Whoever, Whatever, and Wherever
In addition to se (if) and quando (when), you use the future subjunctive (futuro do conjuntivo) when referring to an indefinite person, thing, or place in the future.
Pairing relative pronouns like quem, o que, and onde with the future subjunctive expresses "whoever," "whatever," and "wherever."
Quem (Whoever)
To say "whoever" or "anyone who" will do something in the future, use quem followed by the future subjunctive. Regular verbs use their infinitive base, while irregular verbs use a special stem (like ter becoming tiver).
| Whoever wins the audition will receive the prize. | Quem ganhar a audição vai receber o prémio. |
| Whoever has a lot of talent wins the audition. | Quem tiver muito talento ganha a audição. |
O que (Whatever)
To express "whatever" or "anything that" happens in the future, use o que followed by the future subjunctive.
| The winner is going to do whatever the jury asks. | O vencedor vai fazer o que o júri pedir. |
Remember that irregular verbs maintain their irregular future subjunctive bases here. For example, fazer (to do/make) uses the base fizer.
| The jury is going to evaluate whatever the contestants do. | O júri vai avaliar o que os concorrentes fizerem. |
Onde (Wherever)
When referring to an unknown future location ("wherever" or "any place where"), use onde with the future subjunctive.
| We are going to perform wherever the jury decides. | Nós vamos atuar onde o júri decidir. |
Adding Prepositions
If the main verb of your sentence requires a preposition, that preposition goes directly before the relative pronoun.
For example, the verb votar (to vote) is followed by the preposition em. To say "vote for whoever," you will use votar em quem. Similarly, to give a vote to someone, you use the preposition a (dar um voto a quem).
| I prefer that you vote for whoever shows talent. | Eu prefiro que tu votes em quem mostrar talento. |
| They are going to give a vote to whoever does a good performance. | Eles vão dar um voto a quem fizer uma boa atuação. |
