Presente do subjuntivo: que eu faça
Presente do subjuntivo: que eu faça means “Take the eu-form of the present, drop the -o, and swap the vowel”. This one rule does most of the work, and it is worth learning before any list of irregulars. Formation: radical da 1ª pessoa do presente do indicativo + -e (verbos -ar) / -a (verbos -er, -ir)
Take the eu-form of the present, drop the -o, and swap the vowel
B1Formation
radical da 1ª pessoa do presente do indicativo + -e (verbos -ar) / -a (verbos -er, -ir)
Explanation
This one rule does most of the work, and it is worth learning before any list of irregulars. Take the first person singular of the present indicative, drop the final -o, then add -e for -ar verbs and -a for -er and -ir verbs. falo → fale, faço → faça, tenho → tenha, digo → diga, venho → venha, peço → peça, saio → saia, ouço → ouça. Almost every so-called irregular falls out of this automatically, which is why teaching the rule beats teaching the list. Only a handful genuinely break it: ser → seja, estar → esteja, haver → haja, saber → saiba, querer → queira, dar → dê, ir → vá. Use the subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and impersonal judgement — quero que você venha, duvido que ele saiba, é importante que a gente chegue cedo — and after talvez, embora, caso and tomara que.
Examples
Note
The same eu-stem trick also gives you the imperative for você: fale!, faça!, venha!, tenha paciência!
FAQ
Presente do subjuntivo: que eu faça — what does it mean and how is it used?
Take the eu-form of the present, drop the -o, and swap the vowel. This one rule does most of the work, and it is worth learning before any list of irregulars. Take the first person singular of the present indicative, drop the final -o, then add -e for -ar verbs and -a for -er and -ir verbs. falo → fale, faço → faça, tenho → tenha, digo → diga, venho → venha, peço → peça, saio → saia, ouço → ouça. Almost every so-called irregular falls out of this automatically, which is why teaching the rule beats teaching the list. Only a handful genuinely break it: ser → seja, estar → esteja, haver → haja, saber → saiba, querer → queira, dar → dê, ir → vá. Use the subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and impersonal judgement — quero que você venha, duvido que ele saiba, é importante que a gente chegue cedo — and after talvez, embora, caso and tomara que.
Presente do subjuntivo: que eu faça — how do you form it?
radical da 1ª pessoa do presente do indicativo + -e (verbos -ar) / -a (verbos -er, -ir)
Presente do subjuntivo: que eu faça — any usage notes?
The same eu-stem trick also gives you the imperative for você: fale!, faça!, venha!, tenha paciência!