Conjunctions That Trigger the Subjunctive (Para que, Embora, Sem que) | Portuguese (Portugal) Grammar

A third major source of the present conjuntivo is the family of subordinating conjunctions — the little words and phrases that introduce why, although, without, before, unless, and when clauses. Some of them always take the subjunctive (regardless of context), some always take the indicative, and a few — the time conjunctions — flip between the two depending on whether the event has already happened or lies in an uncertain future. This page organises them by meaning so you can see the logic, not just the list.

The core principle

A conjunction signals what kind of relationship the subordinate clause has with the main clause. If that relationship is hypothetical, future, intentional, concessive, or exceptional, the clause describes something unrealised, and Portuguese reaches for the subjunctive. If it describes a known fact or a real, realised event, the indicative stays in place.

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There's a useful mental image here. The indicative puts the event on the timeline of real things that have happened or are happening. The subjunctive holds the event in a bubble — it hasn't yet landed in reality, or it's being discussed as an intention, a concession, an exception, or a condition.

Purpose: para que, a fim de que

Conjunctions of purpose answer the question why? — they introduce a goal, an intended outcome. Because the intended outcome has not yet come about, they always take the subjunctive.

para que — so that, in order that
a fim de que — so that (slightly more formal)

Deixei a porta aberta para que o gato possa entrar.

I left the door open so the cat can come in.

A professora fala devagar a fim de que todos percebam.

The teacher speaks slowly so that everyone understands.

Vou explicar outra vez para que não haja dúvidas.

I'll explain it again so there are no doubts.

When the subject of the main clause and the subordinate clause is the same, Portuguese prefers para + infinitive instead: Deixei a porta aberta para entrar mais tarde. The subjunctive appears when the two subjects differ.

Concession: embora, ainda que, mesmo que

Concessive conjunctions introduce a circumstance that one might expect to prevent the main action — but doesn't. "Even though it's raining, we're going out." In European Portuguese, the concessive conjunctions almost always take the subjunctive, because they express something the speaker is brushing aside or treating as a hypothetical.

embora — although, even though
ainda que — even though, even if
mesmo que — even if
se bem que — although (slightly literary)
nem que — even if (emphatic)

Embora esteja cansado, vou ao ginásio.

Although I'm tired, I'm going to the gym.

Mesmo que chova, fazemos o piquenique.

Even if it rains, we're having the picnic.

Ainda que ele peça desculpa, não o perdoo.

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

Nem que me pagues, não o faço.

Even if you pay me, I won't do it.

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Embora is one of the most common concessive conjunctions in EP and is slightly stronger than English "although." It always takes the subjunctive — this is one of the cleanest rules in the language. Contrast this with apesar de que (in spite of the fact that), which can take either mood depending on whether the following clause is a plain fact or a hypothetical.

Absence: sem que

Sem que (without) describes a negated accompanying circumstance. Because it expresses an absence rather than a realised event, it always takes the subjunctive.

Ele saiu sem que ninguém o visse.

He left without anyone seeing him.

Ele sai de casa todos os dias sem que a mãe repare.

He leaves the house every day without his mother noticing.

Ela entrou em casa sem que os pais a ouvissem.

She came into the house without her parents hearing her.

When the subject is the same across both clauses, EP prefers sem + infinitive: Ele saiu sem dizer nada. Use sem que when the subjects differ.

Anteriority: antes que

Antes que (before) introduces an event that has not yet happened — by definition. Like other conjunctions of future or unrealised events, it takes the subjunctive.

Fecha a janela antes que comece a chover.

Close the window before it starts raining.

Quero falar contigo antes que saias.

I want to talk to you before you leave.

Avisa-me antes que eles cheguem.

Let me know before they arrive.

When the subjects match, EP again prefers antes de + infinitive: Fecha a janela antes de saíres.

