If-Clauses with the Imperfect Subjunctive | Portuguese (Portugal) Grammar

Se eu tivesse tempo... — three words that open a whole genre of Portuguese sentences. If-clauses with the imperfect subjunctive are how the language talks about worlds that are not this one: if I could, if I were, if you knew, if we had more money. They are also, for learners, the most concrete and testable use of the imperfect subjunctive — the place where the tense does its most visible work.

This page covers the full pattern — se + imperfect subjunctive + conditional (or imperfect indicative) — and then situates it inside Portuguese's larger system of conditional sentences: the three-way contrast between open conditions (real, future), hypothetical conditions (unreal, present/future), and past-impossible conditions (counterfactual, past). Getting these three distinctions right is what moves a learner from "understands" to "produces confidently."

The core structure

The structure is fixed and symmetrical:

Se + imperfect subjunctive, + conditional (or imperfect indicative).

Or, reversing the order:

Conditional (or imperfect indicative) + se + imperfect subjunctive.

Se tivesse dinheiro, comprava uma casa na Ericeira.

If I had money, I'd buy a house in Ericeira.

Se tivesse dinheiro, compraria uma casa na Ericeira.

If I had money, I'd buy a house in Ericeira. (more formal — conditional)

Comprava uma casa na Ericeira se tivesse dinheiro.

I'd buy a house in Ericeira if I had money.

All three sentences mean the same thing. The first uses the imperfect indicative (comprava) in the result clause; the second uses the conditional (compraria). The third reverses the order but keeps the meaning. Colloquial European Portuguese overwhelmingly prefers the imperfect indicative in the main clause — you will hear se tivesse, comprava far more often than se tivesse, compraria. The conditional is still correct and remains the default in writing and in formal speech.

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If you learn one sentence template from this page, learn this one: Se + imperfect subjunctive, + imperfect indicative. It is the most common colloquial hypothetical in European Portuguese. Se pudesse, ia. Se tivesse, comprava. Se soubesse, dizia.

When to use it

Hypothetical sentences with se + imperfect subjunctive describe situations that are:

Counterfactual in the present — the condition is not the case. Se eu fosse tu... (I am not you.)
Improbable or imaginary — the condition is possible but unlikely. Se ganhasse a lotaria... (I probably will not.)
Pure hypothesis — asking about a thought experiment. Se pudesses viver em qualquer sítio... (Where would you live?)

Se eu fosse tu, não dizia nada ao chefe.

If I were you, I wouldn't say anything to the boss.

Se ganhasse o Euromilhões, deixava de trabalhar e viajava o mundo.

If I won the Euromillions, I'd quit working and travel the world.

Se pudesses voltar no tempo, o que é que mudavas?

If you could go back in time, what would you change?

Se o meu avô ainda fosse vivo, tinha noventa e dois anos.

If my grandfather were still alive, he'd be ninety-two years old.

The common thread is that the condition is not an open possibility in the real world — it is framed as unreal for the sake of imagination or argument.

The conditional-or-imperfect-indicative choice in the main clause

European Portuguese is unusual in allowing (and in casual speech preferring) the imperfect indicative where strict grammar books would expect the conditional. This is a register choice, not a correctness choice.

Register	Main-clause tense	Example
Colloquial / everyday speech	Imperfect indicative	Se tivesse tempo, passava mais tempo contigo.
Careful speech / writing	Conditional	Se tivesse tempo, passaria mais tempo contigo.
Formal / literary	Conditional	Se tivesse o poder necessário, faria tudo de forma diferente.

Both forms are grammatical in all registers; the difference is how "light" or "heavy" the sentence sounds. Listening to a group of Portuguese speakers at a café, you will hear se calhar, se eu pudesse, ia much more often than iria. But if you pick up a newspaper or a novel, the conditional dominates. Learners should be able to produce at least one comfortably — we recommend starting with the imperfect indicative form (comprava), because it is more common in speech and easier to build (no new conditional paradigm needed).

Se fosse a ti, levava o casaco — está fresco lá fora.

If I were you, I'd take the coat — it's cool outside. (colloquial)

Se fosse a ti, levaria o casaco — está fresco lá fora.

If I were you, I'd take the coat — it's cool outside. (more careful)

Three kinds of se-clause: open, hypothetical, past-impossible

Portuguese distinguishes three kinds of conditional sentence, each with a different structure. Getting this three-way contrast right is the heart of the whole topic.

