Condicional Composto / Futuro do Pretérito Composto do Indicativo (Past Conditional)
The condicional composto is used to express hypothetical situations in the past that did not happen, or to describe what someone would have done under different circumstances.
It is a compound tense formed with the auxiliary verb ter in the condicional (presente) + the past participle of the main verb.
In traditional grammar, it is called the futuro do pretérito composto do indicativo.
Mood
Part of the indicative mood, this tense refers to past actions that are imagined, hypothetical, or dependent on conditions that were not met.
Formation
Conjugate ter in the conditional (present) and add the past participle of the main verb.
This structure is the same for -ar, -er, and -ir verbs.
| Person | AR Example (falar) | ER Example (comer) | IR Example (partir) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eu (I) | teria falado | teria comido | teria partido |
| Tu (you, sg.) | terias falado | terias comido | terias partido |
| Ele/Ela/Você | teria falado | teria comido | teria partido |
| Nós (we) | teríamos falado | teríamos comido | teríamos partido |
| Vós (you, pl.) | teríeis falado | teríeis comido | teríeis partido |
| Eles/Elas/Vocês | teriam falado | teriam comido | teriam partido |
Usage
- Hypothetical past events:
Se eu tivesse tempo, teria viajado.
(If I had had time, I would have travelled.) - Expressing regrets:
Ela teria estudado mais se soubesse da prova.
(She would have studied more if she had known about the test.) - Polite past suggestions:
Eu teria ajudado, se pudesse.
(I would have helped if I could have.)
Irregular Past Participles
Some verbs use irregular past participles:
| Verb | Past Participle | Example (Eu form) |
|---|---|---|
| fazer | feito | eu teria feito |
| ver | visto | eu teria visto |
| escrever | escrito | eu teria escrito |
| abrir | aberto | eu teria aberto |
| dizer | dito | eu teria dito |
| pôr | posto | eu teria posto |
Brazilian Portuguese Differences
- Pronouns:
BP uses você instead of tu in most regions, conjugated like ele/ela:- BP: Você teria ajudado
- EP: Tu terias ajudado
- Usage:
Structure and meaning are the same in BP and EP.
In informal BP, speakers sometimes shorten conditionals with modal verbs:- BP informal: Você ia ter ajudado (You were going to have helped) instead of Você teria ajudado.
- Formality:
In EP, condicional composto is standard in speech and writing for hypotheticals; in BP, present indicative alternatives appear in casual speech.
Common Triggers
- Se (if)
- Caso (in case)
- Se ao menos (if only)
- Se tivesse (if [someone] had)
Examples
- Eu teria ido ao evento se soubesse.
(I would have gone to the event if I had known.) - Ele teria comprado a casa, se tivesse dinheiro.
(He would have bought the house if he had had the money.) - Se ela tivesse chegado mais cedo, teríamos começado a reunião.
(If she had arrived earlier, we would have started the meeting.)
