Translating the words “would,” “should,” and “could” into Portuguese isn’t simple, because there isn’t just one translation for each of them. It depends on the context.
In this lesson, we’re going to study the most common uses you need to know.
This lesson includes a free PDF worksheet with a summary of the lesson and exercises for you to practice. Click here to download your worksheet.
“Would”, “should” and “could” in Portuguese
How to say “should” in Portuguese
We can use two words in the sense of “should”:
“Deveria” or “devia” + the main verb.
For example:
João deveria estudar mais. (João should study more.)
João devia estudar mais. (João should study more.)
“Deveria” is the verb “dever” conjugated in the conditional tense.
“Devia” is the verb “dever” conjugated in the imperfect past tense.
In standard language, the form “deveria” is more recommended. But in informal spoken language, both forms are used interchangeably to express advice, obligation, or expectation.
Let’s see one more example:
Você deveria falar com ela. (You should talk to her.)
Você devia falar com ela. (You should talk to her.)
How to say “could” in Portuguese
We can use two words in the sense of “could”:
“Poderia” or “podia” + the main verb.
For example:
Você poderia me ajudar? (Could you help me?)
Você podia me ajudar? (Could you help me?)
“Poderia” is the verb “poder” conjugated in the conditional tense.
“Podia” is the verb “poder” conjugated in the imperfect past tense.
In this context, the form “poderia” is preferred in standard language. But in informal spoken language, both forms are used interchangeably to express politeness.
Let’s see one more example:
Você poderia fechar a porta, por favor. (Could you close the door, please?)
Você podia fechar a porta, por favor. (Could you close the door, please?)
In another context, when we’re referring to something that used to happen in the past, we should say “podia.”
For example:
Quando eu era mais jovem, podia comer qualquer coisa e não engordava. (When I was younger, I could eat anything, and I wouldn’t gain weight.)
How to say “would” in Portuguese
The word “would” doesn’t have an equivalent word in Portuguese, but instead a verb tense called the conditional tense.
For example, let’s see how to say “would work” in Portuguese:
Eu trabalharia (I would work)
Você trabalharia (You would work)
Ele/ela trabalharia (He/she would work)
Nós trabalharíamos (We would work)
Vocês trabalhariam (You all would work)
Eles/elas trabalhariam (They would work)
So, instead of using a modal verb plus another verb in the infinitive form, we use a single verb conjugated in the conditional tense.
Let’s see one more example with the verb “comer” (to eat):
Eu comeria (I would eat)
Você comeria (You would eat)
Ele/ela comeria (He/she would eat)
Nós comeríamos (We would eat)
Vocês comeriam (You all would eat)
Eles/elas comeriam (They would eat)
Almost all verbs follow this conjugation pattern.
We use the conditional tense to talk about hypotheticals or to give advice. For example:
Se eu tivesse mais tempo livre, viajaria mais. (If I had more free time, I would travel more.)
Se eu fosse você, estudaria mais para a prova. (If I were you, I would study more for the test.)
We also use the conditional tense to make polite and respectful requests. For example:
Eu gostaria de um café, por favor. (I would like a coffee, please.)
Você me traria um copo d’água? (Would you bring me a glass of water?)
In English, we also use the word “would” to refer to habitual actions in the past. In this case, in Portuguese, we should use another verb tense called the imperfect past tense.
For example:
Quando eu era criança, eu ia à praia todo verão. (When I was a child, I would go to the beach every summer.)
How to say “If I could, I would,” in Portuguese
And how do you say, “If I could, I would,” the famous second conditional in English? How do you say that in Portuguese?
Here we have a slightly more complex structure that requires the use of the subjunctive mood. I’m not going to explain the subjunctive mood in this video, but I’ll give you a simple formula you can start using today.
When you want to say, “If I could, I would,” you can simply say:
Se eu pudesse, eu… (If I could, I…)
You can complete this sentence with any verb in the conditional tense.
For example:
Se eu pudesse, viajaria mais ao Brasil. (If I could, I would travel to Brazil more.)
Se eu pudesse, leria mais livros. (If I could, I would read more books.)
Se eu pudesse, trabalharia menos. (If I could, I would work less.)
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