1. Open conditions (real, future) — future subjunctive

When the condition is a real possibility about the future — something that genuinely might happen — Portuguese uses the future subjunctive after se, with the present or future indicative in the main clause.

Se tiver tempo, passo por tua casa.

If I have time, I'll drop by your place. (future subj. + present)

Se chover, ficamos em casa.

If it rains, we'll stay home.

Se puderes, liga-me mais logo.

If you can, call me later.

Se não souberes a resposta, pergunta ao professor.

If you don't know the answer, ask the teacher.

Note: the verb after se is in the future subjunctive — tiver, chover, puderes, souberes — not the present indicative. This is a systematic difference between Portuguese and English. English says "If I have time" with a present; Portuguese requires the future subjunctive because the action is still in the future when the main-clause action will happen. See the future subjunctive overview for the full treatment.

2. Hypothetical conditions (present/future, unreal) — imperfect subjunctive

When the condition is unreal or unlikely in the present or future, Portuguese uses the imperfect subjunctive after se, with the conditional or imperfect indicative in the main clause.

Se tivesse tempo, passava por tua casa.

If I had time, I'd drop by your place. (but I don't have time)

Se chovesse, ficávamos em casa.

If it were raining, we'd stay home. (but it isn't raining)

Se pudesses, o que é que farias?

If you could, what would you do? (pure hypothesis)

Se soubesse a resposta, dizia-te.

If I knew the answer, I'd tell you. (but I don't know)

3. Past-impossible conditions (counterfactual, past) — pluperfect subjunctive

When the condition refers to a past event that did not happen and whose counterfactual consequence is also past, Portuguese uses the pluperfect subjunctive (tivesse + past participle) after se, with the conditional perfect or pluperfect indicative in the main clause.

Se tivesse sabido, tinha ido à festa.

If I had known, I would have gone to the party. (but I didn't know and I didn't go)

Se tivéssemos saído mais cedo, não teríamos perdido o avião.

If we had left earlier, we wouldn't have missed the plane.

Se tivesses estudado para o exame, tinhas passado.

If you had studied for the exam, you would have passed. (colloquial — pluperfect indicative in main clause)

Se eu tivesse nascido em Coimbra, teria um sotaque muito diferente.

If I had been born in Coimbra, I'd have a very different accent. (past condition, present consequence)

The three side by side

Type	Se-clause	Main clause	Meaning	Example
Open	Future subj. (tiver)	Present / future ind.	Real possibility	Se tiver tempo, vou.
Hypothetical	Imperfect subj. (tivesse)	Conditional / imperf. ind.	Unreal present / future	Se tivesse tempo, ia.
Past-impossible	Pluperfect subj. (tivesse tido)	Conditional perfect / pluperf. ind.	Counterfactual past	Se tivesse tido tempo, tinha ido.

Se tiveres tempo, avisa-me.

If you have time, let me know. (open — future subjunctive)

Se tivesses tempo, avisavas-me?

If you had time, would you let me know? (hypothetical — imperfect subjunctive)

Se tivesses tido tempo, tinhas-me avisado?

If you had had time, would you have let me know? (past-impossible — pluperfect subjunctive)

All three sentences use the verb ter but in three different subjunctive tenses. Each encodes a different time frame and a different degree of unreality.

The pluperfect subjunctive in more detail

The pluperfect subjunctive — tivesse + past participle — deserves its own note because it is the most structurally complex of the three. It is formed like this:

Take the imperfect subjunctive of ter: tivesse, tivesses, tivesse, tivéssemos, tivessem.
Add the past participle of the main verb.

Person	ter feito (pluperfect subj.)
eu	tivesse feito
tu	tivesses feito
ele / ela / você	tivesse feito
nós	tivéssemos feito
eles / elas / vocês	tivessem feito

Se tivesses feito o trabalho de casa, não andavas tão stressado.

If you had done your homework, you wouldn't be so stressed.

Se tivéssemos ido ao médico mais cedo, talvez fosse menos grave.

If we had gone to the doctor earlier, maybe it'd be less serious.

Se ela tivesse sabido que estavas doente, tinha vindo ver-te.

If she had known you were sick, she'd have come to see you.

Notice that the main clause in a past-impossible condition can take either the conditional perfect (teria vindo — more formal) or the pluperfect indicative (tinha vindo — more colloquial). European Portuguese speakers overwhelmingly prefer the pluperfect indicative in everyday speech. Both are correct.

