Unreal conditions: se eu tivesse…, faria
For imaginary or unlikely situations, Portuguese uses se + imperfect subjunctive and the conditional (or the imperfect in speech): Se eu tivesse dinheiro, viajaria / viajava.
| if-clause | result | English |
|---|---|---|
| Se eu tivesse tempo, | faria um curso. | If I had time, I would take a course. |
| Se eu fosse você, | aceitaria. | If I were you, I would accept. |
| Se ela soubesse, | ficaria chateada. | If she knew, she would be upset. |
| Se pudéssemos, | íamos à praia. (speech) | If we could, we would go to the beach. |
Points to watch
- The se-clause never takes the conditional: se eu tivesse, not se eu teria.
- In speech, in Brazil and Portugal alike, the result is often in the imperfect: Se eu ganhasse na loteria, comprava uma casa.
- English “if I was / were” becomes se eu fosse.
- “I wish…” is quem me dera + infinitive or que + imperfect subjunctive: Quem me dera ter mais tempo.
Examples
- Se eu morasse perto, iria a pé.If I lived nearby, I would walk.
- O que você faria se ganhasse um milhão?What would you do if you won a million?
- Se não estivesse chovendo, sairíamos.If it weren’t raining, we would go out.
- Eu compraria esse carro se fosse mais barato.I would buy that car if it were cheaper.
- Quem me dera falar japonês!I wish I could speak Japanese!
Common mistakes
- ✗ Se eu teria dinheiro, viajaria.✓ Se eu tivesse dinheiro, viajaria.The se-clause takes the imperfect subjunctive, never the conditional; American English “if I would have” makes the double “would” feel natural.
- ✗ Se eu tivesse tempo, eu vou.✓ Se eu tivesse tempo, eu iria.An imaginary condition needs an imaginary result: the conditional iria (or ia in speech), not the present vou.
- ✗ Se eu era você, eu aceitaria.✓ Se eu fosse você, eu aceitaria.English “if I was you” uses the simple past, but Portuguese needs the imperfect subjunctive fosse in an unreal condition.
- ✗ Se ela estudasse mais, passasse na prova.✓ Se ela estudasse mais, passaria na prova.Only the se-clause is in the subjunctive; the result takes the conditional passaria.
- ✗ Eu desejo que eu fosse mais alto.✓ Quem me dera ser mais alto.English “I wish I were taller” is not translated with desejar; the fixed phrase is quem me dera + infinitive.