive (completive) clauses
A substantive clause functions as a noun. It slots into the same grammatical position a noun or noun phrase could occupy — subject, object, or object of a preposition. It is the clausal analogue of a noun.
As a direct object
Quero que venhas cedo.
I want you to come early.
Disse que estava cansada.
She said she was tired.
Lembro-me de que a visitei no hospital.
I remember visiting her in the hospital.
The clauses que venhas cedo, que estava cansada, de que a visitei no hospital are doing the job a noun could do: compare quero um café, disse a verdade, lembro-me do acidente. In each case, the subordinate clause fills the same slot.
As a subject
Que ele já tenha chegado é uma boa notícia.
That he's already arrived is good news.
É importante que estudes para o exame.
It's important that you study for the exam.
Parece que vai chover.
It looks like it's going to rain.
Subject clauses sound more literary in fronted position (Que ele...); most speakers extrapose them to the right, leaving a dummy subject slot empty or occupied by expletive elements.
As object of a preposition
Depende de que todos venham a tempo.
It depends on everyone arriving on time.
Conto contigo para que a festa corra bem.
I'm counting on you so the party goes well.
Here the clause fills the slot after a preposition, doing the work a noun phrase would do (depende do teu apoio, conto com a tua presença).
Full treatment of this type is on Complement Clauses, the dedicated next page.
Type 2: Adjective (relative) clauses
A relative clause modifies a noun, playing the same role an adjective would. It is introduced by a relative pronoun (que, quem, o qual, cujo, onde) and is always attached to an antecedent — the noun being modified.
O rapaz que chegou agora é meu primo.
The boy who just arrived is my cousin.
A casa onde vivemos foi construída em 1930.
The house where we live was built in 1930.
A colega com quem trabalho é muito simpática.
The colleague I work with is very nice.
O livro cujo autor morreu ontem vai ser reeditado.
The book whose author died yesterday will be reprinted.
The relative pronoun plays two roles at once: it connects the clause to the antecedent outside (linking que to o rapaz), and it plays a grammatical role inside the subordinate clause (subject of chegou, object of trabalho com, etc.). This dual role is the defining feature of relative pronouns.
Portuguese distinguishes restrictive relatives (identifying the specific referent, no commas) from non-restrictive ones (adding information, set off by commas):
Os alunos que estudaram passaram no exame.
The students who studied passed the exam. (restrictive — only those who studied)
Os alunos, que estudaram muito, passaram no exame.
The students, who studied a lot, passed the exam. (non-restrictive — all students, who incidentally studied)
Full treatment on the Relative Clauses Overview page and its dependents.
Type 3: Adverbial clauses
An adverbial clause modifies the main verb or the whole main clause, doing the work of an adverb. It tells us when, why, how, under what condition, in spite of what, for what purpose. Adverbial clauses are where subordinate syntax gets genuinely rich, because each semantic type has its own subordinators and often its own mood requirements.
| Type | Common subordinators | Mood |
|---|---|---|
| Temporal (time) | quando, enquanto, assim que, logo que, antes que, depois que, até que, sempre que | indicative or subjunctive (depends on reference) |
| Causal (cause) | porque, como, visto que, já que, uma vez que, dado que | indicative |
| Final (purpose) | para que, a fim de que | subjunctive |
| Conditional | se, caso, desde que, a menos que, a não ser que | subjunctive (except se + present/future indicative) |
| Concessive | embora, ainda que, mesmo que, apesar de que, se bem que | subjunctive (mostly) |
| Consecutive (result) | tão... que, tanto... que, de tal modo que | indicative |
| Comparative | como, do que, tal como, conforme | indicative |
| Proportional | à medida que, quanto mais... mais | indicative |
Quando chegares, liga-me.
When you arrive, call me. (temporal, future subjunctive)
Não fui porque estava doente.
I didn't go because I was sick. (causal, indicative)
Estudo muito para que os meus pais fiquem orgulhosos.
I study a lot so my parents will be proud. (purpose, subjunctive)
Se chover amanhã, ficamos em casa.
If it rains tomorrow, we'll stay home. (conditional, future subjunctive)
Embora esteja cansado, vou ao jantar.
Although I'm tired, I'll go to the dinner. (concessive, subjunctive)
Falou tão depressa que ninguém percebeu nada.