Condition: caso, a menos que, a não ser que, contanto que, desde que

A handful of conjunctions introduce conditions — they describe a scenario under which the main clause either will or won't happen. All of them take the subjunctive.

caso — in case, if (formal alternative to se)
a menos que — unless
a não ser que — unless
contanto que — provided that
desde que — provided that, as long as (in conditional sense)
salvo se — unless, except if (formal)

Leva o guarda-chuva, caso chova.

Take the umbrella, in case it rains.

Não saio de casa, a menos que pare de chover.

I won't leave the house unless it stops raining.

Podes ficar, contanto que estejas em silêncio.

You can stay, provided you're quiet.

Empresto-te o carro desde que o devolvas até amanhã.

I'll lend you the car as long as you return it by tomorrow.

Note that desde que has two very different meanings: with the indicative, it means "since" (a cause or a time point); with the subjunctive, it means "as long as" / "provided that." The mood does all the work.

Desde que cheguei, chove sem parar. — Since I arrived, it has rained non-stop. (Indicative, temporal.)
Desde que chegues antes das oito, estás bem. — As long as you arrive before eight, you're fine. (Subjunctive, conditional.)

Time: quando, logo que, assim que, até que — the flipping conjunctions

The most important group on this page is the time conjunctions, because they are the ones that do not always take the subjunctive. These conjunctions flip between moods depending on whether the event has already happened (indicative) or lies in an uncertain future (subjunctive — or more precisely, the future subjunctive in the case of quando, logo que, assim que, and enquanto).

quando — when
logo que — as soon as
assim que — as soon as
enquanto — while
sempre que — whenever
até que — until
depois que — after

The past / habitual (indicative)

When the clause describes something that has already happened, or that happens regularly as a habit, use the indicative.

Quando ele chegou, já era tarde.

When he arrived, it was already late. (Past event — indicative.)

Quando o Pedro chega a casa, liga logo a televisão.

When Pedro gets home, he turns the TV on right away. (Habitual — indicative.)

Sempre que estou em Lisboa, visito os meus avós.

Whenever I'm in Lisbon, I visit my grandparents.

The future / unrealised (future subjunctive!)

Here is where European Portuguese does something Spanish doesn't. When quando, logo que, assim que, enquanto, sempre que, or depois que refer to a future event that has not yet happened, Portuguese uses the future subjunctive (futuro do conjuntivo), not the present subjunctive and not the indicative.

Quando chegares a casa, telefona-me.

When you get home, call me. (Future subjunctive — chegares.)

Assim que souberes, avisa-nos.

As soon as you find out, let us know.

Logo que a reunião acabar, mando-te uma mensagem.

As soon as the meeting ends, I'll send you a message.

Enquanto eu estudar, ninguém me interrompe.

While I'm studying, nobody is to interrupt me.

This is one of the most distinctive features of Portuguese. Spanish uses the present subjunctive in exactly the same slot (cuando llegues), but Portuguese reserves a dedicated tense — the future subjunctive — for this purpose. It is alive and daily in EP; every Portuguese speaker uses it constantly.

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A quick decision: if the event happens in the real present or past, use the indicative. If it belongs to the future and hasn't happened yet, use the future subjunctive after quando, logo que, assim que, enquanto, and sempre que. Test it in English: can you say "when X will have happened" or "once X happens"? That's the future subjunctive slot.

Até que — special case

Até que (until) is slightly different from the others. When the event lies in an uncertain future, it takes the present subjunctive (not the future subjunctive). This is a quirk of EP worth memorising.

Fica em casa até que eu chegue.

Stay at home until I arrive.

Não te vou deixar em paz até que me digas a verdade.

I'm not going to leave you alone until you tell me the truth.

Contrast with the past-time version, which takes the indicative:

Ficámos à conversa até que ele apareceu.

We stayed chatting until he showed up.

