Subordination with the indicative
A2 Subordinação com o indicativo 26 / 55
In short
Lesson 15 joined clauses as equals - e, mas, ou line up two independent statements side by side (coordination). Subordination does something different: it puts one clause inside another. A main clause carries the sentence, and a subordinate clause, opened by a subordinating conjunction, hangs off it and says when, why, how much or with what result. Fiquei em casa is complete on its own; porque estava a chover cannot stand alone - it depends on the main clause and explains it: Fiquei em casa porque estava a chover. This lesson covers the four families of adverbial subordinate clause that keep the indicative - time, cause, comparison and result - so every verb stays in a tense you already know (present, pretérito perfeito simples, imperfeito, tinha + participle). The conjunctions that force the subjunctive - wishes, purpose, concession, and future time - are a separate world that waits for Lessons 33-37.
The rule
The shape of a subordinate sentence
Two clauses, one conjunction, and free order. The subordinate clause can follow the main clause or open the sentence; when it opens, put a comma after it.
- Não saí porque estava a nevar. - I didn’t go out because it was snowing. (main first, no comma)
- Porque estava a nevar, não saí. - Because it was snowing, I didn’t go out. (subordinate first, comma)
The conjunction belongs to the subordinate clause and never moves: it is always the first word of the clause it introduces.
Temporal clauses - locating in time
These answer when? and stay in the indicative whenever the time is real - present, habitual, or already past:
- Quando (when): Quando cheguei, eles já tinham saído. - When I arrived, they had already left.
- Enquanto (while, as long as): Enquanto tu cozinhas, eu ponho a mesa. - While you cook, I set the table.
- Sempre que (whenever): Sempre que ia ao Porto, ficava em casa dela. - Whenever I went to Porto, I would stay at her place.
- Depois que (after), desde que (ever since), à medida que (as, gradually): Desde que mudou de emprego, anda muito mais feliz. - Ever since he changed jobs, he has been much happier.
Heads-up: when the time points at the future, quando, assim que (as soon as) and logo que switch to the future subjunctive - Quando chegar, aviso-te (“When I arrive, I’ll let you know”). That is Lesson 36. Here every temporal clause describes something real or past, so the indicative is correct.
Causal clauses - giving the reason
These answer why? and are all indicative:
- porque (because) - the everyday one, and the only one that can answer a direct Porquê?
- como (as, since) - must open the sentence: Como não tinha dinheiro, não comprei nada. - Since I had no money, I bought nothing.
- já que, visto que, uma vez que (since, given that) - slightly more formal, interchangeable: Já que estás aqui, ajuda-me. - Since you’re here, help me.
- pois (for, since) - bookish, follows the main clause: Deve estar em casa, pois a luz está acesa. - He must be home, for the light is on.
Keep porque (one word, “because”) apart from porquê (the bare question “Why?” and the noun o porquê, “the reason”) - see the mistakes below.
Comparative clauses - measuring against something
The degree words of Lesson 18 open a subordinate clause with a verb of their own, all indicative:
- mais / menos … (do) que: Ele trabalha mais do que eu pensava. - He works more than I thought.
- tão / tanto … como: Não é tão difícil como parecia. - It isn’t as hard as it seemed.
- Manner and conformity - como, tal como, conforme, consoante (“as, like, according to”): Fiz tudo tal como me disseste. - I did everything just as you told me.
Before a full clause European Portuguese prefers do que to a bare que: mais alto do que o irmão.
Consecutive clauses - stating the result
An intensifier in the main clause (tão, tanto) sets up a que clause that reports the result - a real outcome, so indicative:
- tão + adjective/adverb + que: Estava tão cansado que adormeci no sofá. - I was so tired that I fell asleep on the sofa.
- tanto + verb + que: Riu-se tanto que começou a chorar. - She laughed so much that she started to cry.
- tanto/tanta/tantos/tantas + noun + que: Havia tanta gente que não entrámos. - There were so many people that we didn’t go in.
- de tal modo / maneira / forma que: Explicou de tal maneira que todos entenderam. - He explained in such a way that everyone understood.
Do not confuse this with purpose (para que…, “so that / in order that”), which takes the subjunctive and belongs to Lesson 36. Result = something that actually happened = indicative; purpose = an aim not yet reached = subjunctive.