He spoke so fast that no one understood anything. (consecutive, indicative)
À medida que envelhece, vai ficando mais sábio.
As he ages, he becomes wiser. (proportional)
Each type has its own dedicated page in the complex/ group.
Finite vs non-finite subordinate clauses
The second major axis of variation: the form of the verb inside the subordinate clause. Portuguese uses two broad classes.
Finite subordinate clauses
A finite subordinate clause has an inflected verb — present, preterite, imperfect, future, subjunctive in any tense, etc. — that agrees with its own subject. It typically has an explicit subject (or a pro-dropped one) and is introduced by a conjunction or relative pronoun.
Quero que tu venhas à festa.
I want you to come to the party. (finite subjunctive)
Sei que ela está em Lisboa.
I know she's in Lisbon. (finite indicative)
Embora estivesse a chover, saímos.
Although it was raining, we went out. (finite imperfect subjunctive)
Finite clauses are the default when the subordinate subject differs from the main clause subject. They are also the only option after certain subordinators (e.g., embora, mesmo que, assim que).
Non-finite subordinate clauses
A non-finite clause uses the infinitive, personal infinitive, participle, or gerund. These forms either carry no person marking (plain infinitive, participle) or carry person marking without tense (personal infinitive).
Quero ir à festa.
I want to go to the party. (plain infinitive — same subject)
Antes de saírem, fechem as janelas.
Before you leave, close the windows. (personal infinitive)
Chegando cedo, aviso-te logo.
Arriving early, I'll let you know at once. (gerund — somewhat literary in EP)
Terminada a reunião, fomos almoçar.
Once the meeting was over, we went for lunch. (participial absolute)
Non-finite clauses tend to be more compact than their finite counterparts. Portuguese has a unique advantage here: the personal infinitive (saírem, chegarmos, terem) carries subject marking without a full conjugation, which means the subordinate subject can differ from the main clause subject without requiring a finite verb. Full coverage on Personal Infinitive and Infinitive Clauses.
The choice between finite and non-finite
The single most useful rule about finite/non-finite choice in Portuguese:
If the subordinate subject is the same as the main clause subject, use a non-finite form. If the subjects differ, use a finite form (or a personal infinitive).
Compare these pairs:
Quero ir à festa.
I want to go to the party. (same subject — infinitive)
Quero que vás à festa.
I want you to go to the party. (different subjects — que + subjunctive)
Antes de sair, fechei as janelas.
Before leaving, I closed the windows. (same subject — plain infinitive)
Antes de saíres, fecha as janelas.
Before you leave, close the windows. (different subjects — personal infinitive)
Espero chegar a tempo.
I hope to arrive on time. (same subject — infinitive)
Espero que ele chegue a tempo.
I hope he arrives on time. (different subjects — subjunctive)
The logic is straightforward: if the matrix verb already tells you who the subject is, repeating that subject in a full finite clause is wasteful — use the compact infinitive. If the subordinate clause has its own subject, you need a form that can encode that subject, whether via person marking on a finite verb or via the personal infinitive.
Mood selection in subordinate clauses
When the subordinate clause is finite, the next question is which mood: indicative or subjunctive (or, less often, conditional). Mood selection in Portuguese is driven by two factors:
The subordinator. Some subordinators inherently require the subjunctive — embora, para que, mesmo que, caso, a menos que, antes que, até que. These are a closed set and should be memorised.
The main-clause verb / predicate. Many matrix verbs and impersonal predicates force one mood or the other by virtue of what they mean:
- Verbs of assertion (dizer, saber, afirmar, ouvir, ver, ler) + indicative — they present the content as fact.
- Verbs of volition, emotion, evaluation, doubt (querer, desejar, esperar, duvidar, lamentar, convir, ser importante, ser possível) + subjunctive — they frame the content as non-factual.
| Category | Examples | Mood |
|---|---|---|
| Assertion / knowledge | dizer que, saber que, pensar que, ver que, ouvir que | indicative |
| Volition / desire | querer que, desejar que, preferir que, pedir que | subjunctive |
| Emotion / evaluation | gostar que, lamentar que, ter medo que, ter pena que | subjunctive |
| Doubt / denial | duvidar que, não acreditar que, negar que | subjunctive |
| Necessity / importance | ser preciso que, convir que, ser importante que | subjunctive |
| Possibility / probability | ser possível que, ser provável que, talvez | subjunctive |
| Certainty | ser certo que, ter a certeza de que | indicative (subjunctive under negation) |
Sei que ela chega hoje.
