A more subtle use of the present conjuntivo appears inside relative clauses — those que / quem / onde clauses that describe a noun. The rule is easy to state but harder to feel: when the thing being described is specific and known to exist, the relative clause goes in the indicative; when it is indefinite, hypothetical, or nonexistent, the clause switches to the subjunctive. English speakers consistently under-use this pattern because English has no equivalent mood flip. This page is meant to give you the feel for it.
The core contrast
Compare these two sentences carefully:
Tenho um livro que me ajuda a estudar.
I have a book that helps me study. (The book exists — indicative.)
Procuro um livro que me ajude a estudar.
I'm looking for a book that helps me study. (Such a book may not exist yet — subjunctive.)
The English translations are almost identical. The Portuguese versions are not, and the mood is doing all the work. Ajuda (indicative) asserts that there is a real book that really helps. Ajude (subjunctive) treats the book as a wish or a requirement — something the speaker is still trying to find, something that may or may not exist. This is the logic of the subjunctive inside relative clauses: it marks the antecedent as undetermined.
When to use the subjunctive
The subjunctive appears in a relative clause whenever the antecedent — the noun the clause modifies — is one of the following:
- Unknown — the speaker has not yet identified it.
- Hypothetical — it's being imagined or desired, not pointed to.
- Nonexistent — the speaker is denying that such a thing exists.
- Generic / universal — "anyone who," "anything that," no specific referent.
The noun itself often carries a signal. Indefinite articles (um, uma), alguém, alguma coisa, qualquer, ninguém, and nada very frequently pair with the subjunctive in their relative clauses. Definite articles (o, a) and demonstratives (este, esse, aquele) almost always signal a specific, known referent and pair with the indicative.
Pattern 1: looking for something not yet found
When the main verb is procurar, querer, precisar de, buscar, the antecedent is almost by definition something the speaker hasn't got yet — and the subjunctive follows.
Preciso de um mecânico que fale inglês.
I need a mechanic who speaks English. (I haven't found one yet.)
A empresa procura uma pessoa que tenha experiência com bases de dados.
The company is looking for someone with experience in databases.
Quero um apartamento que seja perto do metro e tenha varanda.
I want an apartment that's near the metro and has a balcony.
Contrast each of these with a "known" version:
Conheço um mecânico que fala inglês.
I know a mechanic who speaks English. (I have one in mind — indicative.)
A empresa contratou uma pessoa que tem experiência com bases de dados.
The company hired a person who has database experience.
Moro num apartamento que é perto do metro e tem varanda.
I live in an apartment that's near the metro and has a balcony.
Pattern 2: nonexistence — não há ninguém que, não existe nada que
When the main clause denies the existence of something, the relative clause about that nonexistent thing takes the subjunctive — because by asserting it doesn't exist, you're saying there's no real-world referent for the clause to describe.
Não há ninguém que saiba a resposta.
There's nobody who knows the answer.
Não existe um restaurante nesta zona que abra aos domingos.
There's no restaurant in this area that opens on Sundays.
Não conheço ninguém que fale romeno nesta cidade.
I don't know anyone who speaks Romanian in this city.
Nada do que ele diga me vai convencer.
Nothing he says is going to convince me.
The moment you affirm that such a thing does exist, the mood flips back to the indicative:
Há alguém que sabe a resposta.
There is someone who knows the answer. (The person exists — indicative.)
Conheço alguém que fala romeno.
I know someone who speaks Romanian.
Pattern 3: universal quantification — quem, qualquer pessoa que, tudo o que
"Anyone who...," "anything that...," "everything that..." — these generic, universal expressions take the subjunctive when they refer to an unspecified set or to a condition the speaker wants to apply broadly.
- quem + subjunctive — anyone who, whoever
- qualquer pessoa que — any person who
- qualquer coisa que — anything that
- tudo o que — everything that (indicative if realised, subjunctive if hypothetical)
- o que + subjunctive — whatever
Quem souber a resposta, levante a mão.
Whoever knows the answer, raise your hand.
Qualquer pessoa que queira participar é bem-vinda.
Anyone who wants to take part is welcome.
Farei tudo o que for preciso.
I'll do whatever is necessary. (Future subjunctive — for realised eventualities.)
Diz-lhe o que quiseres.
Tell him whatever you want.
Note that the future subjunctive appears here for the "whatever, whenever" sense, because the quantified set lies in an unrealised future. The present subjunctive is used when the scope is more abstract and general, as in Quem souber a resposta.
Pattern 4: conditional desires and stipulations
Sometimes the relative clause describes a condition that the speaker is requiring the antecedent to satisfy, even though the antecedent itself is known. This is less common but worth flagging.
Aceito qualquer emprego que me pague o suficiente.
I'll accept any job that pays me enough.
Os alunos que tenham mais de 16 valores passam à fase seguinte.
Students with more than 16 points pass to the next stage.
In both cases, the speaker is picking out a subset based on a condition — the antecedent isn't a specific person but a hypothetical category.
