Conditional Tense by Fernanda L. Ferreira, Ph.D.
The conditional is very similar to the future tense, but it denotes the possibility of something happening in the future once a certain condition or stipulation is met. It is comparable to the English “would” + verb. The conditional is used more in colloquial speech than the regular future tense.
The Conditional Tense
andar (to walk) |
comer (to eat) |
dormir (to sleep) |
eu andaria |
eu comeria |
eu dormiria |
você andaria |
você comeria |
você dormiria |
ele andaria |
ele comeria |
ele dormiria |
nós andaríamos |
nós comeríamos |
nós dormiríamos |
vocês andariam |
vocês comeriam |
vocês dormiriam |
eles andariam |
eles comeriam |
eles dormiriam |
There is a lot of regularity in this verb tense, as you can see from the singular forms, which are all the same. Here are some sample sentences with the conditional tense:
Fabiana falou que mandaria o cartão postal. (Fabiana said that she would send the postcard.)
Mário e Isabela chegariam a tempo se o trem fosse mais rápido. (Mário and Isabela would arrive on time if the train was faster.)
Se tivesse mais caipirinha, meus amigos e eu beberíamos mais. (If there were more Brazilian rum, my friends and I would drink more.)
