Imperfect subjunctive for hypothetical situations

In brief

The imperfect subjunctive lets you describe a situation as imagined rather than real. In Brazilian Portuguese, it often follows a wish about what someone might do, or como se (‘as if’) when someone’s behavior suggests something that is not necessarily true. Despite its name, this form does not always refer to the past.

Form

Take the third-person plural of the simple past (pretérito perfeito), remove -ram, and add -sse, -sses, -sse, -ssemos, or -ssem: falaram → falasse; fizeram → fizesse; foram → fosse.

Usage

• Use it after queria que or adoraria que to express an imagined or desired action by someone else.
• Use it after como se to describe behavior as though an imagined situation were real.

Examples

• Eu queria que você viesse comigo. — I wish you would come with me.
• Ela fala como se soubesse de tudo. — She talks as if she knew everything.
• Eu adoraria que você pudesse ficar mais um pouco. — I’d love it if you could stay a little longer.

Common mistake

❌ Eu queria que você vem comigo.

✅ Eu queria que você viesse comigo.

After queria que, use the imperfect subjunctive viesse for the imagined action, not the present indicative vem.

Remember

The -sse form can describe a present or future possibility when the situation is imagined.