The conditional perfect tense
When talking about career paths we didn't take or opportunities we missed, we use the conditional perfect (condicional composto). It describes an action that would have happened in the past under different circumstances.
It is formed by combining the conditional form of the auxiliary verb ter with the past participle of your main verb.
| Pronoun | Ter (Conditional) | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| eu | teria | feito / trabalhado |
| tu | terias | feito / trabalhado |
| ele / ela / você | teria | feito / trabalhado |
| nós | teríamos | feito / trabalhado |
| eles / elas / vocês | teriam | feito / trabalhado |
| I would have done the internship. | Eu teria feito o estágio. |
To make the sentence negative, place não before the auxiliary verb.
| She would not have refused the internship, because she needed the experience. | Ela não teria recusado o estágio, porque precisava da experiência. |
You will frequently use this tense to explain alternate events that would have occurred if circumstances had been different.
| The company would have financed the training. | A empresa teria financiado a formação. |
| You would have needed more training, therefore I would have led the team. | Tu terias precisado de mais formação, por isso eu teria liderado a equipa. |
Reflexive verbs and negative words
When using reflexive verbs in a negative sentence, negative words like não and nunca pull the reflexive pronoun to the front. The pronoun is placed directly before the conjugated auxiliary verb ter.
| He would never have regretted that decision. | Ele nunca se teria arrependido dessa decisão. |
| They also would not have regretted the failure. | Eles também não se teriam arrependido do fracasso. |
Exploring alternative careers
The conditional perfect is especially helpful for discussing vocations and alternative career paths. Notice how the auxiliary verb always agrees with the subject of the sentence.
| Engineering would have been my destiny. | A engenharia teria sido o meu destino. |
| She would have worked in journalism. | Ela teria trabalhado em jornalismo. |
| We would have chosen another area. | Nós teríamos escolhido outra área. |
| They would have loved architecture. | Eles teriam adorado a arquitetura. |