The pluperfect subjunctive is not a separate tense to memorize — it is built compositionally from the imperfect subjunctive of ter plus a past participle. Master the imperfect subjunctive and past participles, and this tense comes free.

Mixed conditionals: past condition, present consequence

Occasionally the condition is past but the consequence is present (or vice versa). Portuguese handles this by mixing the two structures cleanly.

Se ele tivesse estudado direito, hoje seria advogado.

If he had studied law, today he'd be a lawyer. (past condition, present consequence)

Se ela fosse mais paciente, já teria terminado a tese há muito tempo.

If she were more patient, she would have finished her thesis a long time ago. (present condition, past consequence)

Se eu soubesse falar francês, teria ido morar para Paris há anos.

If I knew how to speak French, I'd have gone to live in Paris years ago. (present condition, past consequence)

These mixed structures are common in real speech. The rule is to match each clause to its own time frame: imperfect subjunctive for present hypothetical conditions, pluperfect subjunctive for past counterfactual conditions, and in the main clause, pick conditional or conditional perfect accordingly.

Se eu fosse tu — the conversational staple

No hypothetical construction is more emblematic of Portuguese than se eu fosse tu ("if I were you"). It is the entry point to a whole genre of unsolicited advice, gentle warnings, and conversational comments.

Se eu fosse a ti, não levava aquele casaco — vais ter calor.

If I were you, I wouldn't take that coat — you'll get hot.

Se fosse a si, falava com o senhorio antes de assinar o contrato.

If I were you, I'd talk to the landlord before signing the contract. (formal/polite)

Se eu fosse tu, não dizia nada à tua mãe.

If I were you, I wouldn't say anything to your mother.

Note the two variants: se eu fosse tu (using tu as the compared-to person) and se eu fosse a ti (using the prepositional a + ti). Both are acceptable in everyday speech; a ti is slightly more European Portuguese than Brazilian. The polite version with você / o senhor / a senhora uses si: se eu fosse a si.

Quem me dera — a standalone hypothetical

A lovely Portuguese idiom uses the imperfect subjunctive without se: quem me dera + infinitive or que + imperfect subjunctive — literally "who would give me" — meaning "I wish" or "how I'd love to."

Quem me dera ter mais férias este ano!

I wish I had more holidays this year!

Quem me dera que o tempo parasse um bocado.

I wish time would stop for a bit.

Quem me dera que viesses comigo a Londres!

I wish you'd come with me to London!

This is the idiomatic way to express a heartfelt wish about an unreal present or future. A close colleague is oxalá + imperfect subjunctive ("if only..."), which is slightly more literary.

Oxalá soubesse o que dizer.

If only I knew what to say.

Register and intensity

All the patterns on this page are fully everyday European Portuguese. A few register notes:

Imperfect indicative in the main clause (comprava) is slightly more colloquial than the conditional (compraria). Both are correct. For learners, either is fine — pick one to produce confidently and understand the other.
Pluperfect indicative in the main clause of past-impossible conditions (tinha comprado) is more colloquial than the conditional perfect (teria comprado). Again, both are correct; both are common.
Quem me dera is conversational and warm. Oxalá is slightly more formal or literary. Tomara is more Brazilian than Portuguese.

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A practical strategy: default to the colloquial pattern — se + imperfect subjunctive, + imperfect indicative — for speaking. Recognize the conditional forms when reading. Do not feel you must use the conditional in speech; natives often do not.

Comparison with English

English has its own three-way system, but with different surface forms:

Type	English	Portuguese
Open	If I have time, I'll go.	Se tiver tempo, vou.
Hypothetical	If I had time, I'd go.	Se tivesse tempo, ia. / iria.
Past-impossible	If I had had time, I would have gone.	Se tivesse tido tempo, tinha ido. / teria ido.

The mappings are:

English "if I have" → Portuguese future subjunctive (se tiver).
English "if I had" (hypothetical) → Portuguese imperfect subjunctive (se tivesse).
English "if I had had" → Portuguese pluperfect subjunctive (se tivesse tido).

English speakers often stumble on the first one. In English, "if I have time tomorrow, I'll call you" uses a bare present. Portuguese does not allow the present indicative after se in future-referring contexts — you must use the future subjunctive. This is one of the biggest systematic differences between the two languages in conditional sentences.

