The pluperfect subjunctive
When we express doubt or disbelief about an event that happened before another point in the past, we use the pluperfect subjunctive (pretérito mais-que-perfeito do conjuntivo). In English, this often translates to doubting that something had happened.
Form it by combining the imperfect subjunctive of the auxiliary verb ter (or occasionally haver) with the past participle of the main verb.
| Pronoun | Ter (Imperfect Subjunctive) | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| eu | tivesse | perdido / sido |
| tu | tivesses | perdido / sido |
| ele / ela / você | tivesse | perdido / sido |
| nós | tivéssemos | perdido / sido |
| eles / elas / vocês | tivessem | perdido / sido |
Use this after past-tense trigger phrases expressing doubt or impossibility, such as duvidava que (I doubted that) or era impossível que (it was impossible that).
| I doubted that the dictator had lost the war. | Duvidava que o ditador tivesse perdido a guerra. |
| It was impossible that the fall of the empire had happened so fast. | Era impossível que a queda do império tivesse acontecido tão depressa. |
Negative beliefs and thoughts
Phrases like não acreditei que (I didn't believe that), nunca pensei que (I never thought that), or não achei que (I didn't think that) also trigger the subjunctive because they introduce uncertainty rather than stating a concrete fact.
| I did not believe that the fall of the dictator had been an accident. | Não acreditei que a queda do ditador tivesse sido um acidente. |
| I didn't believe that he had never assassinated anyone. | Não acreditei que ele nunca tivesse assassinado ninguém. |
| I did not think that they had lied about the fall of the empire. | Não achei que eles tivessem mentido sobre a queda do império. |
Discussing historical events
This tense is especially useful for questioning past narratives and debating history. Notice how the auxiliary verb ter always matches the subject of the subordinate clause.
| I doubted that a single army had conquered the whole civilization. | Duvidei que um só exército tivesse conquistado toda a civilização. |
| The queen did not believe that the navigator had lost the fleet. | A rainha não acreditou que o navegador tivesse perdido a frota. |
| They doubted that the captain had assassinated the hero of the independence. | Eles duvidavam que o capitão tivesse assassinado o herói da independência. |