Forms & patterns
The four families and their conjunctions:
| Family | Conjunctions | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Temporal | quando, enquanto, sempre que, depois que, desde que, à medida que, assim que*, logo que* | when? |
| Causal | porque, como, já que, visto que, uma vez que, pois | why? |
| Comparative | mais/menos/tão/tanto … (do) que / como, como, tal como, conforme, consoante | how (much)? |
| Consecutive | tão … que, tanto … que, de tal modo/maneira/forma que | with what result? |
* assim que and logo que pointing at the future take the future subjunctive (Lesson 36).
The consecutive pattern in detail:
| Pattern | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| tão + adj/adv + que | Falou tão depressa que ninguém percebeu. | He spoke so fast that nobody understood. |
| tanto + verb + que | Chorou tanto que adormeceu. | She cried so much that she fell asleep. |
| tanto/tanta/tantos/tantas + noun + que | Comeu tantos bolos que ficou maldisposto. | He ate so many cakes that he felt sick. |
| de tal modo/maneira/forma que | Gritou de tal forma que os vizinhos ouviram. | She shouted in such a way that the neighbours heard. |
Examples
| Português | English |
|---|---|
| Quando cheguei a casa, o jantar já estava pronto. | When I got home, dinner was already ready. |
| Enquanto ouço música, não consigo estudar. | While I listen to music, I can’t study. |
| Não fui à festa porque estava muito cansado. | I didn’t go to the party because I was very tired. |
| Como estava a chover, ficámos em casa. | As it was raining, we stayed home. |
| Já que estás aqui, ajuda-me com isto. | Since you’re here, help me with this. |
| Como já tinham jantado, só beberam um café. | Since they had already had dinner, they only had a coffee. |
| Ela fala português melhor do que eu pensava. | She speaks Portuguese better than I thought. |
| O bebé é tão pequeno que cabe nos meus braços. | The baby is so small that he fits in my arms. |
| Estudei tanto que passei no exame. | I studied so much that I passed the exam. |
| Sempre que ia ao Porto, visitava os meus tios. | Whenever I went to Porto, I used to visit my aunt and uncle. |
Common mistakes
- Fiquei em casa por causa que chovia. -> Fiquei em casa porque chovia. (or … por causa da chuva.) - por causa que does not exist; use porque before a clause and por causa de before a noun.
- Não vim porquê estava doente. -> Não vim porque estava doente. - “because” is always porque (one word); porquê is only the bare question Porquê? and the noun o porquê (“the reason”).
- Ficámos em casa como estava a chover. -> Como estava a chover, ficámos em casa. - causal como must open the sentence; placed after the main clause it reads as “like/how”, not “because”.
- Ele é mais alto que eu era. -> Ele é mais alto do que eu era. - before a full clause EP prefers do que to a bare que.
- Quando chego amanhã, ligo-te. -> Quando chegar amanhã, ligo-te. - a quando clause about the future takes the future subjunctive (Lesson 36); the present indicative here means a habit, not tomorrow.
- Enquanto que tu falas, eu escrevo. -> Enquanto tu falas, eu escrevo. - the temporal conjunction is enquanto; enquanto que is better avoided in careful European Portuguese.
- Estava tão cansado para que adormeci. -> Estava tão cansado que adormeci. - a real result uses plain que (indicative); para que means purpose and takes the subjunctive.
Tips
- The indicative is the mood of facts. These four families report real time, real reasons, real comparisons and real results, so the verb simply stays in the tenses of Lessons 6-8, 20-23 and 25 - nothing new to conjugate.
- Sort any connector by the question it answers: when? (temporal), why? (causal), how much / like what? (comparative), so what happened? (consecutive). That tells you the family and confirms the indicative.
- Front the subordinate clause for emphasis and add a comma; leave it after the main clause and you usually need none: Como choveu, não saí. / Não saí porque choveu.
- porque is one solid word meaning “because”; keep porquê for the standalone Porquê? and for o porquê (“the reason, the why”).
- Watch the trapdoor into the subjunctive: the instant a clause looks to the future, or expresses a purpose, wish or doubt, the verb leaves the indicative. That whole territory is Lessons 33-37; everything in this lesson is settled fact.
- In Brazil: the interrogative “why” is written as two words - Por que não veio? - and the sentence-final form as por quê?, alongside porque (because) and o porquê (the reason); European Portuguese uses porque for the question too and only splits off porquê.