Impersonal Expressions (É necessário que, É possível que)

A second major driver of the present conjuntivo is the family of impersonal expressions: short evaluative phrases built on é + adjective + que or é + noun + que. They don't belong to any particular subject — hence "impersonal" — but they carry an attitude (possibility, necessity, emotional evaluation, importance) that triggers the subjunctive in the clause that follows. This page walks through the productive patterns, the complete list of everyday triggers, and the critical counterpart: the impersonal expressions that take the indicative because they affirm a fact.

The structure

É + [adjective or noun] + que + [present subjunctive]

The main clause is a brief evaluation ("it's necessary," "it's important," "it's strange"); then que introduces a subordinate clause with a specific subject, and the verb of that clause is in the present subjunctive.

The complete list of everyday triggers

These are the impersonal expressions you will hear constantly in everyday European Portuguese. All of them take the subjunctive.

Possibility: é possível, é provável, é impossível

These express degrees of likelihood. Because possibility is, by definition, short of certainty, they always take the subjunctive — even in the affirmative.

Necessity: é necessário, é preciso, é urgente, convém

The three near-synonyms é necessário que, é preciso que and convém que all express that something needs to happen. É preciso que is the most everyday of the three in spoken EP; convém que adds a slightly polite, advisory tone.

Value judgments: é bom, é mau, é estranho, é pena

These express the speaker's evaluation of a situation. They always take the subjunctive because the main clause adds an attitude on top of what would otherwise be a plain fact.

Basta que — one specific trigger worth learning

Basta que literally means "it's enough that" and is used to describe a sufficient condition. It is common in everyday speech and always takes the subjunctive.

The certainty exception: impersonals that take the indicative

Not every é + adjective + que expression triggers the subjunctive. A small but crucial group affirms a certainty or an evident fact, and these take the indicative. This is one of the cleanest tests you can use: if the expression presents something as plain truth, stay in the indicative.

• é verdade que — it's true that
• é certo que — it's certain that
• é óbvio que — it's obvious that
• é evidente que — it's evident that
• é seguro que — it's sure that
• está claro que — it's clear that
• é um facto que — it's a fact that

When these certainty expressions are negated, they stop affirming and start casting doubt, so they flip back to the subjunctive. This is the same polarity mechanism as with acreditar que / não acreditar que.

When no specific subject is stated: infinitive, not subjunctive

If the impersonal expression is followed directly by an infinitive rather than by que + subjunctive, it expresses a general statement that applies to anyone. This is a genuine alternative construction, not a mistake — and it is extremely common.

• É importante estudar. — It's important to study. (Generic advice.)
• É importante que estudes. — It's important that you study. (Addressed to one person.)

The personal infinitive wrinkle

European Portuguese has a distinctive third option: the personal infinitive (infinitivo pessoal), which carries person marking on the infinitive itself. It can sometimes replace the subjunctive after impersonal triggers, especially in EP. No other major Romance language has this — Spanish and French cannot do what Portuguese does here.

Both are idiomatic EP. The personal infinitive version is slightly lighter and more everyday; the subjunctive version is standard. Brazilian Portuguese also uses both, though the balance tilts more toward the subjunctive there.

É tempo de vs. é tempo que — a useful contrast

A tricky pair: é tempo de + infinitive means "it's time to do something" (general), while é tempo que + subjunctive means "it's (high) time someone did something" (specific subject). The structural distinction mirrors the infinitive-vs-subjunctive pattern above.

A more literary variant is já é hora de que + subjunctive, used for emphasis when pointing out a delay: Já é hora de que alguém faça alguma coisa.

Common mistakes

Key takeaways

• Impersonal expressions of possibility, necessity, importance, or emotional judgment take the subjunctive.
• Expressions that affirm a factual certainty (é verdade que, é óbvio que, é um facto que) take the indicative.
• Negating a certainty expression flips the mood back to the subjunctive.
• With no specific subject, replace que + subjunctive with a plain infinitive, or — uniquely for Portuguese — with the personal infinitive.
• Basta que and convém que are specific everyday triggers worth learning as set phrases.

For the broader contrast between the two moods across all triggers, see Subjunctive vs Indicative: Key Contrasts. For the doubt and denial side of this same polarity mechanism, see Doubt and Denial.