The Presente do conjuntivo: Forms

📌 Nota gramatical

To form the present subjunctive for regular verbs in European Portuguese, take the present indicative 'eu' form, drop the final '-o', and add the opposite thematic vowel endings (-e, -es, -e, -emos, -eis, -em for -ar verbs; -a, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, -am for -er/-ir verbs).

📌 Nota gramatical

For regular -ar verbs like 'falar', the 'eu' form is 'falo'. Removing '-o' leaves 'fal-', to which we add the -er/-ir style vowels: fale, fales, fale, falemos, faleis, falem.

📌 Nota gramatical

For regular -er and -ir verbs, the 'eu' forms are 'como' and 'parto'. Drop '-o' to get 'com-' and 'part-', then add the -ar style vowels (-a, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, -am), resulting in coma, comas, coma, comamos, çomais (comais), comam and parta, partas, parta, partamos, partais, partam.

📌 Nota gramatical

Because the subjunctive is built entirely on the present indicative 'eu' form, any stem change or irregularity in the 'eu' form carries over directly. For example, 'ter' -> 'tenho' -> tenha; 'vir' -> 'venho' -> venha; 'sair' -> 'saiu' (eu saio) -> saia.

📌 Nota gramatical

The verb 'dar' has unique forms in the present subjunctive: dê, dês, dê, demos, deis, dêm. Note the written accent on 'dê' and 'dêm' to distinguish them from prepositions or pronouns.

📌 Nota gramatical

The verb 'estar' shifts completely from its indicative stem to a new subjunctive stem with specific accents: esteja, estejas, esteja, estejamos, estejais, estejam.

📌 Nota gramatical

The verb 'ir' is entirely suppletive in the present subjunctive, using the stem vá-: vá, vás, vá, vamos, vades, vão. Note that 'vamos' is identical to the indicative, and European Portuguese standard uses 'vades' for the vós form.

📌 Nota gramatical

The verb 'ser' takes the stem seja-: seja, sejas, seja, sejamos, sejais, sejam. This applies to all permanent or inherent states when triggered by subjunctive triggers.

📌 Nota gramatical

Based on the 'eu' form of present indicative 'quero', the present subjunctive uses the stem queira-: queira, queiras, queira, queiramos, queirais, queiram.

📌 Nota gramatical

Derived from the 'eu' form 'sei', the present subjunctive for 'saber' uses the stem saiba-: saiba, saibas, saiba, saibamos, saibais, saibam.

📌 Nota gramatical

To maintain the correct soft pronunciation before the vowel 'e', verbs ending in -car change to -qu- (ficar -> fique), -gar change to -gu- (chegar -> chegue), and -çar change to -ç- (começar -> comece) across all persons.

📌 Nota gramatical

Verbs with stem vowel alternations in the 'eu' form carry those changes into the entire present subjunctive paradigm. For example, 'pedir' -> 'peço' -> peça, peças, peça, peçamos, peçais, peçam; 'dormir' -> 'durmo' -> durma, durmas, durma, durmamos, durmais, durmam.