tivesse/fizesse/pudesse/quisesse/soubesse/dissesse

Imperfeito Do Subjuntivo Irregular Comum

Level 4

The Imperfeito do Subjuntivo (Imperfect Subjunctive) is the 'what if' tense. For irregular verbs like ter, fazer, and poder, it is built from the 3rd person plural of the Preterite (e.g., tiveram → tivesse).

How It Works

The Imperfect Subjunctive of irregular verbs is highly predictable if you know their Pretérito Perfeito forms.

1. Formation Rule:
Take the 3rd person plural (eles/elas) of the Pretérito Perfeito, remove the -ram, and add the subjunctive endings:

  • -sse (eu)
  • -sses (tu)
  • -sse (você/ele/ela)
  • -ssemos (nós) *Note the accent!
  • -sseis (vós)
  • -ssem (vocês/eles/elas)

Tip: Notice that the 1st person singular (eu) and 3rd person singular (você/ele/ela) forms are always identical! This exact same rule applies to 100% of regular verbs as well.

2. Common Irregular Stems and Accentuation:
In the nós and vós forms, an accent is required on the vowel before the ending. The acute accent (´) is used when the vowel is open (like /ɛ/), while the circumflex accent (^) is used when the vowel is closed (like /e/ or /o/):

  • Ser/Ir (foram): fosse, fôssemos, fôsseis (closed /o/)
  • Dar (deram): desse, déssemos, désseis (open /ɛ/ with acute)
  • Ter (tiveram): tivesse, tivéssemos, tivésseis (open /ɛ/)
  • Fazer (fizeram): fizesse, fizéssemos, fizésseis (open /ɛ/)
  • Poder (puderam): pudesse, pudéssemos, pudésseis (open /ɛ/)
  • Querer (quiseram): quisesse, quiséssemos, quisésseis (open /ɛ/)
  • Saber (souberam): soubesse, soubéssemos, soubésseis (open /ɛ/)
  • Dizer (disseram): dissesse, disséssemos, dissésseis (open /ɛ/)
  • Estar (estiveram): estivesse, estivéssemos, estivésseis (open /ɛ/)
  • Haver (houveram): houvesse, houvéssemos, houvésseis (open /ɛ/)
  • Trazer (trouxeram): trouxesse, trouxéssemos, trouxésseis (open /ɛ/)
  • Vir (vieram): viesse, viéssemos, viésseis (open /ɛ/)
  • Ver (viram): visse, víssemos, vísseis (acute on 'i')
  • Pôr (puseram): pusesse, puséssemos, pusésseis (open /ɛ/)

3. Main Uses:

  • Hypothetical Conditions: Paired with the condicional in 'if' (se) sentences. Example: Se eu tivesse tempo, eu iria. (If I had time, I would go.) Note: In spoken Brazilian Portuguese, it is very common to use the Imperfect Indicative instead of the Conditional in the main clause (e.g., Se eu tivesse tempo, eu ia).
  • Past Triggers: When a main verb in the past requires the subjunctive. Example: Ele pediu que eu fizesse o jantar. (He asked that I make dinner.)
  • Politeness: Softening requests. Example: Eu gostaria que você soubesse a verdade. (I would like you to know the truth.)
  • Como se (As if): Used to describe hypothetical or unreal situations. Example: Ele fala como se soubesse de tudo. (He speaks as if he knew everything.)
  • Wishes and Regrets: Used with expressions like quem me dera or tomara que. Example: Quem me dera que ele pudesse vir. (If only he could come.)
  • Subordinate Conjunctions in the Past: Used after certain conjunctions when the context is in the past. Example: Eu fui à praia mesmo que chovesse. (I went to the beach even if it rained.)

Examples (5)

  1. Se eu tivesse dinheiro, compraria um carro novo.

    If I had money, I would buy a new car.

    Word by Word: If I had money, [I] would buy a car new.

    A classic hypothetical 'if' clause using 'tivesse' (from ter) paired with the conditional 'compraria'.

  2. Eu queria que você fizesse um favor para mim.

    I wanted you to do a favor for me.

    Word by Word: I wanted that you did a favor for me.

    The past verb 'queria' triggers the imperfect subjunctive 'fizesse' (from fazer) in the subordinate clause.

  3. Se nós pudéssemos, viajaríamos amanhã.

    If we could, we would travel tomorrow.

    Word by Word: If we could, [we] would travel tomorrow.

    Note the accent on 'pudéssemos'. This is a hypothetical scenario in the present/future.

  4. Ela agiu como se não soubesse de nada.

    She acted as if she didn't know anything.

    Word by Word: She acted as if [she] not knew of nothing.

    The expression 'como se' (as if) almost always triggers the imperfect subjunctive.

  5. O professor pediu que eles dissessem a verdade.

    The teacher asked that they tell the truth.

    Word by Word: The teacher asked that they said the truth.

    A past command/request triggers 'dissessem' (from dizer).

Common Mistakes

  • Using the infinitive stem instead of the preterite stem.

    Se eu fazesse o trabalho...
    Se eu fizesse o trabalho...

    Irregular verbs must use the stem from the 3rd person plural preterite (fizeram -> fiz-), not the infinitive (fazer).

  • Forgetting the written accent on the 'nós' form.

    Se nós tivessemos tempo...
    Se nós tivéssemos tempo...

    The 'nós' form of the imperfect subjunctive always requires an accent on the vowel before the -ssemos ending.

  • Confusing the Imperfect Subjunctive with the Future Subjunctive.

    Se eu tivesse tempo amanhã, eu vou.
    Se eu tiver tempo amanhã, eu vou.

    Use the Future Subjunctive (tiver) for likely future possibilities, and the Imperfect (tivesse) for unlikely or imaginary ones.

How It Connects

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tivesse/fizesse/pudesse/quisesse/soubesse/dissesseLevel 4Imperfeito Do Subjuntivo Irregular Comum

Learn This First

To learn these irregular imperfect subjunctive forms, you must first know the irregular Pretérito Perfeito stems, as the subjunctive forms are built upon them. Additionally, understanding the regular -ER imperfect subjunctive endings and how this tense interacts with the conditional for hypothetical scenarios is essential.

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