Definite vs. indefinite articles: the quickest visual cue
Because Portuguese marks definiteness with articles, the choice of article is often the fastest visual cue for which mood to use.
| Definite article → indicative (specific) | Indefinite or negative → subjunctive (hypothetical) |
|---|---|
| Tenho o livro que preciso. | Preciso de um livro que me ajude. |
| Conheço a pessoa que fala chinês. | Procuro alguém que fale chinês. |
| Vejo aquele carro que gosto. | Quero um carro que seja económico. |
| Visitei o restaurante que abre aos domingos. | Não há nenhum restaurante que abra aos domingos. |
O que / aquilo que — "what" clauses
The headless relative o que ("what," "that which") also follows the mood-by-definiteness logic. When it refers to a known reality, the indicative stays; when it refers to a hypothetical, wished-for, or future-uncertain content, the subjunctive appears.
O que ele diz é verdade.
What he says is true. (Indicative — a real statement.)
O que ele diga não me interessa.
Whatever he says doesn't interest me. (Subjunctive — hypothetical content.)
Aquilo que ela quer é impossível.
What she wants is impossible.
Faz aquilo que achares correto.
Do what you think is right. (Future subjunctive — action not yet taken.)
The subtle pragmatic effect
The mood choice in relative clauses also carries a pragmatic nuance. Using the subjunctive where a Portuguese speaker would expect the indicative can make the sentence sound tentative or even dismissive, as if you're hedging on the existence of the referent. Conversely, using the indicative where the subjunctive is expected can sound overly committed — as if you're claiming a specific person exists when you haven't actually met them.
Procuro um professor que sabe física quântica.
I'm looking for a (specific) professor who knows quantum physics. (Odd: indicative suggests a specific person.)
Procuro um professor que saiba física quântica.
I'm looking for a professor who knows quantum physics. (Natural: subjunctive fits the search.)
The first version is grammatical but creates the impression that a specific professor is in mind. The second is the natural, idiomatic choice.
Comparison to English and Spanish
English does nothing to mark this distinction — "I'm looking for a book that helps" and "I have a book that helps" use the same verb form, and context alone disambiguates. Portuguese speakers, by contrast, make the distinction grammatically.
Spanish behaves almost identically to Portuguese here — Busco un libro que me ayude vs. Tengo un libro que me ayuda — so Spanish speakers have an advantage. One subtle difference: Portuguese uses the future subjunctive in some contexts where Spanish uses the present subjunctive, particularly with "whatever, whoever, whenever" constructions pointing to future events (o que fizeres, quem quiser, quando puder).
Common mistakes
❌ Procuro uma casa que tem jardim.
Incorrect — indefinite, not-yet-found antecedent requires the subjunctive.
✅ Procuro uma casa que tenha jardim.
I'm looking for a house that has a garden.
❌ Não há ninguém que pode ajudar.
Incorrect — nonexistence triggers the subjunctive.
✅ Não há ninguém que possa ajudar.
There's nobody who can help.
❌ Conheço uma pessoa que fale alemão.
Incorrect — a specific, known person requires the indicative.
✅ Conheço uma pessoa que fala alemão.
I know a person who speaks German.
❌ Quero um apartamento que é barato e silencioso.
Incorrect — the apartment hasn't been found yet, so the subjunctive is required.
✅ Quero um apartamento que seja barato e silencioso.
I want an apartment that's cheap and quiet.
❌ Qualquer pessoa que quer vir deve inscrever-se.
Incorrect — 'qualquer pessoa que' is universal / hypothetical and takes the subjunctive.
✅ Qualquer pessoa que queira vir deve inscrever-se.
Anyone who wants to come should sign up.
Key takeaways
- The mood in a relative clause depends on whether the noun being described is specific/known (indicative) or indefinite/hypothetical/nonexistent (subjunctive).
- Verbs like procurar, precisar de, querer that express an unmet need almost always pull the subjunctive into their relative clauses.
- Negative existentials (não há ninguém que, não existe nada que) always take the subjunctive.
- Universal expressions (quem, qualquer pessoa que, o que) often take the future subjunctive in EP when they refer to future eventualities.
- The article the noun carries is a useful visual cue: definite article → indicative; indefinite or no article → often subjunctive.
For a side-by-side view of this contrast alongside all the other major mood triggers, see Subjunctive vs Indicative: Key Contrasts. For conjunctions that trigger the subjunctive regardless of the antecedent, see Conjunctions That Trigger the Subjunctive.
Related Topics
- Doubt and Denial (Duvidar que, Não acreditar que)B1 — Expressions of doubt, disbelief, and denial that trigger the present subjunctive in European Portuguese.
- Impersonal Expressions (É necessário que, É possível que)B1 — The subjunctive after impersonal É + adjective/noun + que expressions in European Portuguese, with the crucial contrast between judgment and certainty.
- 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.
- Subjunctive vs Indicative: Key ContrastsB2 — Side-by-side minimal pairs showing when Portuguese switches between the conjuntivo and the indicative — the synthesis page for mood choice.