I know she's arriving today. (assertion — indicative)
Quero que ela chegue hoje.
I want her to arrive today. (volition — subjunctive)
Lamento que ela não chegue hoje.
I'm sorry she's not arriving today. (emotion — subjunctive)
Duvido que ela chegue hoje.
I doubt she'll arrive today. (doubt — subjunctive)
É possível que ela chegue hoje.
It's possible she'll arrive today. (possibility — subjunctive)
Tenho a certeza de que ela chega hoje.
I'm certain she's arriving today. (certainty — indicative)
Não tenho a certeza de que ela chegue hoje.
I'm not sure she's arriving today. (negated certainty — subjunctive)
The mood difference encodes a semantic one. Sei que ela chega asserts her arrival as a known fact; Quero que ela chegue frames the arrival as a desired-but-unrealised event. The subjunctive is Portuguese's way of marking that the content of the clause lives in the realm of wishes, doubts, evaluations, or possibilities rather than established reality.
Subordinators that govern non-finite forms
Several prepositions and conjunctions take infinitive complements directly, without a finite clause. When the subjects differ, the personal infinitive kicks in.
| Subordinator | Type | Non-finite form |
|---|---|---|
| ao + infinitive | temporal (when) | infinitive / personal infinitive |
| antes de + infinitive | temporal (before) | infinitive / personal infinitive |
| depois de + infinitive | temporal (after) | infinitive / personal infinitive |
| para + infinitive | purpose | infinitive / personal infinitive |
| por + infinitive | cause | infinitive / personal infinitive |
| sem + infinitive | manner/negation | infinitive / personal infinitive |
| apesar de + infinitive | concessive | infinitive / personal infinitive |
| até + infinitive | temporal (until) | infinitive / personal infinitive |
Ao chegar, liguei-te.
When I arrived, I called you. (same subject — plain infinitive)
Ao chegarmos, liga-nos.
When we arrive, call us. (explicit 'nós' or personal infinitive)
Para teres bons resultados, tens de estudar.
For you to get good results, you have to study.
Depois de jantarem, podemos ir dar uma volta.
After they have dinner, we can go for a walk.
This is where Portuguese's personal infinitive earns its keep: it lets you encode the subject of the subordinate clause without switching to a finite subjunctive. The result is characteristically compact.
Clitic placement in subordinate clauses
One structural point that distinguishes European Portuguese from Brazilian Portuguese: subordinate clauses in EP trigger proclisis — the object clitic pronoun hops in front of the verb, even when enclisis would be the default in a main clause.
Vi-o ontem.
I saw him yesterday. (main clause — enclisis)
Ela disse que o viu ontem.
She said she saw him yesterday. (subordinate — proclisis)
Quando o vir, digo-lhe.
When I see him, I'll tell him. (subordinate — proclisis)
A mulher que me ajudou é médica.
The woman who helped me is a doctor. (relative — proclisis)
This proclisis rule is automatic across all types of subordinate clauses — complement, relative, adverbial. It is one of the most recognisable EP features and contrasts with BR, which allows proclisis in main clauses too.
Stacked subordination
Real Portuguese stacks subordinate clauses inside subordinate clauses. A single sentence can have three, four, or five layers.
Disse-me que soube pelo Pedro que a reunião, que estava marcada para sexta, foi adiada porque o diretor, que devia presidir, está doente.
He told me he found out from Pedro that the meeting, which was scheduled for Friday, was postponed because the director, who was supposed to chair it, is ill.
Five subordinate clauses nested inside one another. The outer clause is Disse-me X; each X contains further embedding. Reading such sentences is largely a matter of tracking the layers — identifying which verb each subordinate clause depends on, and which subject belongs to which clause.
This density is entirely normal in Portuguese journalism, academic writing, and even articulate conversation. B1 learners start to parse these sentences; B2 learners start to produce them.
Subordinate clauses and punctuation
Portuguese punctuation in subordination follows a few reliable conventions.
- Fronted adverbial clauses are followed by a comma: Quando chegar, ligo-te.
- Trailing adverbial clauses usually take a comma too, though short ones can skip it: Ligo-te, quando chegar. / Ligo-te quando chegar.
