How to Use the Portuguese ‘Future Subjunctive’ Without Crying

Let’s say the words together: Futuro do Subjuntivo. It sounds like the final boss in a grammar video game, a terrifying, multi-stage challenge that stands between you and fluency. Many Portuguese learners hear its name whispered in hushed, fearful tones and decide to just… walk around it. They’ll use the simple future or the present tense and hope for the best.

But here’s the secret: the future subjunctive isn’t a monster. It’s a key. It’s the tool that unlocks a more natural, nuanced, and genuinely fluent way of speaking Portuguese. And the best part? You can master its most common uses by learning a few simple patterns, not by memorizing a thousand conjugation charts.

So, take a deep breath. We’re going to tackle this thing without any tears, and by the end, you’ll be weaving it into your conversations like a pro.

So, What Is This Thing, Anyway?

Forget the name for a second. Let’s talk about the *idea*. The future subjunctive is used to talk about a hypothetical or uncertain future event that is a condition for another event to happen.

It’s not about what *will* happen. It’s about what *might* happen, and what the consequence of that “might” will be.

In English, we do this all the time, but we cheat. We just use the simple present tense.

• “When you arrive, call me.”
• “If it rains, we’ll stay inside.”
• “I’ll buy the tickets as soon as you give me the money.”

In each case, the bolded action is in the future, but we use the present tense. A Portuguese speaker hearing this would understand you, but it would sound… off. Like a little grammatical alarm bell. To sound natural, you need the future subjunctive for that first part of the sentence. It’s the language’s way of saying, “Hey, this part isn’t a certainty yet!”

Your Cheat Sheet: The Magic Trigger Words

This is where we skip the scary charts and go straight to the patterns. The future subjunctive almost always follows a specific set of conjunctions (or “trigger words”). If you see one of these words and you’re talking about the future, you’ll probably need the future subjunctive. Let’s look at the most important ones.

1. Se (If)

This is the undisputed champion. It’s the most common trigger by a mile. It sets up a future condition.

• Se você for à festa, me avise. (If you go to the party, let me know.)
• Se nós tivermos tempo amanhã, podemos visitar o museu. (If we have time tomorrow, we can visit the museum.)
• Eles ficarão felizes se você vier. (They will be happy if you come.)

2. Quando (When)

The second most important trigger. It’s not for asking “when?” but for stating “when [this happens in the future]…”

• Quando você chegar ao Brasil, me mande uma mensagem. (When you arrive in Brazil, send me a message.)
• Vou cozinhar quando eu tiver mais energia. (I’m going to cook when I have more energy.)
• Me ligue quando você souber a resposta. (Call me when you know the answer.)

3. Assim que / Logo que (As soon as)

These express immediacy. The second action happens right after the first (hypothetical) one is completed.

• Assim que ele terminar a reunião, ele vai te ligar. (As soon as he finishes the meeting, he will call you.)
• Vamos sair logo que a chuva parar. (We’ll go out as soon as the rain stops.)

4. Enquanto (While / As long as)

This sets up a condition that lasts for a period of time.

• Ficarei aqui enquanto você precisar de ajuda. (I’ll stay here as long as you need help.)
• Enquanto eles estudarem, não vamos fazer barulho. (While they study, we won’t make noise.)

5. Como (As / In the way that)

This refers to the manner in which something might be done in the future.

• Faça como você quiser. (Do it however you want.)
• Nós vamos organizar tudo como o chefe pedir. (We will organize everything as the boss asks.)

How to Form It (The Not-So-Scary Part)

Okay, you know *when* to use it. But how do you actually *form* the words? Here’s a simple, beautiful trick that works for almost every verb, including the irregular ones.

The Rule: Take the third-person plural (eles/elas) form of the Preterite (pretérito perfeito), drop the final -ram, and you have your future subjunctive stem!

Let’s try it:

• Verb: fazer (to do/make)
  1. Preterite eles form: fizeram
  2. Drop the -ram: fize-
  3. Your future subjunctive form: Se eu fizer, se você fizer, se nós fizermos…
• Verb: ter (to have)
  1. Preterite eles form: tiveram
  2. Drop the -ram: tive-
  3. Your future subjunctive form: Quando eu tiver, quando você tiver, quando nós tivermos…
• Verb: ir/ser (to go/to be)
  1. Preterite eles form: foram
  2. Drop the -ram: fo-
  3. Your future subjunctive form: Se eu for, se você for, se nós formos…

The endings you add to this stem are mostly intuitive. For the `eu`, `ele/ela/você` forms, it’s just the stem itself. For `nós` you add `-mos` and for `eles/elas/vocês` you add `-em`.

Note: You might notice that for many regular verbs, the future subjunctive form looks identical to the personal infinitive (e.g., falar). Don’t worry about that for now. The context of the “trigger word” (`se`, `quando`, etc.) is what signals that you are correctly using the future subjunctive. Focus on the pattern, not the exception.

Putting It All Together In a Conversation

Let’s see how this sounds in a more natural back-and-forth.

Paulo: Ei, Ana! O que você vai fazer no fim de semana? (Hey, Ana! What are you doing this weekend?)

Ana: Ainda não sei. Se fizer sol, eu provavelmente vou à praia. Quer vir? (I don’t know yet. If it’s sunny, I’ll probably go to the beach. Want to come?)

Paulo: Claro! Me avise quando você decidir a hora. (Of course! Let me know when you decide on the time.)

Ana: Combinado. Assim que eu souber o plano, eu te mando uma mensagem. (Deal. As soon as I know the plan, I’ll send you a message.)

See? It flows. Each future subjunctive use is tied to a condition (`se fizer sol`), a point in time (`quando você decidir`), or an immediate follow-up (`assim que eu souber`). It makes the conversation feel authentic.

Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It

The futuro do subjuntivo isn’t a grammatical monster to be slain. It’s a rhythmic pattern in the music of Portuguese. The best way to learn it is to stop being afraid of it.

1. Listen for it. When you watch a Brazilian or Portuguese series, pay attention to sentences that start with se and quando. You’ll hear the future subjunctive everywhere.
2. Start small. Try making your own sentences using “Se eu tiver tempo…” (If I have time…) and “Quando eu chegar…” (When I arrive…).
3. Embrace imperfection. You might get it wrong sometimes, and that’s perfectly fine. Using it incorrectly is still better than avoiding it entirely. It shows you’re pushing your boundaries and trying to speak more fluently.

So go ahead. Use the future subjunctive. Talk about your potential plans, your uncertain conditions, and all the possibilities the future holds. You’ll be one giant leap closer to sounding like a native speaker, and we promise—no tears required.