Expressing Desires and Preferences
When you want or prefer someone else to do something, use a verb of desire or preference followed by que (that) and the Present Subjunctive (o presente do conjuntivo).
Querer que (To want... to)
To express a desire, use querer que + subjunctive. While English uses the infinitive ("I want you to do this"), Portuguese uses a that clause ("I want that you do this").
| The captain wants the passenger to show the boarding pass. | O capitão quer que o passageiro mostre o cartão de embarque. |
| I want the passenger to fasten the seatbelt. | Quero que o passageiro aperte o cinto. |
Note: Only use the subjunctive when there is a change in subject (e.g., the captain wants the passenger to act). If the subject stays the same ("I want to board"), just use the infinitive without que.
Preferir que (To prefer... to)
Similarly, express preferences with preferir que + subjunctive.
| The crew prefers us to board without the luggage. | A tripulação prefere que nós embarquemos sem a bagagem. |
| The captain prefers that you fasten the seatbelt in the cabin. | O capitão prefere que tu apertes o cinto na cabine. |
Taking Off and Landing
Regular -ar verbs like descolar (to take off) and aterrar (to land) swap their characteristic a for an e in the present subjunctive (descole, aterre).
| Where is the door? The captain wants the plane to take off today. | Onde fica a porta? O capitão quer que o avião descole hoje. |
| In January, we prefer the plane to land early. | Em janeiro, preferimos que o avião aterre cedo. |