Conjunctions that always take the indicative

For completeness, here are the subordinating conjunctions that do not take the subjunctive. Knowing the negative list is as valuable as knowing the positive one.

porque — because (cause — indicative)
visto que / já que / uma vez que — since, given that (indicative)
de maneira que / de modo que — so that (result — indicative; cf. purpose *para que which takes subjunctive)*
se — if (indicative for real conditions; future subjunctive for future-hypothetical; imperfect subjunctive for counterfactuals)
como — since, as (indicative when causal)

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Do not confuse these with the concessive conjunctions (embora, ainda que, mesmo que) above — those always take the subjunctive. Native speakers never mix them up, but learners often try to apply indicative logic to concessives because they feel "factual." They are not. A concession holds its content at arm's length.

Fiquei em casa porque estava a chover.

I stayed home because it was raining. (Indicative — cause.)

Já que estás aqui, ajuda-me com isto.

Since you're here, help me with this. (Indicative — given fact.)

A useful contrast: para que vs. de modo que

Both can translate as "so that," but they behave differently:

Para que introduces an intended purpose → subjunctive
De modo que / de maneira que introduces a realised result → indicative

Falo devagar para que todos percebam.

I speak slowly so that everyone understands. (Purpose — subjunctive.)

Falei devagar, de modo que todos perceberam.

I spoke slowly, so everyone understood. (Result — indicative.)

This is the clearest test of whether the conjunction refers to an intention (hypothetical, subjunctive) or to an outcome that actually materialised (realised, indicative).

Summary table

Conjunction	Meaning	Mood
para que, a fim de que	purpose	subjunctive
embora, ainda que, mesmo que, nem que	concession	subjunctive
sem que	absence	subjunctive
antes que	before (future)	subjunctive
até que	until (future)	subjunctive
caso, a menos que, a não ser que, contanto que	condition	subjunctive
desde que (provided that)	condition	subjunctive
desde que (since, temporal)	cause / time	indicative
quando, logo que, assim que, enquanto (future)	time (future)	future subjunctive
quando, logo que (past / habitual)	time (real)	indicative
porque, já que, visto que, como	cause	indicative
de modo que, de maneira que	result	indicative

Common mistakes

❌ Deixei a porta aberta para que o gato pode entrar.

Incorrect — 'para que' always takes the subjunctive.

✅ Deixei a porta aberta para que o gato possa entrar.

I left the door open so the cat can come in.

❌ Embora ele está cansado, vai trabalhar.

Incorrect — 'embora' always takes the subjunctive.

✅ Embora ele esteja cansado, vai trabalhar.

Although he's tired, he's going to work.

❌ Quando chegas a casa, telefona-me.

Incorrect — a future event after 'quando' requires the future subjunctive.

✅ Quando chegares a casa, telefona-me.

When you get home, call me.

❌ Assim que sabes, avisa-me.

Incorrect — future event after 'assim que' requires the future subjunctive.

✅ Assim que souberes, avisa-me.

As soon as you find out, let me know.

❌ Caso chover, leva o guarda-chuva.

Incorrect — 'caso' takes the present subjunctive, not the future subjunctive.

✅ Caso chova, leva o guarda-chuva.

In case it rains, take the umbrella.

❌ Espero até que ele chega.

Incorrect — 'até que' with a future event takes the present subjunctive.

✅ Espero até que ele chegue.

I'll wait until he arrives.

Key takeaways

Conjunctions of purpose (para que), concession (embora, mesmo que), absence (sem que), anteriority (antes que), and condition (caso, a menos que) always take the subjunctive.
Time conjunctions (quando, logo que, assim que, enquanto) switch moods based on whether the event has happened: indicative for past/habitual, future subjunctive for future events.
Até que is the odd one out in the time group — it takes the present subjunctive for future events, not the future subjunctive.
Desde que means two things: since (indicative) or as long as (subjunctive). Let context and mood guide you.
Conjunctions of cause (porque, já que) and realised result (de modo que) keep the indicative.

For the overall logic of mood choice across all contexts, see Subjunctive vs Indicative: Key Contrasts. For impersonal triggers like é importante que, see Impersonal Expressions.