When travel plans go awry, we often need to make contingency plans. To frame a hypothetical scenario in Portuguese, we use specific conjunctions like "supposing that" or "assuming that".
Because these expressions introduce "what if" situations that are not confirmed reality, they always trigger the Subjunctive mood in the verb that immediately follows them.
Supondo que (Supposing that)
Use supondo que to propose a possible scenario. Notice how the verbs in the hypothetical clauses below (cancelem, percas) take the present subjunctive, while the reaction or consequence in the main clause remains in the normal indicative mood.
| Supposing that they cancel the flight, we reschedule the trip. | Supondo que eles cancelem o voo, nós remarcamos a viagem. |
| Supposing that you miss the train, the ticket is not refundable, because it was cheap. | Supondo que tu percas o comboio, o bilhete não é reembolsável, pois foi barato. |
Imaginando que (Imagining that)
Imaginando que works exactly the same way. It asks the listener to picture a specific event so you can plan around it.
| Imagining that the luggage is misplaced, the airline gives them a voucher. | Imaginando que a bagagem esteja extraviada, a companhia aérea dá-lhes um vale. |
| Imagining that the passport expires, they cannot travel, although they have the tickets. | Imaginando que o passaporte caduque, eles não podem viajar, embora tenham os bilhetes. |
Admitindo que (Assuming that)
Finally, admitindo que is used to accept or assume a condition for the sake of argument. Just like the others, it forces the following verb into the subjunctive (cheguem, ofereçam).
| Assuming that they arrive in advance, we have time to eat. | Admitindo que eles cheguem antecipadamente, nós temos tempo para comer. |
| Assuming that they offer a voucher, I prefer the money, although it takes time. | Admitindo que eles ofereçam um vale, eu prefiro o dinheiro, embora demore. |