The Ultimate Extremes
When we write dramatic reviews—declaring an experience "the best," "the worst," or "the most disgusting"—we are using superlatives. If a superlative is followed by a relative clause (e.g., "the best food that exists"), that clause usually requires the Subjunctive mood.
Because superlatives are inherently subjective or express a theoretical limit, the subjunctive acknowledges that this is the extreme limit of what you personally know, have experienced, or can imagine.
| It is the most disgusting room that I know of; they do not have any hygiene. | É o quarto mais nojento que eu conheça; não têm nenhuma higiene. |
| This beach is the most stunning wonder that exists in the country. | Esta praia é a maravilha mais deslumbrante que exista no país. |
Notice how the relative clauses above use the present subjunctive (conheça, exista).
Emphasizing Possibilities
To make these reviews even more dramatic, we frequently use verbs of existence or ability in the subjunctive, such as haver (to be/exist), poder (can/to be able to), or imaginar (to imagine). This emphasizes that a noun is the most extreme example possible.
| Since the service is awful, this is the most overrated restaurant that there is. | Como o serviço é péssimo, este é o restaurante mais sobrevalorizado que haja. |
| The manager's rudeness is absolutely the worst that you can imagine. | A grosseria do gerente é absolutamente a pior que tu possas imaginar. |
| It is the most fascinating and incomparable book that we can read. | É o livro mais fascinante e incomparável que nós possamos ler. |
Past Extremes
Just like with other subjunctive triggers, tense agreement matters. If your main superlative statement is set in the past (e.g., "It was the worst..."), the verb in the relative clause must shift to the Pretérito Imperfeito do Conjuntivo (Imperfect Subjunctive).
| The movie was the most overrated catastrophe that I could imagine, and I had already read the script. | O filme foi a catástrofe mais sobrevalorizada que eu pudesse imaginar, e já tinha lido o guião. |
| It was the worst catastrophe that we could remember. | Foi a pior catástrofe de que nós nos pudéssemos lembrar. |