< Portuguese Grammar

the present subjunctive tense

Use the present subjunctive tense to talk about things that are plausible yet uncertain to happen right now: in the present.

Words that usually trigger this tense:
espero que (I hope that…)
quero que (I want that…)
é importante que (It’s important that…)

Forming

Take the 1st-person present root and add an:
+e for ar verbs
+a for er/ir verbs

FALAR
the 1st-person present is: eu falo;
the root is fal;
adding an e ➜➜ fale.

COMER
the 1st-person present is: eu como;
the root is com;
adding an a ➜➜ coma.

ABRIR
the 1st-person present is: eu abro;
the root is abr;
adding an a ➜➜ abra.

Present Subjunctive regulars

~ar regular: Espero que ele fale logo. ➜ I hope he talks soon.

~er regular: É importante que você coma! ➜ It's important that you eat!

~ir regular: Você quer que eu abra a janela? ➜ Do you want me to open the window?

Present Subjunctive irregulars

~ar irregular: Eu espero que ele pense muito. ➜ I hope that he thinks a lot.

~er irregular: É importante que você aprenda. ➜ It's important that you learn.

~ir irregular: Você quer que eu dirija? ➜Do you want me to drive?