The Imperfect Subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive (pretérito imperfeito do conjuntivo) is used to talk about hypothetical, unlikely, or impossible situations. It is frequently used to express wishes, imaginary conditions, or "what if" scenarios.
For regular verbs, forming the imperfect subjunctive is straightforward. Take the infinitive of the verb, drop the final -r, and add the imperfect subjunctive endings: -sse, -sses, -sse, -ssemos, -ssem.
| Pronoun | -ar verbs (governar) | -er verbs (viver) | -ir verbs (dividir) |
|---|
| eu | governasse | vivesse | dividisse |
| tu | governasses | vivesses | dividisses |
| ele/ela/você | governasse | vivesse | dividisse |
| nós | governássemos | vivêssemos | dividíssemos |
| eles/elas/vocês | governassem | vivessem | dividissem |
Note: The nós form always requires a written accent on the vowel immediately preceding the ending (á, ê, or í).
Hypothetical "If" Clauses (Se)
The most common use of the imperfect subjunctive is in hypothetical statements introduced by se (if). It describes a condition that isn't currently true or is highly unlikely.
(Note: In everyday spoken Portuguese, the result half of these sentences often uses the imperfect indicative—like *havia or tínhamos—rather than the conditional.)*
Past Wishes and Opinions
Just as the present subjunctive follows present-tense expressions of desire or opinion, the imperfect subjunctive follows these same triggers when they are in the past. You will frequently see it after phrases like queria que (wanted that/us to), desejava que (wished that), or impersonal expressions like era bom que (it would be good if).
Como se (As if)
The expression como se (as if) introduces an imaginary comparison. Because it is inherently hypothetical, it is always followed by the imperfect subjunctive.