Portuguese conjugation explanation

Imperfect subjunctive accent mark

<p>In the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/9/" target="_blank">Imperfect Subjunctive</a>

, the <strong>first and second person plural</strong> forms (<span style="font-style: italic;">nós</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">vós</span>) always require an <strong>accent mark</strong>.</p>

<p>This happens because the stress falls on the antepenultimate (third-to-last) syllable in these forms (e.g., <span style="font-style: italic;">fal</span><strong><span style="color:red;">&aacute;</span></strong><span style="font-style: italic;">ssemos</span>). The accent is placed on the vowel immediately preceding the <span style="font-style: italic;">-sse-</span> ending. The type of accent depends on the vowel:</p>

<ul>

<li>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Vowel A &#8594; á</div>

<p>Regular verbs ending in <strong style="font-style: italic;">-ar</strong> change the <strong>a</strong> to <strong>á</strong> (acute accent).</p>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/9/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Pretérito Imperfeito do Subjuntivo</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se eu

</span>achasse

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se tu

</span>achasses

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se ele

</span>achasse

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se nós

</span>achássemos

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se vós

</span>achásseis

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se eles

</span>achassem

</span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</li>

<li>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Vowel I &#8594; í</div>

<p>Verbs ending in <strong style="font-style: italic;">-ir</strong> change the <strong>i</strong> to <strong>í</strong> (acute accent). This also applies to irregulars where the Preterite stem ends in <span style="font-style: italic;">i</span>, such as

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/partir/" title="Click to see conjugations for partir" target="_blank">partir</a>

or

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/conseguir/" title="Click to see conjugations for conseguir" target="_blank">conseguir</a>

.</p>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/9/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Pretérito Imperfeito do Subjuntivo</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se eu

</span>conseguisse

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se tu

</span>conseguisses

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se ele

</span>conseguisse

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se nós

</span>conseguíssemos

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se vós

</span>conseguísseis

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se eles

</span>conseguissem

</span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</li>

<li>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Vowel O &#8594; ô</div>

<p>This change is specific to the verbs

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/ser/" title="Click to see conjugations for ser" target="_blank">ser</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">to be</span>) and

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/ir/" title="Click to see conjugations for ir" target="_blank">ir</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">to go</span>), which share the same conjugation in this tense. They use the <strong>circumflex accent (ô)</strong>.</p>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/9/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Pretérito Imperfeito do Subjuntivo</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se eu

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">fosse<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se tu

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">fosses<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se ele

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">fosse<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se nós

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">fôssemos<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se vós

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">fôsseis<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se eles

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">fossem<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</li>

<li>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">Vowel E &#8594; ê or é</div>

<p>For verbs with an <strong>e</strong> before the ending, the accent depends on whether the verb stem is regular or irregular in the

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/2/" target="_blank">Preterite</a>

(from which this tense is derived).</p>

<p><strong>1. Regular Verbs (ê):</strong> Verbs that follow the standard pattern use the <strong>circumflex accent</strong>. This indicates a closed vowel sound. Example:

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/parecer/" title="Click to see conjugations for parecer" target="_blank">parecer</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">pareceram</span> &#8594; <span style="font-style: italic;">parecêssemos</span>).</p>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/9/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Pretérito Imperfeito do Subjuntivo</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se eu

</span>parecesse

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se tu

</span>parecesses

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se ele

</span>parecesse

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se nós

</span>parecêssemos

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se vós

</span>parecêsseis

</span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se eles

</span>parecessem

</span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

<p><strong>2. Irregular Verbs (é):</strong> Verbs with irregular "strong" stems in the Preterite use the <strong>acute accent</strong>. This indicates an open vowel sound. Common examples include

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/estar/" title="Click to see conjugations for estar" target="_blank">estar</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">estiveram</span> &#8594; <span style="font-style: italic;">estivéssemos</span>),

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/ter/" title="Click to see conjugations for ter" target="_blank">ter</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">tiveram</span> &#8594; <span style="font-style: italic;">tivéssemos</span>), and

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/por/poder/" title="Click to see conjugations for poder" target="_blank">poder</a>

(<span style="font-style: italic;">puderam</span> &#8594; <span style="font-style: italic;">pudéssemos</span>).</p>

<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">

<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/9/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Pretérito Imperfeito do Subjuntivo</a>

<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se eu

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">estivesse<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se tu

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">estivesses<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se ele

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">estivesse<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se nós

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">estivéssemos<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se vós

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">estivésseis<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">

<div class="conjugation_form">

<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">

se eles

</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">estivessem<span class="irregularity_circle">&#9679;</span></span></span>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</div>

</li>

</ul>

<p>For more details on how to form these verbs, see the guide on

<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/portuguese_wrong_subjunctive_stem/" target="_blank">forming the imperfect subjunctive</a>

.</p>