❌ Se tenho tempo amanhã, ligo-te.

Incorrect for a future reference — present indicative after se cannot refer to a future condition.

✅ Se tiver tempo amanhã, ligo-te.

If I have time tomorrow, I'll call you.

Comparison with Spanish

Spanish has a nearly identical three-way system, but uses the present indicative (not a future subjunctive) in open conditions, because Spanish lost the future subjunctive as a productive tense. A Portuguese sentence se chover, fico em casa corresponds to Spanish si llueve, me quedo en casa (present indicative in both clauses). This is one of the key differences between Portuguese and Spanish conditional structures.

For hypothetical and past-impossible conditions, the two languages align closely: Spanish si tuviera tiempo, iría matches Portuguese se tivesse tempo, iria.

Common Mistakes

❌ Se eu tenho dinheiro, compro uma casa.

Incorrect for a hypothetical — present indicative + present cannot carry the unreal meaning.

✅ Se tivesse dinheiro, comprava uma casa.

If I had money, I'd buy a house. (hypothetical)

✅ Se tiver dinheiro, compro uma casa.

If I have money (when I do), I'll buy a house. (open condition — real possibility)

The first sentence is grammatical only if you mean an open condition, and even then it needs the future subjunctive. For a hypothetical meaning, you must use the imperfect subjunctive.

❌ Se tivesse dinheiro, compro uma casa.

Incorrect — imperfect subjunctive with present indicative main clause. Tense mismatch.

✅ Se tivesse dinheiro, comprava uma casa.

If I had money, I'd buy a house.

The se-clause tense and the main-clause tense must match the logical register. Imperfect subjunctive condition → conditional or imperfect indicative consequence.

❌ Se eu era tu, não fazia isso.

Incorrect — imperfect indicative cannot express a counterfactual present.

✅ Se eu fosse tu, não fazia isso.

If I were you, I wouldn't do that.

Era (imperfect indicative) describes what used to be the case; fosse (imperfect subjunctive) describes a hypothetical state. The difference is exactly the difference between indicative and subjunctive mood.

❌ Se eu tivesse dinheiro, tinha comprado uma casa.

Unusual — this mixes a present-hypothetical condition with a past-perfect consequence.

✅ Se eu tivesse tido dinheiro, tinha comprado uma casa.

If I had had money, I would have bought a house. (consistent past counterfactual)

✅ Se eu tivesse dinheiro, comprava uma casa.

If I had money, I'd buy a house. (consistent present hypothetical)

Make sure your tense combination is coherent. A past consequence needs a past (or mixable) condition.

❌ Se tu irias a Lisboa, avisava-te.

Incorrect — the se-clause takes the imperfect subjunctive, not the conditional.

✅ Se fosses a Lisboa, avisava-te.

If you went to Lisbon, I'd let you know.

The conditional (irias) goes in the main clause. The se-clause takes the imperfect subjunctive (fosses).

❌ Se eu tivesse sabido, vou à festa.

Incorrect — past counterfactual with future indicative main clause.

✅ Se eu tivesse sabido, tinha ido à festa.

If I had known, I would have gone to the party.

Past counterfactual condition (se + pluperfect subjunctive) requires a past counterfactual consequence (conditional perfect or pluperfect indicative).

Key takeaways

The core hypothetical pattern is se + imperfect subjunctive + conditional (formal) or imperfect indicative
(colloquial). Both are correct; the latter is more common in speech.
Portuguese has a three-way conditional system: open (future subjunctive), hypothetical (imperfect subjunctive), past-impossible (pluperfect subjunctive).
For past-impossible conditions, the pluperfect subjunctive (tivesse + past participle) pairs with conditional perfect or pluperfect indicative in the main clause.
Se eu fosse tu is the conversational staple for offering advice.
Quem me dera and oxalá are standalone hypothetical expressions of wish, both using the imperfect subjunctive.
The hardest contrast for learners: open vs hypothetical. If the possibility is real, use the future subjunctive (se tiver). If it is unreal, use the imperfect subjunctive (se tivesse). Do not use the present indicative for future conditions.

This is the critical pivot page for the entire imperfect subjunctive. Once you can pick between se tiver, se tivesse, and se tivesse tido reliably, and match the main-clause tense to each, you have mastered the core of Portuguese conditional sentences. Next: revisit the imperfect subjunctive overview for the other four uses of the tense, or explore the future subjunctive for open conditions and time clauses.