- Restrictive relative clauses take no commas: A casa que comprei.
- Non-restrictive relative clauses are set off by commas: A casa, que comprei em 2020, precisa de obras.
- Complement clauses generally take no comma between the matrix verb and que: Sei que vens. Not Sei, que vens.
Punctuation mistakes with subordination are often more visible than grammatical mistakes — a missed comma around a non-restrictive relative changes the meaning of the sentence.
Common Mistakes
❌ Ela disse ela está cansada.
Incorrect — missing 'que' before the subordinate clause.
✅ Ela disse que está cansada.
She said she's tired.
English lets "that" drop after verbs of speech; Portuguese does not. Leaving out que is one of the most recognisable anglicisms in Portuguese.
❌ Quando chegas amanhã, liga-me.
Incorrect — 'quando' + future event requires future subjunctive.
✅ Quando chegares amanhã, liga-me.
When you arrive tomorrow, call me.
Portuguese temporal clauses referring to the future take the future subjunctive, not the present indicative. English uses the present for future ("when you arrive"), but Portuguese does not.
❌ Embora está a chover, saímos.
Incorrect — 'embora' requires the subjunctive.
✅ Embora esteja a chover, saímos.
Although it's raining, we're going out.
Concessive embora is a hard subjunctive trigger. No exceptions.
❌ Quero que eu vou à festa.
Structural confusion — same subject should use the infinitive.
✅ Quero ir à festa.
I want to go to the party.
When the matrix verb and the subordinate verb share a subject, use the infinitive. A finite que-clause with the same subject on both sides is ungrammatical.
❌ Antes de eles chegar, preparei o jantar.
Incorrect — different subject requires personal infinitive.
✅ Antes de eles chegarem, preparei o jantar.
Before they arrived, I had dinner ready.
The plain infinitive is only acceptable when the subjects match. With different subjects, switch to the personal infinitive (chegarem).
❌ Ela disse que viu-me.
Incorrect — subordinate clauses in EP require proclisis.
✅ Ela disse que me viu.
She said she saw me.
Inside a que-clause, EP places the clitic before the verb. Enclisis (viu-me) is the main-clause default; subordinate clauses flip it.
❌ Sei que venha amanhã.
Incorrect — 'saber que' takes the indicative.
✅ Sei que vem amanhã.
I know he's coming tomorrow.
Matrix verbs of knowledge and assertion take the indicative. Reaching for the subjunctive after every que is a classic over-correction.
Key Takeaways
- Subordination embeds one clause inside another as a grammatical dependent, unlike coordination which joins equals.
- Three functional types: substantive (noun-like), adjective/relative (modifying a noun), adverbial (modifying the verb).
- Finite vs non-finite is the second axis: same subject → infinitive or gerund; different subjects → finite clause or personal infinitive.
- Mood selection depends on both the subordinator and the matrix predicate: assertion/knowledge → indicative; volition/emotion/doubt/possibility → subjunctive.
- Proclisis in subordinate clauses is automatic in EP — the clitic precedes the verb regardless of the type of subordinate clause.
- Portuguese stacks subordination densely — three to five layers of embedding is normal in journalism and educated speech.
- The personal infinitive is Portuguese's distinctive tool for handling subordinate clauses with different subjects compactly, without switching to a finite subjunctive.
- Never drop que the way English drops "that" — Portuguese almost always requires it.
Related Topics
- CoordinationA2 — Joining words, phrases, and clauses of equal syntactic weight with e, ou, mas, nem and their correlatives — plus agreement rules, ellipsis, and asyndeton.
- Complement ClausesB1 — Clauses that function as subject or object of a verb — finite que-clauses with indicative or subjunctive, non-finite infinitival complements, embedded questions, and subject-raising.
- Portuguese Syntax OverviewA1 — The rules governing word order and sentence structure in European Portuguese — a high-level tour of how sentences are built.
- Complex SentencesA2 — Main clauses with dependent subordinate clauses joined by que, quando, se, porque, embora, and other subordinators.
- Complex Grammar OverviewB1 — A map of advanced syntactic structures in European Portuguese — conditionals, reported speech, relative clauses, cleft sentences, concessives, causatives, and more
- Relative Clauses OverviewA2 — How relative clauses work in European Portuguese — que, quem, o qual, cujo, onde, and the restrictive vs non-restrictive distinction.