Breakdown of O meu padrasto queria que eu tivesse cumprido as expectativas.
eu
I
ter
to have
meu
my (m/f/pl: meu, minha, meus, minhas)
querer
to want
que
that (conjunction)
cumprir
to fulfill
o padrasto
the stepfather
a expectativa
the expectation
Questions & Answers about O meu padrasto queria que eu tivesse cumprido as expectativas.
Why do we use the past perfect subjunctive (tivesse cumprido) here rather than the imperfect subjunctive (cumprisse)?
The main verb queria expresses a past desire, which triggers the subjunctive. We use the past perfect subjunctive (tivesse cumprido) because the action of fulfilling the expectations was supposed to be already completed by the time he wanted it. The English translation 'to have met' perfectly mirrors this backward-looking, completed aspect. If we used cumprisse, it would mean he wanted me to meet them at that moment or in the future ('wanted me to meet').
I usually translate 'meet' as encontrar. Why are we using o verbo cumprir here?
In English, we 'meet' expectations, but in Portuguese, you 'fulfill' them. The verb cumprir is the standard and most natural choice to pair with expectativas. Another valid option is corresponder a (to correspond to), as in corresponder às expectativas. You should never use encontrar for abstract concepts like this.
The English sentence says 'wanted me to have met'. Why can't I translate that directly with an infinitive, like 'queria-me ter cumprido'?
Verbs of desire and emotion like querer require the conjunction que and a subjunctive verb whenever there are two different subjects in the sentence (the stepfather wants; I fulfill). English happily uses the infinitive ('wanted me to do...'), but Portuguese strictly requires a new clause. You would only use the infinitive if the stepfather wanted to meet the expectations himself, which would be 'O meu padrasto queria ter cumprido...'.
How would the Portuguese change if the sentence were in the present: 'My stepfather wants me to have met the expectations'?
If the main verb shifts to the present tense (quer), but the action in the dependent clause is still a completed past action, you must use the present perfect subjunctive (Pretérito Perfeito do Conjuntivo). The sentence would become: O meu padrasto quer que eu tenha cumprido as expectativas.
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