Subjunctive in adverbial clauses I: purpose & time

What it is

Some conjunctions introduce an event that is only a goal or that hasn’t happened yet: para que (so that), antes que (before), até que (until) and sem que (without). Because that event isn’t presented as a fact, the verb after them is always in the subjunctive:

• Falo devagar para que você entenda. I speak slowly so that you understand.
• Vamos embora antes que comece a chover. Let’s go before it starts raining.

When both parts of the sentence have the same subject, Portuguese drops que and uses a preposition + infinitive instead: Liguei antes de sair. I called before leaving. Estudo para passar na prova. I study to pass the exam.

How to form it

Use the present subjunctive from pt-g-050 (entenda, comece, volte, saiba, possa, haja…) after these conjunctions. The main clause can be in the present, in the future with vou + infinitive, or a command:

Same subject or a new one?

This is the key decision. If the person doing the second action is the same, use the preposition and the infinitive. If someone new comes in, use que and the subjunctive:

The prepositions are para, antes de, até and sem. Note that the conjunction is antes que, without de, while the preposition is antes de.

Try a few before reading on:

When to use it

• Purpose: para que, and in formal writing a fim de que: Vou mandar a localização para que vocês possam chegar sem problema.
• Time, looking ahead: antes que and até que. The event after them hasn’t happened yet when the main action takes place, so even with habits Portuguese keeps the subjunctive: A professora repete até que todos entendam.
• Something that doesn’t happen: sem que: Ela sai sem que os vizinhos vejam.

In everyday speech Brazilians very often prefer an infinitive, even with a new subject: Me manda a foto pra eu ver, Espera até eu voltar. That’s the personal infinitive, which you’ll study in pt-g-060. You will hear it constantly; para que + subjunctive is the neutral, written choice, and it is always correct.

Contrasts and traps

• para vs para que. Para + infinitive when the subject stays the same; para que + subjunctive when it changes. Estudo para que eu passe sounds wrong to Brazilians: say Estudo para passar.
• antes que, not antes de que. Antes de goes with an infinitive (antes de sair); before a conjugated verb, use antes que: antes que ele saia.
• Not every time word takes the subjunctive. Quando, depois que and enquanto + indicative describe habits or past facts: Quando chove, eu fico em casa. Depois que ele chegou, a gente jantou. For future events they take a different tense, the future subjunctive (quando você chegar), which comes in pt-g-056.
• até vs até que. Both work with a time: até amanhã, até as dez. Before a clause, use até que + subjunctive (or até + infinitive in speech).
• para que + indicative. Para que você entende is a common slip. Para que never takes the indicative: para que você entenda.

If you speak Spanish

Good news: para que, hasta que, sin que and antes de que + subjunctive work as in Spanish, and so does the same-subject rule (antes de salir = antes de sair, para aprobar = para passar). Watch these:

• antes de que → antes que, without de.
• hasta que → até que; sin que → sem que.
• Spanish verb forms slip into the subjunctive: salga → saia, hierva → ferva, empiece → comece, oiga → ouça, vean → vejam.
• Spanish uses the indicative for habits (repite hasta que lo entienden); Portuguese keeps the subjunctive: repete até que entendam.
• cuando is a different story. Llámame cuando llegues is not me liga quando você chegue. Portuguese uses the future subjunctive: quando você chegar (pt-g-056).