The Second Conditional
To talk about unlikely, imaginary, or hypothetical situations—like an alternate outcome to a football match—we use the "second conditional".
This structure requires two parts: the hypothetical condition and the imaginary result. The formula is:
Se (If) + Imperfect Subjunctive (the condition) ➔ Conditional (the result)
| If the referee saw the foul, the game would be different. | Se o árbitro visse a falta, o jogo seria diferente. |
Swapping the Order
The sentence does not have to start with se. You can put the result first, followed by the condition. When you switch the order, you drop the comma, but the imperfect subjunctive still stays locked to the word se.
| The referee would call the first penalty if he were there. | O árbitro marcaria o primeiro penálti se estivesse lá. |
| They would win if the captain scored that penalty. | Eles ganhariam se o capitão marcasse aquele penálti. |
Putting It into Practice
Let's look at a few more examples of this structure in action. Notice how the verb endings align for different subjects.
| If the player kicked well, he would score a fantastic goal. | Se o jogador chutasse bem, marcaria um golo fantástico. |
| If we achieved the victory, the championship would be ours. | Se nós conseguíssemos a vitória, o campeonato seria nosso. |
| If the judge sent off the player, the stadium would fall silent. | Se o juiz expulsasse o jogador, o estádio ficaria em silêncio. |
A Spoken Shortcut: The Imperfect Indicative
In everyday, informal spoken Portuguese, people often replace the Conditional tense in the result clause with the Imperfect Indicative.
For example, instead of saying o jogo seria diferente (the game would be different), a native speaker might say o jogo era diferente. Both mean the exact same thing in a conditional sentence, but you will primarily see the Conditional used in writing and formal speech.
Hypothetical vs. Probable
Remember that the combination of se + Imperfect Subjunctive is only for unlikely or imaginary conditions (e.g., If he were to kick well...).
If a situation is an open possibility that could genuinely happen in the future (e.g., If he kicks well...), Portuguese uses the "first conditional": se + Future Subjunctive ➔ Present Indicative (the real result).
| If he kicks well, our team wins the championship. | Se ele chutar bem, a nossa equipa ganha o campeonato. |