B1 · The future
The future after quando and se
English forbids a future after « when »; Portuguese demands a tense of its own.
« When I arrive, I will call you. » English will not allow a future in that first half — « when I will arrive » is not merely unusual, it is ungrammatical. Portuguese will not allow a present there either. It puts the clause in a form that exists nowhere else: the futuro do conjuntivo. Quando chegar, telefono-te.
With regular verbs it looks like the infinitive — quando chegar, se puder — but it inflects: quando chegares, quando chegarmos. With irregular verbs it comes off the perfect stem: se fores, quando tiveres, se fizer.
It stands after quando, se, assim que, logo que, enquanto — wherever the clause speaks of a future that is not yet certain. Note that se is on that list: English keeps the present in both « when I arrive » and « if it rains », and here both take the new form.
The main clause stays in the Presente or takes ir: Quando chegares, vou buscar-te.
Die Form
| when I arrive | quando chegar |
| when you arrive | quando chegares |
| if you can | se puderes |
| if you go | se fores |
| when you have time | quando tiveres tempo |
| as soon as I know | assim que souber |
Die Regeln im Einzelnen
After quando, se, assim que, logo que and enquanto, when the clause speaks of the future.
Quando fores grande, vais perceber.When you are grown up, you will understand.
Regular verbs: the infinitive plus an ending.
Se chover, ficamos em casa.If it rains, we will stay at home.
Irregular verbs come off the perfect stem.
Se tiveres tempo, passa por cá.If you have time, come round.
The main clause takes the Presente or ir.
Assim que souber, digo-te.As soon as I know, I will tell you.
Woran man es erkennt
- quando
- se
- assim que
- logo que
- enquanto
Beispielsätze
Quando tiver dinheiro, compro um carro.When I have the money, I will buy a car.
Se fizer bom tempo, vamos à praia.If the weather is good, we will go to the beach.
Logo que puderes, liga-me.As soon as you can, call me.
Enquanto ele estiver cá, nada muda.As long as he is here, nothing changes.
Die typisch deutsche Falle
Aufgepasst
Your instinct — a present after « when » — is right about the tense being non-future and wrong about which non-future it is. Quando chegas, telefono-te means: every time you arrive. For the single arrival that is still ahead it has to be quando chegares.
After quando and se in the future: futuro do conjuntivo — the form only Portuguese has.
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